Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1908-01-16
The Liquor Question Bobs Up Every
Time.


Washington. Jan. 9.-No group Of con.
gressmen can talk about general matters
these days, even for a few minutes, with.
cat the liquor question coming up in
ON form or other. A group OF Demo
Gratis were today discussing the possibility
of their return to congress wv years
hence. They threshed out the matter
pretty well and it was very interesting.
Then somebody said something about
whiskey and the discussion changed
abruptly to that subject.
I'm tell you one thing said one
Democrat-and we must remember that
the term Democrat has o ten been pretty
closely associated with whiskey-"if the
prohibition question gets on the floor Of
The house | shall vote for it with great
pleasure. They tell me Champ Clark
prophesied that within ten years not a
drink OF whiskey will be on sale south of
the Potomac river. ! only wish he had
extended the line north Of the Potomac
also, foI tell you, boys, the saloon is a
great evil-we all recognize that - and it
must 90 sooner or later"
We'll" chimed in another Democrat,
"I'm proud Of my record OH the liquor
question. I've never signed All applica'
uon for a license and have talked, worked
and voted against the saloon ever since
I've had a say in matters. No TEN
peralce legislation has ever come before
me that | have failed to vote for. Ant
You can put HE down rig hit O as OIL,
who will vote for prohibition or for an,
other form Of temperance legislation TO
the District Of Columbia that can be
brought in here, A very good friend o
mine came to me last year and asked III,
| to sign his application for a liqno
! license. but he got turned down just a
! everybody else has"
8, .,Do you know the ground Chanl
Clark takes personally against the sa
loom" asked still another Democrat
"Why, when people ask him why he il
opposed to the saloon he says: i have
, boy who is eighteen years of age. H.
believes that every thing his father say
and does is just right" That's abou
where | stand, too. | have children anC
know from experience that the salooi
= is not all right"
81 have seen enough the last year O
two-to say nothing abont what cam
within the range of my experience AM
: observation prior thereto" continued til
first speaker, "to forever settle the ques
{ ton for me. can see one man now
aud he is not an old ~man-whom | wa
asked to visit within the period mentor
, ed. He had been brilliant and success
ful as a lawyer. But the time of tempts
ton came to him and came with appaI
emily overwhelming force and he fell
: Within a comaratively short time he hac
sunken in the social scale until he wa
liteially in the gutter, a disgrace to hi
family and friends and to himself.
! "When | saw him Oh the occasioI
northumberland I'll never be able to for
get this condition was unspeakabl
pitiable. His mind active enough, bu
, his body was an absolute wreck and hi
appearance broke me down completely
] asked him il he did not think he haC
gone about far enough in his debaucher
aud the question hurt him awfully. II
declared there had not been an hou
since his fall when he had not wished t
= be free from the rum habit. He consent
: ed to take treatment and was put upoi
4 his feet. You never saw a more happ
2 man thar he is today. His home is re
5 established and happy and his friend
q have received him with open arms, II
? would not take a drink today If by
7 doing he could obtain the entire stat
in which he lives.
I THAT S only one case in which ! hay
IS been personally interested. There al
n some others. Nothing that have ev'
done has made me quite so happy a
. helping to restore those fine men"
l. mo" replied one of the group, IAN
nothing you will ever do will mean quit
c as much for the good of humanity"
When members'of congress-dnd all {
them are well known menbers-talk tn
way thereis something in'the air. The:
mea were not being interviewed and
anp no at liberty to use any names bu
thtY were saying, exactly what tht