New-York tribune., 1908-02-28
POWER OF PROHIBITION
DR.. J. c. Klgo Says 1t Means the
45cakening of South's Conscience,

DT. John c. Kilgo, president of Trinity College.
Of North Carolina in earnest, vigorous speech
at the dinner of the North Carolina Society at the
Hotel Astor. last night. SAID the South had for
many years lacked a civic conscience and that the
growth of prohibition meant. more than anything
else. that this conscience had at last become
awakened. Or. Kilgo's subject The Meaning
of Prohibition in the South
The movement has not been brought about by
direct agitation" he said 'it came upon the people
without that. In the past eighteen twenty years
the temperance associations and the Woman =
Christian Temperance Union have not been very
active, II in existence. and the churches have not
displayed the same evangeIistc interest that used
to characterize them. Unusual features mark this
movement There many causes.
The first of thse is the underlying strong moral
sense. Besides. the elimination Of the negro
has been small factor. The negro has always
been an anti-prohibitionst. l another signitt-
cance and another condition that seem not a
part of it 1t is in seeing the South taking
active interest in public questions The South for
the last fifty years has lived under the strain OF
existence in which the civic morals and con-
science Of the South have not been wholly above
reproach.
The better class had lost interest in public af-
fairs. We must agree that the prohibition move
ment is the first opportunity the Southerner has
had to speak his untrammeled opinion and cast
his own vote.
Ard this movement has been without class dis
tincriou vocation offers a chance to return
To Southern citizenship: It's effect will be far reach
ing The South is always lacking in public
virtue; there lofter nobler than the
South They are sensitive of personal rights and
any movement that can press home a full Of
what it means TO be an American citizen must be
further reaching than be measured in terms
Of economic calculations. We have not suf-
fered from lack of information but from msin-
formation. This has led into many blunder.
We must learn to obey the laws We need
learn in political matters TO be more thoughtful
and less passionate
Senator Joseph NJ. Dixon. of Montana though
North Carolinian by birth. spoke the toast
North caroliniars Scattered Abroad He said
that in coming from Washington specially for the
dinner he had laid aside the consideration of the
appropriation bills before the Senate. He told
OF the future that lay before North Carolina
and ended by saying: Conservative business men
no longer allow themselves be yoked up to
sociaIistic political prophets from the North"
The sons and daughters of North Carolina also
claimed Speaker Cannon native tar heel last
night He sent letter OF regret, in which he said:
It is source of qualification to mo as am sure
n must be TO all VINO can claim North Carolina
Of the old Horth state wherever they have gone
have made good. From the close of the Revolution
tcraily 10 the settlemert and upbuilding of the
newer sections of the country the older common
In the mean time North Carolina has not been
and its marvellous natural advantages have been
utilized unit, it has attained high degree Of
Following the reading of this letter q toast was
Trunk 10 Speaker Cannon. which accompanied
1s- applause. An earlier toast to the President of
he United States drunk In silence. This was
explained by one Of the members, who said that
yeraI persons connected with the Tobacco Trust,
now being prosecuted in the federal courts. were
present These persons were George VI. Gale, vice
president of the American Tobacco Company, and
" " Fuller and iunius Parker. chief counsel
lnd counsel respectively. Of The same corporation