The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1907-09-27
'1Re Rankest Of Rot

ne heCOTu uGHFLlIy COHSIdJuldJeS
the Pensacola Journal, the Ocala
Banner, the Palatka News and the
Miami Metropolis upon the stand
they are taking for God, for home,
for the peace and happiness of the
people and for the prosperity of their
count s-respectIvely Escambia,
Marion, Putnam and Dade, in all of
which very warm wet and dry
campaign is on.
These papers, together with the
good people of their counties, are
making a stubborn and determined
fight against the devil. They should
be and are encouraged by all the
good people throughout the state in
their fight to drive this Green-eyed
Monster from their counties, u MONS
ter that brings more misery, poverty,
sin and unhappiness in this world
than any other agency that the devil
has ever sent among the people OF
the earth.
The argument the whiskey men
put up that the saloons build up a
town and county is tine rankest of
rot, sinful deception to induce
some people to vote for the perpetu-
alton of this moral crime among the
people.
AS to whether or no the driving
out of saloons from county does an
injury to the business interests of
that county, we point to the dry
counties of Florida, from which the
saloon was driven years ago. They
are all prOspering as they never did
before; there you find better people,
happier homes, a better citizenship,
better society, schools and churches.
The money that went to the saloon
man now goes into the homes, to the
mothers, wives and children, for bet
ter clothing, better schooling, for
more of the necessaries and COM
forts of life.
AS an object lesson take, for ms
tance, Volusia. 1t has been in the
dry column for over ten years, and
what has been the lot of our people
during this decade? Despite the in
tervening freeze there has been pros
perity through out the county.
There is a better citizenship, better
schools and more of them, better So
ciety, happier people, better homes,
more churches, purer and sweeter
environments for our mothers, wives
and daughters. We have less mur-
ders and crimes of all kinds, less
mortgages to battle with, more
money among the people, and peace
and contentment.
When the saloons were driven
from Volusia her total assessed valu-
alton was between two and three
million dollars. This year the Coun-
ty Tax Assessors books show an as
sessed valuation of over five million
dollars, and this increase, foo, with a
freeze that swept for the time being
our orange groves from the face of
the earth.
The fact that there are between
$500 and 5000 names of derositors
on the books of the Volusia County
Bank, including the Merchants
Bank at Daytona, branch of the Vo-
lusia County Bank, and the constant
and remarkable increase in deposits
as shown from the semi-annual
statements, and the growth of the
savings departments, the financial
condition of our people is better than
it ever was in the past.
The saloon is the curse of any land ;
it is the most degrading institution
with which humanity is afflicted,
and our heart abounds with joy over
the anti-saloon wave that is sweep
ing the Southland today like a hur-
ricane.
May Escambia, Marion, Putnam
and Dade join hands with Volusia
and the thirty-three other dry coun-
ties of Florida in having driven this
death-dealing monster from their
midst.-Volusia County Record.