The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-12-22
AN APPEAL
To the Reason and Conscience of the
Voters of Caddo Parish
To the Voters of Caddo Parish:


feelings for those who may differ with
Us on the issue involved We are not
fighting any man. but an institution
that is a parasite on the body polite
admitted hy all not financially inter
ostrd tn he an unmitigatod evil that is
felt in the whole realm OF our social
political. moral and business life. We
are seeking to do what thI"" tourths
Of the Southland has done already for
which accomplishment her most con
sentative and widc-awake citizenship is
rejoicing,
mississippi. ARKANSAS and Texas have
entered upon the campaign for state
wide prohibition. with every prospect
Of success. as Georgia. Alabama aud
oklahoma have successfully done.
We are in the movement that is
bound to prevail. because IT is right
from every point Of view. The most
ardent opponents Of prohibition in our
midst can only hope to defer their in
evitahlo defeat. as is evidenced by their
propnsal to introduce certain sn-callcd
reforms in this evil hoping by this to
lcngthon somewhat tho lease of saloon
life. II prohibition should fail and we
do not believe that it will. it viii only
be a question of . f"w months until the
battle viii be fought again. for the ris
ing tide Of moral sentiment will admit
of no defeat of principle that is ahso
lutelv right Every effort is being
made by the anti -prohibtionists to
eliminate the moral issues of this cam
paign. and to discuss only the scare
crow Of revenue. This is The one old
plea that has been made in every city.
town and state where this battle has
been fought The same mournful
prophesies Of dire financial disaster
have been put forward on every such
occasion. and the results. without Il sin
gle exception. have not only proven
that the prorhesics were untrue. but
the very reverse The nddcnda of this
appeal gives statements from authnri-
tative sources in prohibition territory
substantiating this claim.
LET US ENAMINE-it is asserted
that without the liquor license there
will be n large deficit confronting the
city. aud the question is asked. how
will the deficit be met 1t will Ger
tainly not be met. as it is SO adroltly
suggested. by Withdrawing charity
from widows and orphans. support of
public schools. and abolition of the
police force. Let us ask some pertinent
questions on this same matter. What
guarantee have these gentlemen that
the revenues from saloons next year
will be the 100000: and if not. how
do they propose to meet the deficits
How did the city meet its expenses in
1906. with $4,000 liquor license reve-
nue.? How did the city meet its ex-
penses in 1900. when the revenue from
saloons was $11 900. and property val
uation was only $3 100000. as against
the present property valuation of $11,-
500 .0OO9
If the proposed measure to reduce
the number of saloons to %. and to
separate them from gambling rooms.
be carried out. then how do these gen
tlemen propose to meet the deficit thus
createdP How do they know that under
such conditions % saloon licenses will
be taken OUT
Last year. the year before. and every
other year that the proposition to raise
the saloon license was before the police
Jury. many of these gentlemen and the
rank and file of our opposition opposed
such measures. We now most respect
fully. but earnestly ask. how did you
propose to meet the city and parish
needs without this fund the levying
IF which you then strouuously opposed.
and the maintenance of which you now
think vital necessity We just as
ask: Why do you propose
opposed9
e II, IL,
has averaged nearly two
millions a year. Last year it was 49,
4s0,956, and which will give an in
creased revenue of 1913 .456s5. and there
is every reason to believe that this in
crease will continue. Increasing assess
ments, as everyone should know. is not
governed by local necessity. but is the
result of constant increase of property
values The voters of both city and
country understand this. and will not
be frightened by any statements to
the contrary. All taxes come from
The people. whether it comes by the
way of the saloon or not. A far greater
consideration than this tax proposition.
IS the turning of the one million dol
ats spent for liquor into channels Of
legitimate trade. where our dry goods.
hardware, grocery merchants. bakeries.
neat markets. etc. will have far greater
Another matter which our opponents |
need to consider is. that in every place
where the crime producing saloon has
,een abolished criminal expenses has
,een greatly reduced In Kansas City. |
Kan. criminal expenses we're reduced |
about thirty thousand ($3o.o0o) dollars
md there is no reason why as great |
reduction could not be made here.
THE REAL TEST.
Unless Shreveport is different from
very city or town that has tried the |
abolition of saloons. it will never face
deficit that can be traced to the loss
# the liquor license. There are many
luch cities in the same class as ours |
,one near at hand. where the business |
proposition has had a thorough test |
We have proposed twice, and now pro-
bose the third time. that commission |
De appointed, composed of one prohi- |
,itionist and one anti-prohi Zionist, the |
swo to select third, whicl commission |
hall in person investigate ne effect of |
prohibition on the morals, business and |