The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-05-24
QUESTION OF PROHIBITION
IT'S CONDITION IN LOUISIANA

but Is largely populated by the de-
scendants OF the old French and
Creole families, who have drank their
wine since they were children, and
when that state becomes so dry
that one of the old families cannot
sip its claret that has been In the
cellar since Louisiana belonged to
Spain or France. there will be rev.
olution that will make the prohibition
voters sit up and take notice.
Every white citizen OF the state,
nearly, Is related TO the old French
and Creole gentlemen, by descent or
marriage, and all visit the big city
periodically, and are proud OF the
freedom and the joy and pleasure
TO be- found there. Father and moth.
or and the children up in the state,
lay up money to make the annual or
oftener visit To- the loved ones and
the best loved city in the world.
They go down the river happy, spend
the days and nights as only New
Orleans people can, and they 20 back
home counting the days that will
pass before they can come again and
have another holiday, and no man
who has seen these people enjoying
lll'lll0flNfN III lllt 'ltHNfHl Wy Ndll
for a moment believe that they will
ever cut off the pleasure of them
I selves, their neighbors, or the hun.
| dreds of thousands of visitors who
~ III the winter to the Paris az
/ AM, rica. There are many things cen
recteG with thA liquor interests OF
/ New Orleans that con be criticized,
and no one crluc'sed them more
! than do the brewing interests, and
/ they are trying as hard as good
men can TO bring about a change.
| Too many bad men have been engag.
/ ed in the sale of beer, but the brew
| Ing industry. both local and those
conducted by brewers all over the
country who have agencies in New
/ Orleans, are combining and cutting
OFF from receiving supplies men who
| conduct places that do not stand
| the test of honesty and decency, and
/ every day some dealer Is told that
/ he Is not a desirable customer, and
/ that brewers are ashamed to see
their names in front of such places,
and such men simply 20 out of bus.
mess, for all respectable brewers
stand together, and say they simply
/ will not stand for IT, That is what
| ought to have been done long ago,
! but IL is not too late to brighten
| up the saloon business in New Or
! leans so no respectable brewer need
! be ashamed to see his name on a sa
loon. Within year there will not
be saloon in this town which
a respectable citizen will shun If he
wants a drink.
| write this after spending several
days in the city visiting saloons
everywhere, both the old and new
kind, talking with brewers, citizens,
business men and men in public
life from the gOyernor-eleCt to the
bootblack, and a bootback is in pub
lie life, If anybody Is. | have walked
up and down the miles of levee.
where are business houses older than
am, shipping everything that is
eatablc, drinkable and wearable to all
parts of the southern world / have
seen cords and cords OF cases of
bottled goods consigned cvcrywherI
TO the Philippines, Australia, Japan,
China and all South American ports
and Africa, and no one need tell
me that the people of Louisiana, II
they are sane, are going 10 vote
10 cut Off from the city they wor-
ship this trade of millions Of dollars
a year and turn II over to New
York, Boston, Philadelphia and other
wet rivals OF good old New Or
leans.
This city, from her location so
near the Gulf, and so near the con.
sumers of the south and west and
everywhere, has held her own
against any cities of the east, her
| business men being the peers of
any in the world, and now II the
state that comes home TO IL as chill
dren come home to the old mother,
drives the prohibition knife between
the ribs of the old mother, and
leaves her to die on the leyee, her
business gone TO her rival. good old
/ Boston, that made her first fortune
selling New England rum to the
heather, and giving them bibles as
| a trading stamp, you will hear that
hell IS 10 pay on the Mississippi,
and II all this comes about YOU can
have my head for a football at the
state university. l spent one even.
ing IN French restaurant below
Canal street, and fingered over my
dinner 10 watch the people eat the
things they love TO eat, and which
almost gave me a fit, and see them
served with wine by the French
walters, TO women and children
around the table, the old black bot.
ties coming on frequently and all
partaking and talking happily in
French and OCCASIONALLY In English.
Not one showed the least sign of
drunkenness, and all went away be-
fore did, happy, contented and
/ Jolly. | wondered what the scene
would look like II the next night
after prohibition had become a fact.
and the same marty had entered the
restaurant and the waiter could not
by law pull cork, and the red wine
ceased TO flow, and the good natured
laugh would be absent and gloom
would settle on the families that
came there. | think the waiter would
so jump in the river, the proprietor
would so hang himself, the old
/ t'rpOln pRut lnu1an -