The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-06-05
The Saloon and Pro-
hibitiOn.

Through your press, it has Gene TO
nv knowledge that there exists among
you subject of heated discussion, that
threatens to engender an unhappy So
cial condition and very disturbing 10
harmony. Impelled by . the hope that
my experience in life may enable me to
pour 'oil upon the troubled waters, !
and promote harmony, send you this,
as Canton's prosperity and social life
has been a subject of deep interest with
me. for the last IS years,
will premise what | have to say on
this subject. by reference to- my
early life, To crafty my father, / be-
came member of a Temperance So
ciety in my twenty's, and my first ad-
dress in public was in the temperance
cause. 1t was my good fortune to have
delivered it in the presence of that H.
nous apostle Of temperance, Judge
O'neal of South Carolina, who request
ed it for publication and it was pub
lished in Temperance Advocate"
Columbia, South Carolina. The reason
for his request was, think, Oh ac--
count OF two post mortems, made upon
subjects, who had died of intemper-
apce. In both cases, the effects of in
temperance were too patent and plain
TO be mistaken; and will here remark
that, as like causes produce like eff
fects, advise all who drink spirits at
all to use liquor temporarily. My pro-
fession has required Inc to study alcohol
and all of its various preparations, in
their various relations to the animal
economy; and the result of my expert
ence is that. it bears fixed relation to
the same in sickness and health, and
this relation varies with idiosy ncrosies,
that is each system responds in'its own
way Nature has given to each one of
the hnman race fthe intui tive knowl-
edge to know when it benefit, and
when it is injurio us-excess in its use
is due to mans perversity, let man
therefore be aaathematized not spirits.
AS to prohibition there seems to be
something antagonistic in. our nature.
Temperament is persuasive. but prohibi
'tion sounds dicta torial. 1t assumes
that amajorisy Of a community shall
force upon asmnority measure which !
. q . a.. Z :
with An mate rigat and per-
sonalliberty Ipeffsct, by its opera
ton upon salDons, III fails utterly Of its
object; fot!iie4whe wants liquor can all
ways get IT. by importations. 1t hence
does not abaae the evil but proves
Pandora iBox by introducing the
'1blind tigers' 1T has proved itself in
efficacious to reach the end itproposes
and all of its fruits are bitter. 1T en-
genders anAagonisms in opinion and
purpose and personal illswil as a conse-
quence. | sgree. with the Prohibition
ist who thinks that a. vast amount OF
money is spentat the saloon that could
be applied to a better purpose. but an
to this can be found in this
fact that. the tax upon the saloonist is
an ample equivalent, anu for judici-
Gus purpose, and affords great relief to
the tax payer.
According to my observation. the boy
or man who aliases its privilege. brings
The disgrace on his own head and is
alone respanible. The man or the boy
is not the. victim of the saloon but of
his own folly. A. boy or man whose
of morality and propriety is
erected under the paternal or maternal
roof is not in dagger of saloon Influences.
The evil is innate, and must be exor-
cised at home.
With. these predicates before me,
which regard as stubborn facts, l ask
where lies. the necessity for all this
angry discussion? can see but one .
reason for its existence, and that is
that the present push & hustle to make
money and rush business is such as to
eave no time for the moral education
Of our children, and so they are left to
all demoralizing influences. Let our
friends pause and reflect.
they are not dealing with new thing
put one as old as Noah, and one that
S so firmly imbedded in human nature
hat nothing less than natures God
IAN change. Le!them preach and
practice temperance in all things; aud
GLOWING the Apostles injunction,