Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-08-31
PROHIBITION IN THE SOUTH.

PROHIBITION IN THE SOUTH.
When Vermont and New Hamp-
shire abandoned the policy of prohib-
ition of the liquor traffic few months
ago, and adopted a high-license local
option law in its place, several papers
declared that prohibition was failure
and that the Prohibitionist Party was
dead. The latest issues of the Neao
Voice, an organ of the Prohibition
Party published in Chicago, however,
claim that the party is more than off,
setting the reputation of it's prin-
ciples in those two states by making
remarkable gains in the south. 1t
says that the South sis now a hotbed
Of Prohibition agitation" and that
that entire section has fewer saloons
than the state of New York. The
South has but $1,000 saloons, while
New York has $4,000 The reports
published in the NeU Voice show the
prohibition situation in eleven of the
southern states. We summarize a
few of the reports:
TExAs-136 counties have total prohibit
ton; 81 counties have partial prohibitions;
and 46 counties have unrestricted sale OF
liquors.
TENNESSEE s only, out of $500 cities
and towns in the state, have unrestricted
sale of liquors. In only II of the SO coun-
ties can whiskey be sold legally.
KENTUCKY-47 counties have total pro-
hibition, and Is have unrestricted sale of
liquors.
ARKANsAs-44 counties have total pro-
hibition; counties have partial prohibit
ton, and % have Unrestricted sale.
MIssIssIPPI-65 counties out of 20 have
prohibition, and out of two hundred legis-
lators all but dozen or less have signified
their approval OF a referendum for state
prohibition.
GEORGIA -1O3 counties out OF 1877 have
prohibition.
AloDzo E. Wilson, chairman of the
state prohibition committee of Illinois
believes that the progress of prohibit
ton in the south is "largely due to
the constantly increasing feeling that
liquor must be kept away from the
negro, and that public sale must &C
cordingly be stopped" There are
few foreigners in the south, he says,
and, native Americans, as a rule be-
lieve in temperance theories" This,
he declares "gives the temperance
sentiment, once it gets started,
chance to spread, and it is spreading
rapidly On the other hand the
sweeping progress of prohibition in
Texas Is explained by the Galveston
NelCs to be the result of ''the failure
of liquor dealers to obey just and rea-
sonaole regulations attaching to
their license" This failure of the sa-
loon men to observe the laws regula-
ting the sale of liquors, the Nelus says,
has caused them to be rated as a law
less class, and has induced many per-
sons to vote for local prohibition who
otherwise would not have done so. 1t
says that the liquor dealers in Texas
the public interference with their
traffic. The Kansas City Journal re-
marks:
at is hard to realize that a success
full campaign is being waged against
the use of alcoholic drinks in Texas:
but such is the case. More than one
hundred counties in that big state
have closed the doors of the saloons,
while the entire state evinces strong
tendency to fall into the prohibition
procession. The movement has ex-
tended across the northern border
and Oklahama. Some of the south
western counties of that territory, the
people of which are mostly Texans
and Southerners. are agitatlng the
question so lively that the issue has
been sharply drawn. The prohibi
tionists both in Oklahoma and in In
dian territory seem TO be Weakening
into hopeful life. Congress passed
law in 1855, requiring that the nature
OF alcoholic drinks and narcotics and
special instruction as TO their effect
upon the human system in connection
with the subjects of physiology and
hygiene, shall be included in the
branches OF study taught in the COM
mon and public schools, and all Indian
and coloreo schools in the Territories.
Heavy penalties are imposed for the
violation of these provisions. The
law has not been enforced with much
generality in the past, but the W G.
L. L. has brought the matter to the
attention Of the proper authorities.
The action of this organization was
tab en- undoubtedly for the purpose of
beginning a campaign for Temperance.
-ZiOn's Herald.