The Ocala banner., 1905-11-24
TO THE VOTER.

TO The VOTER.
To the Editor Ocals Banner.
Hon. w. D. earn and Rev. L. w.
Moore, head of the prohibition move
ment in this county, in a recent issue
of your paper sent out to the voters
of Marion county the items which
follow.
Please permit us to reproduce the
same with a few running comments
and criticisms.
Very truly.
HARRY PRECHT,
for the Marion Co. Protective Assn.
Will you vote for Christmas chimes
or Christmas crimes?
As pure, sincere and conscientious
men oppose the present prohibition
movement as those who favor it.
They do SO because they have tested
both systems and believe the ''open
saloon" is the lesser evil; yet. for
giving expression at the polls to their
convictions they are paraded al be-
levers. abettors and partners in crime.
1t is the old spirit of Phariseeism run
to stubble.
If the saloon is good thing for our
people it should not be taxed higher
than other merchants; if a bad thing
you can not afford to go in partner
ship with it. Your vote decides the
matter.
Dealers in tobacco, cigars, ciga-
rettes, ammunition, firearms, etc.,
pay higher license than some of the
other merchants, yet the people are
not charged with being in partner
ship with them. Is it not just as fair
to ask if Mr.. earn and Mr.. Moore are
in partnership with the jug trade, the
daily shipments of which ought to
serve as an object lesson. But there
are none so blind as those who will
not see.
The matron of ''soiled wOmen'' be-
ieved the county would vote dry; she
sold out and left because the fiery
annex she said, was almost indis-
pensible to her business! How can a
clean gentleman vote to make these
two schools as lawful as any other
public school?
This woman left Ocala some weeks
before the "wet" and dry" election
was called. 1t was publicly proclaim
ed that she had reformed and was in
tent ON leading a new life. That she
had educated her son (who knew
nothing of his mothers history and
expected to joir him in California.
(See Ocala Evening Star.)
In another place Messrs. earn and
Moore say: 1--WE shall not attempt
to deceive" Comment seems un-
necessary. 4
A cOlored woman said: ''They tell
us cOlOred people of the country that
if the county goes ''dry" the temper
ance folks will have the ''no-fence"
law passed and compel US to pasture.
Why attempt to make a colored voter
believe thing you know a white vO-
ter would not believe and which you
do not believe yourself? We want
the cOlored voter to stand with us for
the salvation of white and black, but
we shall not buy him nor attempt to
deceive.
''They tell US" is a very familiar
- character among politicians and wri-
ters of fiction! Who tells US? Why
do these gentleman not gives names?
This is the first time we have heard
the "no-fence" question mentioned
in connection with this movement.
I'VE shall not attempt to deceiveo
looks almost like a chestnut
The saloonist says the country will
lose many thousands of dollars in rev.
enue!" Well! Eleven times two
hundred and fifty make two thousand
seven hundred and fifty. That's what
they call many thousands! If you
want to see ''many thousands going
out of the county just look at the
stream running nOrthward, leaving
no real values behind. Why license
men to drain the we 18th of our coun-
ty?
All merchants buy goods in the
northern markets; and, if they are
honest and pay for them, money must
go in a stream in that direction. If
merchants are not permitted to do
this all stores must close. The only
way to prevent it is to manufacture