The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-01-19
EFFECT IT
WILL HAVE.
Illicit Dealers Not Afraid Of the Local
Courts.

In the last issue of the Fort Pierce
News Congressman Clark has the fol-
lowing letter regarding his blind tiger
bill:
editor News-The issue of your pa
per under date of January has just
reached me. / notice you have an edi-
torial under the heading Frank Clark's
Bill, in which you call attention to the
bill introduced by myself in the House
of Representatives, having for it's pur-
pose the prevention Of internal revenue
collectors receiving special taxes from
persons, firms and corporations to en-
gage in the liquor business IN voting
districts, towns, cities, counties, Terri
tories or States in which the engaging
in such business is prohibited by law.
"You ask in said editorial certain
questions relating to the effect of the
bill in certain particulars, and request
that ! shall answer the same.
"You ask: What effect will such
bill, if enacted into law, have on the
druggists who are compelled to carry
license to sell certain patent medicines
In answer to this question | will say
that it will not in the slightest injure
any reputable, decent druggist who Is
conducting legitimate business; but 1t
will drive out Of business or put in the
penitentiary every alleged druggist who
is secretly running a blind tiger, de-
flying the will of the people, and out
raging all respect Of law.
"Again you ask; What effect will
such law have on the blind tigers
excepting to allow them to run without
Al I0nnGap
In answer to this question ! will say it
will have the effect, and within very
short time, Of giving to the people of
Florida, in the dry counties, hereafter,
a prohibition that will prohibit, and thus
rid our State of the foulest blot that
ever disgraced any State, and success
fully, openly and fiagrantly violated its
law, disregarded the popular will, and
flung defiance in the faces of our good
women and best men. If the man who
engages in the business of illicit liquor
selling was not afraid of the United
States officers, he would never pay the
special taYes for such business exacted
by the general government. 1t is a
well-known fact that the average ma
nipulator of the blind tiger is not very
much afraid of local courts and juries,
but ne is awfully afraid of being car
ried to Jacksonville, Tampa, or some
other place away from home, by the
United States marshal, to be tried in
the United States Court before jurors
who are strangers to him, and in TO.
rum where he has no local pull. If
this bill becomes a law, the keeper of a
blind tiger will have to dodge both the
State and Federal authorities, and in
nv opinion very few men would desire
to take such chances. 81
II have introduced this bill and shall
earnestly labor for it's enactment into
law, believing that it will be the most
effectual legislation to accomplish the
will of the people in communities where
thev vote dry. believe that MAORI |
ties should rule; that the will of the
people should be obeyed; that defiance
of the law should not be tolerated, and
that all laws should be enforced, and
that the farce comedy of prohibition, as
It is presently being played, should
cease. intend by this law if possible,
TO dissolve the partnership now existing
between the Government of the United
States and the illicit liquor dealer com
monty called the blind tiger, whether
he is carrying on his business under the
respectable outer covering of drug
pist. or whether he is a miserable boot
logger around the turpentine camp.