The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1901-1982, 1907-11-21
The PROHIBITION MOVEMENT.

nj AVAN NV
The enormous strides being made
recently by the prohibition move
ment are attracting universal at
tention. The temperance agitator
is no longer a long haired fanatic,
bowling vainly for he knew not
what. While the moral phase OF
the movement is still predominant,
the business interests OF the eoun-
try are rapidly beginning to Join in
the fight to suppress the liquor
traffic. 1t seems that the business
men of the country at large are
beginning to realize what Conway,
for instance, found out years ago,
that a whisky town does not make
a good business town, but, on the
other hand, the open saloon is one
OF the worst obstacles to a town $
commercial prosperity. The tire
mendous amount OF money that IS
being worse than wasted annually
by being consumed in the form OF
liquor-amounting. according to
statistics, to about 500 per year
for each family in the United
States-is also an economic feature
that apparently appeals to the bust
ness men.
1t is in the south that the prohi.
bition sentiment is especially &C
tive. In Arkansas IS of the Is
counties are dry by the vote OF the
people and four ffths OF the ter
ritory in the wet counties is dry by
petition. Oklahoma began its
career as a state last Saturday by
closing every saloon in its borders,
under constitutional prohibition.
In Tennessee, liquor may be sold
in but four municipalities. Georgia
will on January I become a pro-
hibition state and it is thought the
legislature now in session will pass
a similar law for Alabama. In
the whole south probably three
fourths of the territory is now dry,
while ten years ago the situation
was reversed, three-fourthS being
wet. And it is not only in the
south that the prohibition move
ment is gaining ground, though
its progress III the north has been
slower.
The Anti-Saloon League has
inaugurated a movement for state
wide prohibition i'll Arkansas, and
of its ultimate success We have no
doubt But we believe that the
present laws of Arkansas are about
as good as could be devised, until
the national congress takes such
action as will allow each state TO
regulate the importation OF liquor
into its own borders from other
states. Under the existing federal
laws on interstate commerce, no
state can prohibit liquor from being
shipped to it from another state
Aside from its local effect i'll the
present wet territory, the only Ell
feet of statewide prohibition in
Arkansas would be to drive the
wholesale and Jug trade from
Little Rock and Fort Smith TO
Memphis and St. Louis. 1t is be
lieved by the prohibition forces,
however, that sufficient pressure
will be brought upon the congress
soon to assemble to pass law
which will allow each state TO pro-
hibit if it so desires the importation
of liquor from another state.
When this is done and statewide
prohibition is adopted, Arkansas
can be made absolutely dry.
But, as said before, we believe the
laws of Arkansas are as good as
can be devised, for the present.
Under our laws, liquor may not be
sold in any county where major
ity OF the votes cast at the proceed
ing biennial election were against
license. And it may not be sold