Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-10-21
CLARK ON PROHIBITION.

Congressman Frank Clark writes to
the editor of The Miami Metropolis
from Gainesville under date of Oc-
tober 9TH as follows:
Dear Mr.. Dean: Your very kind
invitation for me to deliver some ad-
dresses to the good people of Dade
county during the pending campaign
received.
Il have been away from home for
some time, and find myself confronted
with an enormous amount of work
which has accumulated during my alb.
sence. In addition to this, | have
some important law cases soon to be
tried, and | must make the necessary
preparation for their trial. Nothing
but my duty to constituents and eli
ents could keep me from joining you
in the great fight you are making
against the open saloon. My posi-
ton upon this question is well known
in Florida, because twenty years ago
made speeches all over Polk coun-
ty in favor of prohibition, and | have
never failed to raise my voice against
and to vote against the traffic in in.
toXicating liquors whenever oppOrtun.
ity offered. There is really but one side
to the question, The traffic in intoxi.
eating liquors is radically, essential
ly, and inherently wrong 1t breeds
sin and nurtures crime. 1t lowers
the moral standard of a community
and demoralizes the youth of the
land.
Instead Of the closing of the sa.
looms injuring the business Of town.
am fully convinced after more than
twenty years of close observation,
that prohibition of the liquor traffic
aids materially in the building up of
all legitimate business. Let me point
you to the proof; | was in Apalachi. !
cola a few days ago. ApalachiCola /
has about four thousand inhabitants
and although she has eight licensed |
saloons. she has no more population |
today than she had fifteen or twenty |
years ago, and although the first rail.
road has just gone in there, not a
single new building was in course of
the day | was there, and
did not hear the ring of a hammer
lor the music of a saw during my
stay there Apalachicola Is standing
perfectly still, although eight' saloons
rave for years been industriously en-.
gagged in building up the town. Now,
axe look at Gainesyille--a dry
own. Gainesville has some several
thousand population, and there Is not
vacant business house or residence II
n IT, In addition to this one of our
ecent contractors told me recently
hat he had contracts for buildings
or two years ahead Buildings are
,oing up i'm every direction, and You
ant hire a mechanic or a day lahorcr
ycept YOU engage him for some tim"
head. There is hardly a man in this
own who would think Of going back
o the day Of the open saloon.
Even if the closing OF the saloon
id injurc the town, should still be- ,
n favor Of supUrcssing the traffic, be- .
auso value the happiness Of IA"
eople more than ] do the dollar 80.
ured at the cost Of broken hearts %
nd ruined souls. At best We ar"
OF to stay on this old earth for any
reat length Of time. and while her" -,
.c should try 20 max" the world
otter by reason of our having lived
D il. We cannot make it better by
utting the open saloon iu the path. g.,
Jay Of our brothers This may be
but If you take sentiment
M Of our lives you rob humanity Of =.
ne OF Us brightest jewels |,