The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-08-17
JUDGE JONES IS
ON DRY SIDE.

| H 49, 80 AAAAAAu8 EA8H
Have Agreed That the SAIOon Il
the Hest FFaitfsI Source Of Want
and Sorrow and SIM"
Titusville, Fla, Aug. 7, 1906.
Editors St. Lucie County Tribune:
Ihave the honor to acknowledge your
favor of yesterday.
OF course, the Judge of the circuit
court ought not in advance to have an
opinion on the manner of holding any
particular election, but on the morals
OF the liquor business generally, l take
1t, he may have, and also express, an
opinion, To the point, then:
Much experience and observation has
given me an aversion to the saloon.
Much experience and observation has
convinced me that decentralization is in
evitably engendered by the saloon, and
that such decentralization overpowers all
influence and gs-religious and
parental. 1t sways and hardens the
conscience Of barkeeper and patrons.
Sooner or later the milk of human
kindness will be dried up in the heart of
the man who runs the saloon, and sooner
or later the habit Of attending it will
end in disaster to the man who spends
his time in It.
Almost all men are social and cOnviv-
ial by nature, and almost all men are
thus likely to be swept by its associa-
lions into debt and excess, and to end
oy neglecting the family, the first and
tenderest tie that our Great Creator es-
tablshed. To strong men the saloon is
20 &. =.
evitably ruin0us.
/ do not believe in sumptuary laws,
and believe strongly In the theory Of
personal liberty But the necessities
OF the social union have made necessary
and established the power TO restrict |
and restrain those natural rights the |
exercise Of which initiates against the
mass; and, surely, all thinking men |
have agreed that the open saloon is a
most fruitful source OF want and sor-
row, and sin as well, IN ali its awful |
The sale of LIQUOR might |
be 80 regulated as to be consistent with |
the public good, but the open saloon
will always be repugnant TO good NOR
ais and social safety.
1t is hard to control the appetites of
men, and this single fact makes the
Dnly difficulty in the way of prohibition
Put down the saloon and the "blind IL
GER Is liable TO succeed to il with an
sffrontery that shocks the nerves and
Iortitude Of the staunchest citizen. But
he blind tiger" is weaker than its
lis under the unmitigated
ban Of the law, while the saloon is boil
'tered up by technical rights incident
o its license. The saloon is thus en-
lowed with the decency of legal status,
while the blind tiger" is more or less
titled by the very air of roguery and
iecrecy in which it abides. In the Ian (
Euage of wise old friend of mine, "a
licensed tiger with both eyes open is
more deadly than many blind ones. /"
indeed, the blind tiger thrives only
when the sentiment of the public is in
Inherent. 1t is not any business of
nine TO NEEDLE, but if st. Lucie county
.oes dry and her fathers and mothers !
re brave and persistent in holding up
'ubllc sentiment TO the sticking point !
n the maintenance of the law, the
blind tiger" will not thrive in your
midst, for in my opinion the court Off
ers now serving, and those to succeed,
re lovers Of the law and will be zeal |
us in enforcing it in all particulars.
Perhaps | could not further impress
ny view of the matter il wrote q col
mn or two, and will so close with an =
ssurance Of great respect for the Trib- .
ne. Very truly,
MINOR S. JONES. /