The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-12-29
THE NEW
"SOLID SOUTH"
THE PROHIBITION MOVEMENT
SPREADING AMAZINGLY.
No puRITANIcAL SpASN
It Is a Fight Of God-fearing Men and
Women of the Southland to Exterml-
note Root and Branch the Evil OF
the Liquar Traffic.

the Liquar Traffic.
The Lake Charles Searchligkt says:
When the Aryan race arose IN It's might
and forever swept from the regenerated
South the twin curses Of negro DONNA
ton and carpetbag rule, political
party composed exclusively Of white
sufragans seized the reins Of State gov
eminent in the various component parts
of the late Confederacy, and from that
dav to this Democracy has ruled the
South; 50 much 50 that the political
spellbinder has been wont to perorate
anent The Solid South, meaning
thereby the Democratic South.
As a matter of fact there has really
been no Solid South since the Demo
cratic party split over the free silver
schism, nor does it seem likely that,
politically speaking, there will soon
again be really Solid South.
But there is new Solid South rap
idlv becoming a cohesive whole, and
this is being brought about not by po-
litical but economic, social and religious
movements to rid the fairest country on
Gods footstool Of a curse beside which
even those of negro misrule and carpet
bag corruption seem mild Affections IN
comparison.
This is the fight of the God-fearlng
men and women of the Southland to eX-
terminte, root and branch, the saloon
evil. It is no Puritanical spasm, but a
cold blooded. businesslike and sensible
movement to rid the South Of the great
est curse she has ever been saddled with
and beside which disfranchisement,
scent cotton and energy-stlt1lng taxa
ton can we'll be regarded as unmltigated
blessings
1t is being pursued with energy and
vim from Maryland to Florida and
from where the Atlantic laps Virginia S
shores to where the Rio Grande sweeps
nlaiecticallv 'twixt Texas and Mexico
to the gulf. The people of the Sunny
South have said the saloon must go
and it is going with a rapidlty calculated
| to make the forces of rum and ruin
| wonder where the cyclone will strike
next
Let us consult the record and see just
what the prohibition forces have &C
complished in the past decade toward
the determination Of the liquor traffic
| South Carolina was one of the first
Southern States to abolish the saloon
establishing in lieu thereof the State
dispensary, where liquor could BIT
bought in reasonable quantities, but
drunkenness, loahng and disorder were
prohibited Kentucky has but four coun-
ties in which liquor holds sway, again:
ninety-four which are entirely dry
There are but seven counties where
liquor is sold in Mississippi, and only
four in Tennessee, while Alabama ha:
passed a statutory prohibition act which
will cause that entire State to go dry II
+ 1000. Georgia's act of similar nature
will go into effect January I, 1908. Per
petual prohibition is constitutional IL
the new State of Oklahoma. The gov
ernors of Florida, Mississippi an'
North Carolina are prohibitionists, AM
each of these States are considering leg
islat;on to abolish the whiskey traffl
altogether, as is West Virginia. Crane
Iold Texas has but forty-seven wet
counties out of total of 243, while al
most half of our own beloved State o
Louisiana has abolished the sale o
liquor. The handwriting on the wal
points to its entire determination fror
the Pelican State within a very shor
time
From a map published in the Satur
t. day Evening Post of November 9, 100;
the following table has been prepared
showing that out Of a total Of IFS
counties in the Southern States 883 ar
dry" % partially dry" and but 81
entirely wet" Or, taking it State b
State, the following showing is made
Coun- Partly
ties dry dry We
w. Virginia !. IS 80 o
Virginia =. 100 90 2o
N. Carolina ;. 81 e. o 3
S. Carolina :. Al II o