Cañon City record., 1907-11-21

/ counties. and prohibition is likely to
be an issue in the next campaign.
Prohibition has not made much head
way in the state of Virginia 80 far. but
the sentiment Is growing and the cpl
demic Is likely to spread over the
boundaries Of the neighboring states
without much delay.
The most exciting contests have re-
Gently occurred in Asheville. N. c..
and in Birmingham. Ala. where pro-
hibition has been adopted under the
local option laws by a vote Of the
people. The campaign In both places
has involved women and children. who
have attended the meetings, peddled
tickets and on election day surrounded
the poles singing hymns. holding
prayer meetings and serving luncheon
to voters. The City OF Birmingham
proper cast a small majority against
prohibition, but strange to say. the
miners In the suberbs were almost
solid in favor of prohibition and gave
majority OF nearly 1,S0o In the
county.
Georgia has taken the lead In the
movement. Great impetus was given
to IL by the race riots that occurred at
: Atlanta last spring and were provoked
I by drunken negroes Hoke Smith,
formerly Secretary of the Interior in
the cabinet Of President Cleveland.
and now Governor OF Georgia. opposed
the movement and advocated local op-
ton. but the Democratic party swept
over him like a torrent, and absolute
prohibition was adopted without hesi-
/ tation.
In North Carolina Governor Glenn.
who is leader OF the Democratic party.
| is also leader of the prohibition move
ment and is stumping the state In
support of II. He expects to go to the
United States Senate on that issue.
Local option has prevailed in North
Carolina for some years. and nearly
all the counties are dry" The only
places In which liquor Is now sold are
Whining gton and Salisbury. and 1t is
expected that they will abolish their
saloons at the next election.
am told here that the law is pretty
well enforced and is quite as effective
as the laws against other crimes and
vices. Prohibition will not prohibit
the sale of liquor any more than the
law prohibiting stealing will abolish
grand and petty larceny. Whisky Is
still sold in drug stores. N blind
| tigers" and elsewhere on the sly. Not
long ago the sexton OF a church In
Charlotte was caught selling whisky
to negroes In the basement OF that
sacred edifice. and stock broker.
descendant OF one Of the signers Of
the Declaration of Independence. Is
now under indictment for serving IL
quid refreshments to the bulls and
bears that frequented his place. The
courts fine offenders heavily and send
many of them to jail. They are par
ticularly severe upon negroes. who
are the chief objects Of the law. II
man is found drunk he Is arrested and
locked up until he tells where he got
his liquor, and the seller Is convicted
and upon his evidence punished so
severely that no prudent man will
take the chances of selling to stran-
gers. Clubs have been organized to
cvade the law, but they are under
surveillance, and, as in South Caro-
lima, the police pull" them once in
30 often and the courts impose heavy
fines. Generally speaking. the law Is
effective In promoting temperance. In
dustry and prosperity among the poor
er classes. and particularly among the
negroes and the poor white" class,
who are remarkably prosperous In
this part OF the state.
|