The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1907-04-02
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of using liquor at all. That the use or
abuse of liquor was not directly or m /
directly responsible FOR the commission
of crime. Out of FIVE murders done IN
this city, but one Of the assallants was
addicted to the use Of liquor. john
Ellison. who killed his father. was &
total abstainer. The slayer Of john !
son, the mOtOrman, was noted Tor the
many virtures that he had. TIE Two
! men who strangled Mrs. Mckendrlc
were not drunk at the time, and Il IS
claimed that one Of then never use0
liquor in any form. The man who kill
ed Lempham stated on the stand that
he never used liquor in his life. The
young man convicted of having attempt
ed to kill his rival in John Ball park
last summer is rot drinking man.
| In fact that fact was put IL eVI-i
dence during the trial / only in
stance these cases because they hae7
come under the immediate observation
! of all.
There is another thing thai y5e must
consider. There is such 2 thing as a
sober thirst. All men VINO drink
liquors are not drunkarcls, or becoming
such. In my opinion the social club
/ which fiourishes under the influence of
/ prohibition in prohibition states is lar
worse as a drunkard maker tran giie
saloon. The man who was only a mod
crate drinker under a restrictive law
will become an immoderata drinker
under prohibition.
4 think that / have said enough to
convince fair min4ed man that pr0hI-
/ bitlon docs not improve the morals Of
q community. At least 1t would ap-
4 pear so to me when in prohibition
j state perjury increases 80 per cent and
! the general public tolerates it. Nor
yet where it breeds a class OF hypo-
critics VINO promise to support law
and then secretly allow il to be yi0iat--
ed. and where boys and men SC help-
lessly drunk about the public streets,
1.-The solution of the problem lies IN
study, not Of what we think Will be the
better way, but to ascertain what is
the better way. Too many contract a
narrow, bigOted way OF looking 1t mat
tiers Of social nature. Too often we
say i never have drunk q glass Of
beer, nor felt thar l cared to DO so
Then comes the conclusion, because
have never drank glass OF beer no one
else should be permitted 10 do so. !
would be as just to say, ] have never
else should be allowed TO eat one. Then
let us be honest, not only "a ourselves,
but to all the other interested persons.
Years ago when the liquor traffic was
carried on by the same men who supple
ed our homes with groceries-before
the excise laws went into effect-2 man
who dealt in liquor was any ether citi-
zen. The excise laws have made thiB
same man an object Of 6istrUst. He
feels the position into which society
has forced him and acts accordingly.
Do you not think that it would be a
good idea to restore the liquor dealer
TO the position he once occupied in the
social world? Would he not attempt
to live up to the responsibilities that
his position necessarily placed him?
In other words, if the traffic is not to
be destroyed, would il not be wise to
have it in the hands OF men who had
higher ideals?
1.-THE following bit of testimony from
a man VINO had the nauion 5 confidence,
and whose. social standing lends weight
to his words. refer to that celebrat-
ed American, Bayard Taylor, who, IN
writing to the New York Tribune of
his expert ences during 2 trip through
Maine said: 1t is melancholy to see
so much honest, conscientious efforts
misdirected, SIS in the cause Of temper
ance reform. The root Of the evil lies
deeper than any prohibitory law car
reach. The human race never will sub
nit to so great an interference with
its personal habits.