The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-26


closed for the first time. and he had
continued to do so. Men that had
asked for long credit We're paying
their rent and their grocery bills, and
improving their homes.
The treating habit, one of the most
prolific sources of intemperance. had
| been abolished, of course, with the
closing of the bars.
There is now no place where a man
can go and drink publicly in all Bir-
mingham. OF course, he said, there
are those who have iiduor shipped
from other States. but this is too
| troublesome and expensive TO be in
| general favor.
Temperance" he added, lis not a
passing fad. The people are in deadly
earnest, the law is enforced without
fear or favor; arrests are made. and
the courts deal out sentences inexor-
ably. The arrests for public drunken
ness were often fifty a day. Now there
is not one. The effect in the great iron
works has also been marked. old
soaks' that cannot get along without
whisky. have left and sober men have
moved in to take their places, bringing
their families with the Intention of
becoming permanent rssidents-a sober,
Industrious class that are an advantage
to every community.
Men who were bitter opponents to
prohibition are now converted, and
acknowledge that from every point of
view the reform has been sa1utary."
''Who We're the leaders in. the prohi
bition campaign he was asked.
"Oh, the women, of course" he re-
pIied-''the w c. T. U. taking the
initiative with the preachers behind
them. But all classes and nationalities
Joined in-the wives of the Germans,
Slavs and Poles who work in the mills,
and who, to the establishment of every
body, voted straight prohibition
ticket"
How did they carry on their cam
VASE" was the next question. WAS
it a campaign of educationI?''
Eyes. in the truest sense. The pro-
hibition women were splendfdly organ
lied. and they had efficient orators and
workers. One of the most impressive
spectacles of the whole canvass was a
procession of 5000 women marching in
the streets with their banners and
transparencies. They were of al class
es and conditions from the prominent
women, and they were of all nationali-
ties.
. mo means were ~disregarded that
could influence the voters, and even the
children fell into line. literally. Six
thousand school children formed an
other procession, they also carrying
effective banners.
'1This means was employed most tell
ingly with the inmates of an asylum
where several hundred orphans. or
waits abandoned by their parents were
cared for The lettering on their ban
ners read: See what whisky has done
| for u.s."
"What was the attitude of the ne
gro?" was the last question, and an
| important one.
| 1.-The negroes are practically disfran-
chised in Alabama" was the reply
''They took no part in the agitation
Could they have voted, prohibition
would probably have been defeated, be-
cause the negro vote undoubtedly
would have been bought up by the
Eliquor interests.
1.-The whole movement he said
finally, was a determined and thor
toughly organized effort to rid Birming-
ham of the liquor traffic, and it sue
ceeded. In Atlanta and elsewhere the
reform has not been SO radical, but
everywhere the change is marked-with
fewer crimes, fewer arrests and fewer
criminals arraigned in the courts and
serving sentences in the prisons"