The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-10-18
IS INSULT TO
ALL OFFICERS
To Say That Blind Tigers Can Flourish
Anywhere.

campaign in Dade county, and the fol-
lowing is an extract from one Of his
timely and telling speeches:
He started out with the proposition
that there are just three arguments used
by the saloon men, namely: "Blind Til
gers, business and prohibition won't pro-
hibit."
He argued that blind tigers could cas-
lily be found end forced out of business,
and quoted the recent laws making il
we'll nigh impossible for one to exist
where the sentiment is strong against it.
The possession OF government license
is prima facie evidence that the party
holding the license Is liquor dealer. A
list of every man holding a government
license can be obtained from the Inter-
nal Revenue Collector by the county
prosecuting attorney.
He stated that Il was an insult to
every sheriff, deputy marshal and POI
liceman for thenewspapers or the people
to say that "blind tigers" would flourish
If the county should go dry, and that
they ought to resent such insiuua-
tions. He paid Circuit Court Judge
Jones high compliment on the way he
had treated blind tiger men in various
counties and argued truthfully that with
the right kind OF officials and the present
laws blind tigers would be very scarce.
Coming down to the business PROPOSE
ton, " he cited many instances where it
had been proven conclusively that the
Punishment of saloons had worked won
ders for the financial prosperity of the
places.
He spoke particularly of Gainesville.
where he lived q long time, and of the
wonderful good which came to the city
and county financially. In two years the
county taxes were reduced to such an
extent that there was no levy at all
made for the general fund, He cited
particular instances of great increase in |
real estate values. One business block
which went from $12, 900 to $500 and
then TO $25, 600 in one, two and three |
years after the saloons were voted out. |
In Starke he quoted Judge Wills as
authority for the statement as to the |
great reduction OF taxes, the great In
crease in public improvements and the
big growth of bank deposits.
He cited one instance in Miami Of a |
young man who said he had not saved q
dollar out of his wages in long time
until since the saloons closed on the first |
of this month, and since he had depos-
tied, already, $50 in the bank.
Mr.. Carpenter had figured that the
sixteen saloons in Miami would pay the
State 1000 in license-this would go
to Tallahassee and do Miami no good
then they would pay So, 900 TO the coun-
ty and that would be lost to Miami, this
then would leave only 5000 as revenue
to Miami. Put against this $4,260 a
year TO pay rents, clerk hire, water
bill, lights, license, taxes, etc., for each
saloon, and this would mean $6J, 600 in
cash, which must be taken in over the
bar counters before there was ssy profit
to the saloon keeper. A loss of $50, 000l
He figured that each saloon In the
county would have to sell about $12, 900
worth year or 1852, 900 which would
be expended for drinks by our people.
Of this there would be one-half or I
b126, 900 go to the Wholesale dealers and
brewers and thus be a dead loss TO the /
county. This then Is the way the bust /
ness proposition stands. We are TO give
away $126, 200 in order TO get back
$40, 800 in revenue TO the county
The speaker said that prohibition {
would cause Miami TO lose some of her &
people. He said nearly all the demi- \
monde would go. They only live where \
Whiskey Is sold He read the original !
etter from Nan Meyers, of Columbus, I
"a, to q real estate dealer In Tampa, q
lsking to lease a place In which she (
,ould open a sporting place, since Geor- 9
yia had gone dry and she would not live 6
n dry place.
The gamblers would leave and also \
would the hoboes The barroom buns +
would leave or go TO work. None Of
he better people would leave, but e
more OF them would come. People +
pld come to Dade county for the I
Innate and the natural attractions and I
iot for booze. He spoke Of the fact
hat tourists go TO other places where d
aloOns do not exist and called atten. l
ion 70 the fact that Asheville, N. c.. c
ne Of the greatest tourist resorts in n
he South had just voted dry last Tues v
ay. The saloons are the town killers
nd not the absence Of them.
During the address the speaker told
many good stories and kept his hearers
eeply interested and well entertained I
rom start to finish, and all pro- s
ouneed his effort as a great one from r,
very point Of view. s
~~N-~~~~~N~~~~-~~~-~~~~~O IN
There were more students 20 enter Il
okaaT IInavoraifv at the hAcfn1inO of A