The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1907-04-02

the usually accepted population Of the
tcity 70 be 100, 900, "A persons to the
l, QUO, or an average of One-haif of the
number OF similar arrests in prohibi-
ton Maine. have taken these figures
from official sources and their argu-
ment is pitiless in saying: Prohlbi-
ton increases drunkenness rather than
prevents it.
The experience of Iowa is not SO far
different rom that of Maine
Quoting from a recently Published
book. The Liquor Problem, same be-
| ing the published results OF an investi-
cation conducted by Chas. w. Elliott,
Seth Low and james c. Carter.
| THESE names must be taken as a guar
antee for accuracy.l Il find the con
clusion must be that it is impossible to
state from the statistics adduced Just
how far they reflect greater or less
public inebriety. The general impress
sion is that drunkenness is as prevalent
now as it ever was before the cCnsti-
tutiOnai amendment went into effect
| II not more sc" A local Judge, speak
| ing of the conditions under Il prohibi-
tory law, not enforced, said, The value
OF an oath has been reduced SO per
cent. in this state. Perjury is so com
Incn that it scarce attracts public
notice. And it IS not confined to the
liquor element only-the effect is far
reaching and growing. A Judge of the
Supreme Court Of the State of Maine
IS QuOetd as saying: 1t is q question
If prohibitory law makes more hypo-
critics or more drunk ards, This is pro-
hibition.
The experience of Atlanta, Ga, a
! city about the size Of our city, will be
case in point. J.. A. Hammond, n
! member of the common council of
| that city, has this to say Up to 1887
the traffic in liquor in Atlanta was q
serious problem. The bars then stayed
open until Y O'Clock. That year a
great revolution took place. The
/ whole city was excited beyond anything
| that we had known before or since,
with what IS called the prohibition
| election Women and men thronged
! the streets and appealed and prayed
[ for its succ ass-and it did succeed
! Prohibition went into effect and lasted
! for two years; but it did not prohibil
/ Many stores and business houses clos
/ ed. Liquor dealers removed to nearby
cities and shipped whisky to Atlanta
/ IN bottles and jugs, and while man
! could not get one drink, he could get
q bottle or a Jug; and In my opinion we
| had more drunkenness. than we had be
| fore. In 1889 Elere was another great
fight. This Eme the anti-prohibition-
! lists succeed, and the LIQUOR traffic
was restGced. The merchants return
ed, business houses that had been
! vacant were again occupied, and a
duasi-compromise was made between
the two factions The liquor dealers
said: If you will protect Us we viii
protect your sons. We will close at
10 o'clocK and we will allow no minor
or female to enter our place of bust
ness This compromise has resulted
in an ideal state Of affairs and no one
talks prohibition in the city OF Atlanta
at the pre- sent time.
There are some who claim that the
use of liquor is responsible for all crime
and for all poverty. | do not believe
this proposition to be true. | agree
with Prof. Parsons and others who find,
after research. that poverty and indus
trial despair is the cause of drunken
ness. 1t mas been noticed in Sweden
/ that after successive failures OF crops,
drunkenness increased, while during a
/ continuance OF good crops drunkenness
decreased.
There are many men in the states
prison today who never tasted liquor.
! The records Of the courts in this city
will bear me out in stating that the
greater crimes that have been commit
! ted in this city have been committed
! by persons who were not in the habit