The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-12-24
SUNDAYS
DEMONSTRATION
ADVOCATES OF PROHIBITION
GATHER IN THE CHURCHES.
INDEFENSIBLE
ARRAIGN N ENT
The Criminal Record Quoted by Judge
Webb-Eighty Per Cent of Crimes
and Criminals Come from Saloons and
Dives-Ihe Speakers.

Dives-The Speakers.
The demonstrations by the prohibi-
tionists in three churches Sunday night
were evidence of the earnestness of the
citizens who have determined on de
stroying the dives and groggeries and
saloons i'll Shreveport.
The Methodist church was crow led
to its fullest capacity. There was a
splendid attendance in the Christian tab
crnacle, and an appreciative gathering
i'll the Parkview Baptist church.
At the Methodist church the congre-
CATION was addressed by Col. w. H.
Wise and Rev ]. II. Spcaring. whose
presentation of the issue was strikingly
logical and convincing At the Parkview
church Col. ]. S. Young and J. F. San
ders were the speakers.
The gathering in the Christian tab
ernacle heard Judge r. d. Webb of the
City Court, V. Grosjean of The Caucas-
ian, and Rev H. A. Sumrell of the First
Baptist church.
The service having been opened by
Rev Claude L. Jones. pastor with in
vocation by Rev U. B. Currie, Judge
Webb was presented by DR.. Jones.
When men who, as Judge Webb, do
not seek nOtoriety and would rather not
be in the limelight of publicity, come
forward and take a stand on some pub
lie issue, it is an indication that there
is a danger, a menace to good order and
good morals which prompts them to
action of resistance. If there can be
an authority competent to demonstrate
better qualified than the judge who from
day to day must face the wrecks and the
wretches Of debauchery?
If the saloN, the dives and the grog-
geries had no other indictment against
them than that presented from the GRIM
inal records of the City Court by Judge
Webb, that indictment of itself should
be. and is, sufficient to arouse all good
men to the side of prohibition.
In the course of term of two years
there had been called to his court, In
round numbers, 1000 cases. During the
year. of 1000 cases he had tried 1000
wereNfor being drunk AMI disorderly, for
fgp ; and for disturbing public order
Dutn.s the year about 400 cases were
of parties arrested for being drunk and
down, who having no defense PLEADED
guilty.
About 300 of the charges were fol
violation of city ordinances, such as fol
failure to screen cisterns and violation
of the speed ordinance.
And 200 of these charges were fol
violation of city ordinances and STATE
statutes, where the evidence does no
show that the offenders have used i'll
ltoxicants.
Of the number cited there is not IN
cluded the cases where the parties ar
charged with crime whose punlshmen
can be hard labor in the penitentlary
which were transferred to the Distrlc
Court, and the original afidavits bein
given to the keeper of the parish jail d
not appear as having been tried i'll tn
City Court.
Of the number assigned to the Stat
charged with larceny, the maj orlty al
traceable to intoxicants The victim wi
3 steal to obtain money with which to bu
intoxicants.
9 A conservative estimate based on tt
evidence of the official record is tn;
7 over eighty per cent of the trials of Il
J offenders are traceable TO the saloon
the dives and the groggeries.
$ OF the great number of victims the
= are many, of the better class, who a
lnever called into court, as they a
cared for by relatives and friends. 1t
Y not possible to estimate the number
recruits from the gilded saloon wi
gradually fall to the level of the div
70 and the groggeries.
,ol Some of these reform and becor
" coed citizens, but the majority a
claimed by the grave, the prisons a
. the penitentiaries.
5. The drunkard has no friend when
,3 has reached the lowest plane; he
o cared for by the police, who take h
81 to the stations and then follows the OF
Ill course left for decision
4o| Judge Webb in addressing himself
20 the economic or financial question S;
.lhe was not a financier, but he had es
10 mated that there was contributed to