The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-12-07
NEW YORK LETTER

strongest\ proofs Of this Is shown In
la recent editorial of the New York
Times, which Is by no means a pro-
|hibition paper; on the contrary, 1t
gives all the encouragement 1t can.
and in every way possible, to the
liquor interests. But here Is the ed
itorial in full, two days after the
llast ,election. November 4
THE ANTI-SAI.OON VICTORIES.
The Prohfbltionists will exult over
the elections Tuesday in Delaware
and Kentucky. In Kentucky, where
1 500, 900 of the States 2,230,000 pop
|ulation are In dry" counties, Re-
publican Governor, Augustus F..
Wilson, has been elected on tenn
perance platform, and the Republican
mayor-elect of Louisville, James F."
Grinstead, has defeated Owen Tay-
Ter, who stood Cor the repeal Of the
Sunday-closing law. The Delaware
|anti-saloon forces have won two
counties, Kent and Sussex, though the
liquor interests still hold rural New
Castle County and Wilmington,
where they have more than $6,000,-
900 in capital invested. From llli-
nois, too, comes the report that more
counties have Joined the Prohibition
group OF ten and that over 100000
people Of that State are in the dry"
districts. Birmingham, Ala, called
the "Pittsburg of the South voted
the other day the local Punishment
|of the rum traffic.
The Prohibition party Is still
small. Only five states of the Union
are officially total abstainers, includ-
ing Oklahoma; and in all the States.
there are but twenty Prohibitionist
Legislators, and no Congressman. But
|thirty-four States have widely re-
strictive local option statutes. so
that the number of people resident
lin dry territory has increased
from 3,5OO,OOO in 1870, and from
Is. 1856 900 in 1900, to 33,OO0,000 In
1907. In all the States-with the
Exception of Pennsylvania, New Mex
leo, Arizona, Nevada, Utah. Idaho,
Wyoming and Montana-Prohibit'on
sentiment is steadily gaining sweep
'and influence.
Yet the American people consumed
In 19O6-O7 total of 134,l42,O74 gal
Ions OF whisky or 11,400,252 gal
Ions more than in the previous fiscal
year, besides an increased amount or
beer. The internal revenue receipts
from spirits were $156,S36,902, an In
crease in the year ended In June 30
of $12,942.S46.
III 3S,OOO,OOO in this country live
in "dry territory almost one-half;
at least, one-third anyway--it Is a
most encouraging sign OF what is
coming. When cities like Knoxville
and Birmingham kill the saloon busi-
ness, we are inspired with courage
to go forwards r.. Willis In the
Christian Standard OF December z
1907.
| Because the saloon is a Grim
linal institution, evil and only evil,
the producer of Ill health, immor-
Iality, impurity. insanity, poverty,
crime, degradation and woe, increas-
ing taxes, breaking up homes, cor
rupting government, filling jails, aims
houses, work houses, penitentiaries
and insane asylums, and directly and
indirectly carrying 100000 of our
people annually to premature death,
| It is the business of the government
to destroy the saloon" Such was
the declaration of the committee on
Temperance appointed by the Indi-
ana Baptists to report at their re-
cent convention. on the progress OF
prohibition and local option, and the
attitude of religious bodies and the
government toward the reform. -
Home Herald of December 4th, 1907.
OUR NEW PRHIBITION STATE,
i On November 16, Oklahoma entered
the sister hood OF states. 1t was
her proud distinction tojoin the
company with clean bill of health
ON the temperance question. Her
people have at the start the bless
ings OF statutory prohibition
In present wealth, size of territory,
population and richness of resource
she takes at once among the older
states most prominent position
Indeed, she feels that she has too
long been denied her rights. In this
connection Governor Haskell says
In his inaugural Address,
1--WE are not assembled here to
worship the public officer who con-
ceded us our rights, particularly
when We reflect that long ago. from
the very standpoint of population
wealth and intelligence of this era
1--we were entitled to all the blessing
and privileges of statehood. and now
: ito thank the public officers In over
gracious terms who have finally per,
} formed a long and unjustly deferred
J duty would be In the nature of hug
, ging the feet OF a dilatory debtor
who finally pays his just indebted
, ness"
But statehood Is thing more care
, fully thought out now than at timei
In the past and SO the governor -ant
lOklahoma should not be too severe
IN his Judgment OF the powers tina
l. - - 4.