Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-10-18
CLARK ON PROHIBITION.

Congressman Frank Clark writes to
the editor of The Miami Metropolis
from Gainesville under date of DC.
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 we'll known
in Florida, because twenty years ago
| made speeches all over Polk coun-
~ in favor Of prohibition, and | have
never failed 70 raise my voice against
and to vote against the traffic in in.
toNicating liquors whenever Opportun.
ity offered. There is really but one side
to the question. The traffic in intoNi-
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 u 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, Alphabetical
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 Il
single new building was in course OF
construction the day was there, and
| did not hear the ring of a hammer
nor the music of a saw during my
stay there. ApalaChiCola Is standing
perfectly still although eight saloons
have for years been industriously on.
gagged in building up the town. Now,
take a look at Gainesvine.-a dry
town. Gainesville has some several
thousand population, and there is not
a vacant business house or residence
in t. In addition to this one Of our
recent contractors told me recently
that he had contracts for buildings
for two years ahead Buildings are
going up in every direction and YOU
cant hire mechanic or n day laborer
except YOU engage him for some time
ahead. There is hardly a man in this
town who would think OF going back
to the day Of the open saloon.
Even II the closing OF the saloon
did injurc the town, should still be
in favor of suppressing the traffic, bc-
cause value the happiness Of the
people more than ! do the dollar So
cured al the cost Of broken hearts
and ruined souls AZ best We ar"
not To stay on this old earth for any
great length Of time. and while her"
We should try To max" IN" world
better by reason ~ our having lived
I'm it, We cannot make II better by
putting the open saloon in the path
way 81 our brothers This may be-
sentiment. but II .,u take sentiment
out Of our lives you rob humanity Of
one Of IT, brightest jewels
And nov The Pensacola Journal has
q dark hur..' I'm waiting 60 throw