The Ordway new era., 1908-03-27
FROM the SOUTH
Sorrento, Fla, March u. 'Os.

Sorrento, Fla, Nafch H. oo.
Tins is a dry town In dry county
Most of the counties OF florlda are
dry. The saloons are closed, and nave
re-opencd with dry goods ana diy
groco ries-not "groggeries. hhu
only 1ne opinion Us To the efficacy Tor
good. in the law. a moderate jug
trade exists among the negroes, but
the town is never "painted red" any
more. The Jugs are emptied at
, "bomer II | may use that sacred WORD
in this sense. Jails are empty and not
even a night patrol is needed for pro-
lection Of citizens. Have not seen
drunken man since my arrival, nor his
conComitant officer with the SHINING
star" Taxes have been reduced,
labor obtains more easily and better
feeling exists among all classes; 50
much SO that no effort will be made at
coming election to return to license
system. This find to be the case in
every southern state which Is trying
| prohibition. a few years more ana
/ the local option will change only for
state prohibition and that Dy Court
! Amendment unless our grand republic
is mean time prohibited by national
amendment.
OF course. we occasionally meet the
grnwler here who Is lamcnting the sad
condition, who tells you OF the incrras-
I'd sale OF liQuOr. and how "Our town
needs that license money | have
heard OF such takers living somewhere
near Ordway.
! But one town Is as good an Illus
! ttatiUn as another, that has tried II.
and Rocky Ford is no exception. Let
your Ordway philosopher explain the
growth. the increased prosperity. the
! steady reduction Of taxes, the empty
| jail, the great rise In real estate val.
urs, etc, OF our sister town siuce the
adoption Of local prohibition. more
whiskey sold than ever" he answers.
/ Is that so? Well, | wonder why the
stock OF the Brewers Trust has stead.
/ lily declined in these progressively
prChibitive years, until whiskey
/ panic seems imminent and the great
money centers OF the world have late
ly refused to handle their stocks ut
any price. Queer, isn't 1t:
Now, | believe in personal liberty,
believe that man should have the
right to drink any thing he desires.
from pure water to fire water, prnvid.
ed he iniringes on no other persons
rights in so doing, but there Is such a
| thing as municipal rights. county
I rights, state rights and national rights:
yes, and family rights as well as per.
sunal rights. But when your we'll
meaning t?l citizen tills up on dope"
and falls In stupor on my doorstep. he
/ has violated all rights. Who is to
blame? Certainly not the man who
sells the intoxicant, alone. as we. too
often, think. Our saloons, look upon
as county affair and all the trustees
and directors, as well as drinkers are
all members OF the Institution and are
responsible for all the good done as
well as the bad. When | vote for
license l become member Of the
company, l am participating in its
benefits, the young man behind the
bar and are in partnership, and shall
each participate in the rewards or
dement's Of the business.
But, prosperity or starvation. this
southern part Of Uncle Sans domain
is very rapidly changing to prohibition
and the moral element as we'll as
financial, is primary cause. The old
ariStocrat of the South is essentially
different from the dollar bag OF Wall
street-money he desires, but not at
the expense of morality.
| D. c. kOHERTs