The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1907-09-13
Blind Leaders of Blind"

Two or three weeks ago the News
mentioned the fact that the dry"
campaign committee was making
but small effort to secure the colored
vote for prohibition; that the CON-
mittee had found that many cOlored
preachers We're working openly for
| the saloons and that others were so
| indifferent as to give the impression
that their silence had been purchas-
ed with saloon money.
During the past week the News
has seen several colored preachers
GOING AFTER saloon money.
The News does not believe that all
of this class. If it did it would here
and now abandon all hope for the
race. If there is a class of people on
earth who ought to lend hand in
| this effort at the destruction of the
beverage liquor business it is the ne
! gro. He is the greatest sufferer from
its rayages. Negro pastors must
know this, and yet very many OF
| them are advocating continuance
of the saloon.
How different from these time
| servers is the example of Rev. H. H,
Proctor, a cultured negro preacher
of Georgia. While the Georgia state
prohibition bill was before the legis-
lative committee, he begged the
privilege of speaking, and when he
had finished it is said that strong
men We're in tears. The Rev. Proc
tor concluded his speech in the fol-
lowing language:
II speak for the two classes not
vet heard before this committee
the white women of Georgia and my
own race. Pass this prohibition bill
and you will have sober servants,
less crime and greater peace between
the races. | appeal to you white
men in your superior strength to
give my people this law. The ballot
has well nigh fallen from my own
hands The possibility is in you
gentlemen of the Legislature. Take
i beseech you-take away from my
people this temptation that is de-
bauching so many of them. The
best of my race, like the best of
yours, heartily favor this bill. But |
plead for those who, in sin and
blindness, do not know their needs.
Gentlemen of the Georgia Legisla-
ture, | beg you in Gods name to
save my people from this terrible
temptation
The News trusts that the colOred
preachers of this county who are
opposing the saloons in this contest
will make themselves heard.
A large crowd of Palatkans attend
ed the dry picnic given by the people
of Francis and Peniel at Silver Lake
yesterday. All had a big time.
Judge j. c. Vertrees, Mrs. ]. n.
Walton and Miss Susie Walton and
James &. Nertrees jr., returned from
Summer Haven beach Wednesday
evening Judge Vertrees says that
during the summer all of his chill
dren and grandchildren have been
at the beach. He says also that he
caught the biggest sea bass ever
landed there and that it would weigh
about 90 lbs.
Major w. l.. Glessner, the popular
land commissioner and immigration
agent of the G. S. d F. Railway,
spent Monday night in the city.
Major Glessner but recently return
ed from a trip to the great North
west territory in Canada. He states
that at one town in the Province of
Saskatchewan he has an ag 9nt who
has sold 20 lots in the new Lake Ge-
neva colony the G. S. d F. is start
ing some five miles north OF Putnam
Hall, aud that most of these people
will build winter homes there. |
"They have eight months of win
ter up there, said the major, land |
most of the people get very tired of |
it. They find that they can come to
Florida and spend the winter for but
little, if any, greater cost than to
stay at home, and with much more
comfort. They are not coming here
o farm but simply to escape the
ong winters. Saskatchewan is in
he great wheat belt of Canada and
he farmers up there appear to be
loing well. They certainly deserve
o as a reward for living in such a
'eastly climate"