The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-05-12
REPoRT OF TIE COMMITTEES
APpOintsd ~ the Florida Baptist
Stass cOnvsntIOn and the Florida
COferenes n. Z. Church SOuth on
TsmPsFanes LsetslatiOn.

ASa gsH2hCo LekksAhAOhs
We, the undersigned, appointed by
the Florida Conference M. Z. Church,
South, and the Florida Baptist State,
Convention meeting respectively at Or
lando, Fla, December l0-15, 1904, and
at Jacksonville, Fla, January lO-l3,S'
1905, for the purpose Of appealing TO
the Florida Legislature in the interests
Of Temperance Legislation, whereby
the sale of intoxicating liquors as
stricted in the State, but also that the
question of license or no license in the
traffic in intoxicating liquors for bever-
age purposes, might be submitted to
the qualified electors of the entire
State. Now in obedience to the trust
committed to US by said Conference
and Convention we herewith submit re-
port of the result of our labOrs thus far,
believing that the general public, being
vitality Interested in this question will
be glad to learn what has been accom-
plished:
l. We have had prepared Bill, re-
curing dealers in patent medicines and
other so-called remedies to have printed
upon the label of each package the per
cent of alcohol contained therein, before
they could vend the same within the
State. We believe that such a law
would facilitate the enforcement Of
prohibition in counties having adopted
it, by exposing the deception being
practiced by dealers in evading the pro-
hibition law. This Bill was introduced
both in the House and. Senate and re-
ferred to the Committee on Temper
ance respectively in each branch of the
Legislature.
z. We have had prepared also the
proper Bill submitting 10 the qualified
electors of the State of Florida, to be
voted upon at the next general election
of the State in 1906, an amendment to
Article XIX, Section of the Constitu-
ton of the State of Florida, which
Amendment If ratified by the vote of
the people will forever prohibit the
manufacture, transportation and sale
of alcoholic liquors as a beverage with
in the State of Florida.
These Bills were both submitted to a
most competent lawyer and his opinion
secured in writing before they were in
troduced into the Legislature.
BY opinion this we are assured that
there is no legal or constitutional imped-
lment or barrier to their adoption, and
enforcement when adopted.
secured the use of the hall of the House
of Representatives and held a public
mass meeting of representative citizens
of Florida, men and women, and these
Bills were fully and fairly presented
and discussed.
At this mass meeting invitation and
opportunity was given to any one who
might desire to express any view or
views opposing these measures.
We believe, that, from the unusual
attendance of the best people of our
State on that occasion, from the unani-
nous action of the above named State
Convention and Conference, from the
numerous petitions that we have received
and presentated to the Legislature,
signed by, literally, thousands of the
leading citizens of this State, and by
the great number of personal letters we
are receiving, all urging such legisla-
ton as will enable the moral, order
loving and sober citizenship Of the
State to overthrow the liquor traffic,
with which request every legislator m
this session is now well acquainted, only
the superiority of the liquor interests in
this State in influencing this Legisla-
ture can prevent the passage of these
helpful measures now in its possession,
While we rejoice that some noble and
true men in both Houses of this Legis-
lature will stand firmly by the right
and strongly for the great mass of our
moral and progressive people, we re-
greet to say that the apathy and non
committal course of number of men,
bers, and the open opposition of others
ought to mark them for an ignominious
and overwhelming defeat at the hands
of all people who place morals above
money and manhood above mammon.
Let the people appeal by personal
letters at once to their Representatives,
and be ready on the one hand, with
grateful reward for your servants who
prove true to your homes and to yonr
loved ones, and on the other hand by
your ballots strike down the servant
who would betray either.
w. D. TURNKEY, J. w. BIGHAM,
FRANK w. CRAMER, w. J. CARPENTER,
Committee for Committee for
Florida Baptist Florida Con-
State Convention. ference, M. +.