The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-21
Temperance in the SOUTH
To the Editor of the PRESS:


/ Under the above title the New York
Tribune of the sth of February last had
an interesting article on temperance in
the South, containing information,
much of which / had not known before.
The Tribune says this matter deserves
more attention than it has received in
Northern journals. In Georgia, Ala
banla, Mississippi, Texas. Arkansas and
other cotton States, where there is a
large negro population, the suppression
of the liquor traffic has become a neces-
sity. It is the liquor traffic that converts
the negroes into tends. and is response
Bile for the outrages, ipstigating lynch
ing and lawlessness. The closing of the
saloons has been essential to the security
of life and the welfare of women and
children in districts where whites are
largely. outnum bered by blacks.
In Arkansas the sale of liquor or the
prohibition of it is determined by the
people. By special enactments, prohibit
tion is established within a ia iius of
from three to ten miles of church or
a school house. A majority of the adults
in county or town determine this by
their votes in which every woman has an
equal voice with the men.
The saloon has disappeared from ma
jority of the counties Of Arkansas. There
is said to be only one open saloon from
Little Rock to Van Buren, ON the border
of the State. 100 miles, In twenty-five
counties the sale of liquor is absolutely
prohibited, and in the greater part Of
every other county in the State. The
township of a county may establish pro-
hibition within it's limits.
The same system exists in other South
ern States with most beneficial results.
From Georgia to Texas, wherever sa-
looms are closed. the race question Is
solved, for it is the drink evil that IN
stigates the worst negro crimes, and
is indirectly responsible for the atrocious
negro hunts" aud lynchiIg outrages.
In many Others of the Southern States
from ore half to two-thirds%and even to
three-fourths of the counties are under
prohibition by local option. Wherever
women have the ranchiss either in full
or in municipal affairs, the saloon has
been compelled to pack up and march.
Wherever women are forbidden the
ballot it is the grog shop that inspires
the opposition, and those men who sup
pose they could not attract their vote.
In 1882 the n. Y. Tribune had an edi-
torial OIL the temperance question, which
at the time attracted such attention,
but is now almost or quite forgotten. 1t
was entitled "Size of the Temperance
Question"
cit does no good for men to swear at
an agitation in regard to the liquor traffic
The su bject is too important to be
laughed down. The subject has
become altogether too important to be
ignored or passed over without any
previous attempt to settle it. A side from
the law-defying Esprit which it mas
elected, aside frognn ali moral and relig-
ious aspects the,1 question considered
purely as one of dollars and cents, in its
effect upon the national prosperity and
wealth, is one of,the most important that
Can be named.
Directly and Indirectly this country
spends in the liquor traffic sum exceed
ing half the national debt. f(That was
In 1882. J The cost of that traffic to the
country, direct and indirect, is greater
than the profits OF all its capital nos in
vested in real estate. 1t costs every year
more than our whole civil service, our
army, our navy, our Congress, including
the river and harbor and pension bills.