The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1907-09-20
COIN SPRINGS PICNIC


tice had been given Of the gathering
Had the community given a months
notice, instead 81 q few days. instead
Of a hundred persons present there
would have been five hundred. All
the same those who were there en-
joye1 the day and occasion.
". d earn Of Ocala, acted a. mas
ter Of ceremonies. Rev. Dr. ". r.
Dodge. Of the Ocala Presbyterian
church. made the first address and it
was not only a good one. but one full
Of logic and reason. and il convinced
several in the audience that Marion
county would lose nothing by voting
out the saloons. We did not have the
pleasure Of nearing the doctor. but
this Is what a gentleman in the aU-
dience impaired 10 Us.
Or. Z. Y. Atkisson. pastor Of the
Ocala Methodist church. was Jhe next
speaker. He said that Or. Dodge had
50 thoroughly covered the ground j.
left little for him 20 say but empha-
size the great evil Of incompetence
and the wretched business # the sa-
loon. He, however gave brief
synopsis Of the growth II the tenn
perance sentiment in tEis country in
the past one hundred years: referred
to the introduction Of a resolution bv
a German minister in the General
Conference IF the Methodist church in
this country, nearly one hundred years
ago. that any minister who drank
strong drink should be- deprived # his
license, that he was laughed at for his
attempt 10 reform and discipline the
roth FslsNf E-.4G no hat
this resolution was introduced in four
general conferences. each held four
years apart. until the resolution was
adopted. He iustanced this case 20
show how the reform sentiment took
root and grew. until now everywhere.
all over the country. ia morals. relig-
ion and business the water wagon
is very conspicuous: that the tie was
ris ng all over the south: at last the
water wagon" held the right IF way
and politicians in years past. who scot
fed at this Temperance sentiment and
ignored its demands, were NJ longer
the aggressoTs in matters Of legiSla-
ton that affected the liquor traffic
bu; were on the defensive and bat
ting 10 suppress the rising tide Of tenn
peranSe reform and inviting all man.
ner Of arguments to overcome this
irresistible tide Of prohibition senJi-
ment. For this state Of affairs the
saloon and liquor men were alone to
blame; il was the lawleSs manner in
which this gigantic interest for years
defied decency and the laws Of the
land. He then said no good came out
of a saloon, no matter now decently il
was conducted. He admitted that there
are well regulated saloons. but they
are the exception and not the rule:
that the laWless. debaSed and tough
made the saloon their rendezvous:
that there all manner Of vice ana in
EQUITY was c0ncocted and carried out
He spoke of the literature being pub
lished i'm the local press against pro-
hibtion and said il was the most in9ne
and SenSelcSS matter he had ever read.
and if there was an argument in their
favor at all il was the taxes they paid
to conduct their doubtful business
and as a relief To taxation ii should be
carefully considered. He spoke OF
Prohibition in Maine He admitted ID
did not entirely prohibit. but when the
social and moral conditions II Maine
Were considered and contraStcG with
those Of half a century ago. the Wet
argument vanished. for then there was
but So TO the credit IF each inhabitant
in the banks Of the state while now
there is $50 per capita In a COM
mercial sense. prohibition in Maine is
"A great success. when the statistics
were taken along moral. education and
religious lines the wet PEOPLE had no
point OF vantage on which 10 hang
their plea for a free and unrestricted
license" He also contraSted the con-
ditions in Kansas. with those Of states
in which the saloon held sway. Kan
sas City. No with 800. 600 people. Was
divided from Kansas City. Kan. with
100000 people, by street car line.
and plainly showed prohibition came
as near prohibiting as il was possible
for mortals; that under a thorough
going reform governor. who was bound
to see the laws executed. prohibition
in Kansas Was a success and 4 power
full factor in its commercial material
moral and religious ErsWth. that So
Ciety was benefited. crime reduced 70
the minimum, that over for1y<couutieS
In the state had not an inmate in their
jail and defied the vets 10 make q
similar exhibit in an or,eu saloon dis
trict or state.
This ended speech making. when the
tables We're spread and d bouuriful
dinner was served. The barbecu,G
meats could not have been finer. while
the chicken pot Pie. rice. cakes. pies.
pillau. etc, left nothing Il be desired
There are not many voters IN shady
precinct. but all aided in making the
picnic a grand success Among them
were Mr.. Counts. tha D0uglaS~es.
father and sons. the F:e-manS. father
and two sons. the Coins. Tom Barnes
and John and Jim McAteer. Mr.. Per-
kins, Mr.. Booher. Nr. GaSkinS NJ =
r. Pyles and others W. Go not now
recall 10 mind.
The ladies Of the community were
in evidence and did their part very
graciously and made all feel a. home
There Is no race suicide in the set
tlement Of Shady and kids and Kid
desses were there by the dozens and
as rosy checked and With Laughing
faces that made lovely picture with
their loving mamas under the shade
Of the outrageous oaks. L was said
that there was A Methodist minister