The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-06-03
REV. BiNGHAM'S ADDRESS

to a good sized audience, many of
whom were ladies'. The meeting was
advertised as a Stockton gathering,
and was in the sense that Stockton
vas a better temperance man than
GiIchrist, yet it was a plea against the
efforts of the liquor interests Of Jack
sonville and the state at large to elect
Albert Gilchrist governor with their
money and whisky.
The speaker was introduced by Mr..
William Hooker as a Kentuckian of
eIcquence and resolution. The speak
or said he had ever fought for temper
ence, sobriety. home and native land.
He gave his experience of his pastor
ate in Tallahassee. He saw the town
was cursed with saloons. He told his
wife he was up against it and he
would see what was to be done. That
was some eight years ago. He made
inquiry If the town had w. G. T. L.
1t did; consisting Of eleven members.
He presented himself at one of it's
meetings, very much to the delight of
those present, as he was the first man
to honor them with a visit. The
situation was discussed. He said ac-
ton was necessary, and work was at
once begun. The business men were
interviewed by him. Did they want
the saloon expelled? 1t was a shock
TO them. The saloon had existed for
seventy years in their midst They
didn't see how 1t could be done if they
tried. After great effort tWenty-SiX
business men conceded the saloon was
rot a desirable institution in their
midst, but only part of this number
we're willing to fight the issue. To
make a long story short, the cam
Taign was on and after an eventful
end fierce fight, temperance won and
The saloon is now a back number in
the Capitol City. While in Tallahassee
lie made the acquaintance of Messrs.
Jefferson B. Browne and Albert w.
GiIchrist.
When the campaign came on having
known Browne and Gilchrist and OBJ
served their record as public men, he
was interested in the statements made
by those candidates. He took to Jeff
Browne because of his pronounced
position on state prohibition. He, did
not know Stockton, but after the first
primary began to look into the mans
qualifications and his position on pro-
hibition, as he did not like the way
tie liquor men had supported Gil
christ.
He said he read several editorials
in the Times Union, in which the
writer deeply regretted injecting into
the campaign temperance sentiment.
The paper quoted Watterson in that
the democratic party was greater than
any man, hence voters should shun
such sophistry that if persisted in
ould disrupt the glorious old dem
ocracy. The speaker said he knew
Henry Watterson all his life; saw
him so drunk he could not spit over
his chin and it came with bad grace
from men of that class to say that
when the democratic party injects the
temperance question into the issues OF
the day it will die.
He spoke Of the enormous sums of
II oney pouring into the state used to
elect Gilchrist and control the legis-
lature in the interests Of the liquor
men. He said the handwriting was on
the. wall, the liquor men saw it and
for this they were doing everything
in their power to avert their defeat.
He read letters showing a whisky
firm in Chattanooga was sending jugs
CT liquor to various parties in this
state with their compliments and hop
ing the recipients would vote for Gil
christ. He detailed how the Jackson
vile Ministers Union got possession
Vt the fact that large sums of money
we're being sent into the state to elect
Cilchrist. Said the sum up to a few
weeks ago was $3.50, 900. That Rev.
DIR. Boggs, whose character was un-
smpeachable, unearthed this story. 1t
was this fact that made the ministers
Of the gospel in Jacksonville band to-
gether and go forth to battle for tenn
perance in this campaign. He read
letter from those ministers calling on
him to give his services in the cause
so that the people of the state might
be appraised of the facts.
Tnasmuch as Mr.. Stockton's charac-
ter had been assailed, he stated what
Mr.. Stocktons pastor had said about
his home life and of the pleasant and
congenial conditions that prevailed
there. Such a man could not be bad
Others who had known Mr. Stockton
all their lives said the same thing.
Spoke of the condemnation by the
liquor men Of the preachers of the
land because they fought against this
monster evil. but 1t was all right for
them to debauch the land by their ne
farious efforts. He said it was all
very well for Jacksonville to snort for
local option. You can't change the
conditions there for thousand years.
Why? because these same cohorts for
whisky pay the poll taxes for a thou