Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-04-09

Ing Al perlOd OF Investigation anf
criticism. It is well. It is a health
ful tone, If men are sane enough +,
discriminate. But men are not al
ways that sane. In the presence q
these investigations suspicion Green,
into the mind and men are temntef
to think that all men are dishonest
because some men have been proved
tnleves and robbers. 1t is fatal mis-
take. l am persuaded that there !,
more honest fiber in the life OF to-da,
tnan there ever has been. The yer,
Investigations which are being con
Quoted to-day are evidence of a fine:
ana higher ethical sense than has
heretofore existed.
Second. call your attention to thf
demand for the abolition or such nrac.
tlces as war against the common wea1
a llttle while ago that demand was
Ior the abolition OF the lottery. 4
cnristlan postmaster put the Louis.
lana lottery out of business. Jns,
cow the demand in New York is fo,
the abolition of race track gamhlinr q
Third, l cali your attention to The
trlumphs OF the temperance move.
ment. The change OF sentiment m
the temperance question is one of the
most radical that the country has
ever known. Twenty years AGO the
demand for the abolition of the sa.
loon awakened smile or provoked
sneer. To-day that demand ia the
fixed purpose of thousands OF our fell
low citizens and it is being fulfilled.
Five States-Maine, Kansas. Norrs
dakota, Oklahoma and GeOrgia-arc
now prohibition, and in one more
(AJabama) prohibition becomes oper-
atlve on January 1, 1909. Six States
OF the Union prohibit the sale or MAY
ufacture of intoxicating drinks.
The progress of the temperance
movement in the South is one of the,
most significant and inspiring signs
OF our times. Two States, Georgia
and Alabama a-haYe- enacted nrolih.-
tlon laws. Nlnety-fve per cen:. of
North Carolina has declared against
the saloon. Mississippi has prohibi-
ton Legislature and a prohibition
Governor, and ninety per cent of the
State has barred liquor. Tennessee
mas voted the saloon out of all but
four of its ninety-six counties. Ken
lucky has nearly hundred of it's 119
counties entirely free from saloons,
and seventy-five per cent of it's pop
ulatlon are living in prohibition ter
rltory. Two-thirds of Louisiana has
no saloons. In Florida three-fourths
OF the State has voted no license.
In Texas 14S of the 246 counties have
wiped out the saloon, while fifty-one
other counties are partially prohibi-
ton, so that in only forty-seven coun-
ties OF the State is liquor freely sold.
In South Carolina about half the
counties have voted no license. In
Virginia seventy-twO counties out of
lis; in West Virginia thirty out of
ffty-five, and in Maryland fourteen
put Of twenty-three prohibit the sale
of liquor. Twenty out of twenty
seven millions of people south of the
Mason and Dixon line live in no liquor
territory. There are more drinking
places, legal and illegal, in New York
than in the whole South.
The temperance movement is TAX
Ing hold on the North. By majority
of $4,000 out of total vote OF a
little over 100000, the new State of
Oklahoma declared for prohibition.
Maine. Kansas and North Dakota are
enforcing their prohibition laws with
new vigor. Two of the three counties
Of Delaware have prohibited the sa-
loon. Fifty-two per cent. OF the peo-
pie OF Ohio and Indiana are living in
prohibition territory. Prohibition
claims fifty-eight of the seventy-five
counties of Arkansas. The rapid
progress Of the movement may be
learned from the story of Missouri.
On January 1, 1905, there were three
counties which prohibited the sale of
liquor; to-day sixty-four of the 115
counties OF the State prohibit the
traffic. In nineteen other States ad-
vanced temperance legislation has
been enacted, while there has not
been a single measure adopted by any
state favorable to tho liquor traffic.
An effort is being made in the present
congress to secure such legislation
as will respect the rights and policy
OF the States which see fit to prohibit
the liquor traffic
mere is not a single case on rec
Drd where county, or city, or town
lnat closed it's saloons has reported a
decrease Of business. Much is being
SAID by the liquor interests about the
money which they and allied interests
pay to the city, State and National
government for taxes and licenses
ana the Philadelphia Liquor Dealers
ASSOCIATION recently declared in raso-
luton adopted by their convention.
10 eliminate the saloon would be to
the foundation OF the
country's revenues 9 This country
does not depend upon blood money
tor It's support. The fact is the coun-
try would be better Off without the
trafilc and taxation upon every other
business would be lessened. For
every dollar that the liquor interests
pay to the country it costs the coun- i
try $40 to maintain the asylums.
homes. almshouses, jails and such in
stltutions as are created by the LIQUOR
nablt and to maintain the courts and
prosecuting machinery. The saloon
is hlghWayman of the baser sort