The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-08-11
PROHIBITION
OR LICENSE.
That is the Issue IN Putnam
County Now.
County Commissioners Call a wet
and Dry" Election for Sep
TENDER goth.

TENDER goth.
Backed by petition containing
the names OF over 800 Tor more than
one-third) of the registered voters OF
1.-THE county, the dry campaign COM
mittee appeared before the board OF
county commissioners on Monday
and asked for the calling of IL special
election To determine the future pol
| lev OF the county in its treatment OF
the liquor business.
The commissioner appointed Tues
dav morning for canvassing the
petition. and all that day was Occu-
pied in ascertaining the number OF
registered voters in the county and
the petitioners, and in comparing
the names on the petition with those
on the registration books. 1t was as
cerfained that there are little over
). 3CO registered voters in the county,
and the petition contained over $40
names, or more than 200 above the
number required by law. Compar-
atively few names were stricken oil
the petition.
On Wednesday morning the COM
missioners met and completed their
work by setting apart Tuesday, Sep.
26th, next, as the day for the election,
and by appointing the precinct in
spectors and clerks.
Contrary to the expectation OF
some of the dry campaign commit
tee, the commissioners showed no
disposition TO act other than i'll a
perfectly fair and legal manner.
The canvass was made without frlc-
ton and in perfect good nature on
either side. The attorney for the
liouor interests sought no unfair adj
vantage and the attorney for the
committee gave way gracefully
whenever it was shown that a petit
toner's name was not on the regis
tration books, and therefore should
be striker. -,
The commissioners counted until
they had passed the 800 mark-then
quit. 1t was a useless waste of time
| to go further.
! The petition contains the names OF
many of the leading men OF the
| county. 1t was the kind of petit
| ton calculated to inspire respect
bulky in size and weighty in auto
graph. =,
During the count there was quite
an attendance of spectators, many
of whom seemed deeply interested
| in the result The liquor interests
were not largely represented in the
audience. With these people it was
a foregone conclusion that the cleo
ton would be called. Whatever
work is done for the wet side will bt
done between now and the election
The issue is now clearly drawn
1t can be briefly stated: Shall Put
nam county continue to legalize tn
sale of alcoholic liquors as bever
age. or shall the business be branded
as an outlaw?
The question of "blind tigers
should not be allowed to enter. Tn
blind tiger" would be an outlaw il
the event that the election gave
majority to the dry proposition. L
say that blind tigers" would flour
ish in case the county goes dry
would be ii reflection Oh Sherif
Howell.
That official said to the News
'YOu may say for me that in tn
event the county goes dry | will Sc
, that the law is enforced The 'blint
, tiger will not be allowed in Putnam
county while [ am the sheriff.
1t is the consentient opinion in Pa
latka that the county will go dry b,
Il large majority.
Very many conservative bushes
men here are Of the opinion that
+ would be detrimeut to the bushes
|. interests of Palatka to have tn
county go dry. They feel that
would switch a large amount of trad
) now coming here to other town
: where liquor is sold.
On the other hand there is a. larg
2 class of equally prominent bushes
: men who hold that the liquor traffi
was never benefit to Palatka
That with the traffic wiped out @
f existence, there would be create
, expenditure of money for groceries
dry goods, clothing and other neces
+ stiles of life; that collections woul
be better They say that if Palatka'
prosperity is dependent upon tn
liquor traffic the city is in II ba
. way; they point to Gainesville an
other cities where the testimony Q
the business men goes to show
much greater prosperity under pro
! hibitiOn than under license.
There will be some argument
during the next few weeks. Per
haps some hot ones. For the sub
ject of discussion has its moral a
well as its economic side.