Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1908-05-14
Status Of Prohibition in
the South.

denies" says Mr.. John E.
White, in the Southern Work
man for March. The former are
partisans through selfish mo-
tives, and the latter ARE those
who have fallen in love with
syllogisms and have some sort
of records in The deputatious
past" They look upon prohi-
bition as a decreed impossibility,
and point to Maine and Kansas
for proof.
Southern prohibition, however,
is something different. 1t is not
ordinary state prohibition, but
an impulse of civilization, the
outflow of religious, educational,
economic, social, and political
resolution of southern society.
what is behind prohibition in
the South 2" Religious interests
and energies. A proposition to
restore the liquor traffic would
receive almost the same response
from the churches as to restore
a state church establishment.
Educational forces are behind
prohibition. An army>of 10000
teachers has been commissioned
to teach that the liquor traffic
is an enemy to the personal and
public welfare. The introduce
ton of text books on physiology
into the schools was the inaug-
uration of the prohibition propa-
ganda. To the thousands of pub
lie school teachers consecrated to
truth and consistency prohibi-
ton is mental and moral free
dom. In ends to them a compro-
missed relation to the public good
which was revolving to many a
sensitive conscience.
The economic conscience is be-
hind prohibition. The truth has
at last been recognized in the
South that the whisky traffic
belongs to the category of eco
nomic wastes-floods, famines,
wars and disasters of nature.
Industrial conditions forced this
conviction upon the people. The
great need of the South is labor.
1t had everything else. Cotton
it had, and also, available Guilt
vable land; but skilled labor was
wanting. 1t was learned that
the profit in cotton lay in it's
manufacturer a bale worth
$40, blythe addition of labor and
brains in the factory could sell
for $400. 1t lacked the brains,
and suddenly realized that what
ever injured the sources of labor
was anindustrial enemy. Hence
industry's fiat against liquor.
"There is a rank of men, indus
trialists and agriculturists, who
have dreamed a dream of the
South's industrial future which
they are bent on realizing. If
the liquor traffic should veret
the liquor traffic should ever at
tempt to return from outlawry
it will find them in line, standing
side by side with the preachers
and the teachers. with their guns
in their hands"
of the South are behind prohibi-
ton. The presence of 100000
negroes has operated as a tire.
mendous incentive for prOhibi.
ton of the liquor traffic. The
Atlanta and Mississippi riots
showed the dangers of the sa
loon. 1t was an attractive so
cial center for the dangerous ele
ment of Southern population
the lower level of both races
Following the racial lines from
top to bottom, they converged a
the saloon, which was situated
in the acute angle of this invert
ed social pyramid.
When they had been closed TO
week in Atlanta, the peopl
asked: "Why not a year an,
forever?" The liquor traffic fos
tered and encouraged the de
PRAYED and criminal negro an,
the vengeful and irresponsible
white. Ofboth the South is tree
So the Negro alone was not tn
only or chief cause for prohibit
ton, although admittedly, pow