Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-05-21
Heppner, Oregon,
May 16, 1908.

heppucT, OICSoA,
May 16, 1908.
Editor Gazette:
Now that the question of local
option is occupying so much space
in the newspapers, and the public
pulse is beating little above the
normal condition, it is time for a
moment of sober thought before
jumping at conclusions.
Like all other questions of pub
lie Importance, there are always a
few agitators on both sides who
allow prejudice, spite and other
personal influences to rule instead
of good sober judgment.
The American people usually
settle things right, for the reason
that the sober thinking citizens
hold the balance of power and act
as governor in holding down
those who 60 bli ndly to the polls.
1t is not my desire to tire the
reader with dry statistics, but in
order to get right into nv subject
/ submit the following excerpts
which hope will furnish some
food for thought.
The first excerpt is from the pen
of George W. Peck, former COVER
nor of Wisconsin, who Is travelling
in the south studying the prohibi-
tion question.
Atlanta, Ga, May 9.-After doing
Tennessee and watching it's thousands
of express packages marked Glass
handle with care" and seeing the pack
ages placed in the extra cars, l got on
the same train ard rode to Atlanta, fear
ing all the time that if the front end OF
the train should meet another train, those
express cars loaded with liquid dynamite
would telescope our chair car and l
would be cut with broken glass and
drowned in Squirrel whiskey and be car
ried home smelling like rectfyng es'
tablishment; but nothing happened, and
| got into a state that is all dry, accord
ing to law, but quite damp in places,
owing to the kindness of neighboring
wet states. In the first of January Geor-
gia became dry by act of the legislature,
every saloon and bar was closed, and all
liquor was shipped away the day before
or hidden for private use. and sort of
PARALYSIS seized the whole OF one of the
greatest states in the union, the 'empire
state of the south" And what a grand
state it is, with it's splendid rich soil that
will grow anything that is planted, is
fruit. its manufacturing, its timber. its
navigable rivers. its entrance to the
ocean at Savannah, where ocean steam
ers wait to be loaded for the ports of the
world. Panic. prohibition, political
preachers. low price of cotton and other
ills have made the people of Georgia sit
up and take medicine, and no one is very
cheerful, and all are hopeful of change
and they are living economically, trying
to live until after the presidential cleo
ton. hoping things will ns better, but
fearing that they will be worse.
had more faith in a prohibition state
being actually dry while ago than do
now. had friend who had been
drinking to excess few months ago and
some of us decided to send him to kee-
" cure, but he begged off, saying the
humiliation of going to jag cure would
kill him, aud a happy thought struck |
me and | suggested to his friends that |
we send him to a sure enough prohibit
ton state. That met with his approval
and the approval OF his fr ends, and so |
we sent him to dear old Georgia, where |
| had been told you couldn't get drink |
in the whole state for love or money. | |
thought he could enjoy the lovely spring
climate, aud not being able to get a
drink he would soon be a credit to his |
friends and family. So | wrote to some /
friends at atlanta and tod them he was
a friend OF mine who wanted nice dry
climate to brace up ir. got telegram
while IN Chattanooga from the friends |
had sent him to, that | had better hurry
down as my jag friend needed aid and
counsel When | got there he was the
worst looking specimen L ever saw; his
collar gone, his shirt soled, his eyes red,
and he was trying to walk straight, but
couldn't. He took me to his room and
there were over 40 bottles he had or
dered bv express from Tennessee, and
he said was mistaken in the prohbi-
ton that was supposed to exist in Geo.
gia. He said all man needed was the
price and he could be drunk all the time.
and could readily believe him. He
was gwen a ticket to Dwight, Illinois,
and guess he has had his first shot OF
the gold cure before this.
Take for instance Kansas City,
Kansas. No saloons but just as
much liquor consumed. They just
step across the line and bring it I
over. The drug store sale of liquor