The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-01-22

4 Of cigars. e
Every one living in what is known
as dry territory has only to sign a
! pcs tai card and thereby insure the
delivery at his house, with all charges
prepaid, of four bottles of whisky for
S3.20 and as every man, De he prohi-
bitiOnist or not, holds the same views
in regard to whisky that the Texan
does in regard to pistOI-that is, he
may not need ii, but il Is a good
thing to have arOund-iJ is a fore
gone conclusion that every man will,
and does, take advantage of the OPP
pCrtunity of supplying himself with
tina; which he may at any moment
need and need greatly; an a word,
the people in general, assisted by
the bootleggers. moOnshine distilleTs
and legitimate houses in other states
are absolutely multiplying every form
OF DrOhibitOry law that has so far
( been adopted and in consequence the
consumption OF alcoholic beverages
is greater today not only in volume,
but per capita, than at any period
/ since the organization of the AHti-Sa-
loon League.
Big Increase in Kentucky.
Since the passage of prohibition
laws in such states as Georgia and
Oklahoma. shipments of whisky and
beer to those states have been phe-
nCmenalIy large. More Kentucky
whisky has gone, both into Georgia
ami Oklahoma, during the last six or
eight months. than ever went into
those states before during very much
longer periods. and this is attributed
to the fact that people who, under
license system, would never keep
whisky in their houses, and who, per-
haps, during a year would never buy
so much as an ounce of whisky, are
persuaded to buy at least four bottles
through fear that in case of dire need
they would not be able to secure it
in time
The Anti-SaloOn League is fully
alive TO the weakness of its cause;
the leaders of that movement Know
that the people of this country do not
want prohibition and do not expect
to have prohibition, and do not intend
to have prohibition; and today their
speakers from the stump are adYls-
Ing the public that prohtbitOry laws
will not interfere with thsir securing
all the whisky or beer they may
want. and in some cases these speak
ers are naming the mail-Order houses
through whom the people in dry
territory may purchase goods, and
even naming the prices at which the
houses.
When the Rose bill was put before
the Ohio legislature | proposed. in an
address that / made, that an amend
ment be added to it prohibiting, by
penalty OF $4,000 fine and thirty
ty-days' Imprisonment. any one from
bringing liquor into dry territory,
or having it in possession, and stat
ed to the legislature that, if this
amendment were added to the bill,
the distiIIers. wholesalers and brew
ers of Ohio would withdraw all oppO-
sition to its passage and TO its sub
mis- sion TO the people Of the various
counties.
I explained that the trade | repre-
scented had some 10000, 900 invested
in the business in that state, and that
these investments had been made I'M
de- the sanction of law, and that they
naturally objected to the cOnfisca-
ton of this property without COM
pensation if no reform was to be
brought about and if drinking was to
Be as much in vogue after the pass
age of the law as prior to its passage.
but ] explained that this trade was
not disposed to stand in the way of
any reform movement and that we
would not object TO the people voting
for absolute prohibition.
Objected to Amendment.
The Anti-SaloOn League, however,
objected 70 such an amendment, even
a. they object to it in all the other
states, and in consequence the Rose
law. which merely prohibits the sale
of alcoholic beverages, and which
has been adopted in some sixty-One
counties in Ohio, was passed and is
now on the statute books of that
state, and is doomed to be absolutely
nUllified. and in time repealed. Be
fore it is repealed. however, it will
cost the state of Ohio millions of
dollars in revenue; it will breed by
DOCrisy and diSrespect for law, and
it will have established A precedent
in regard to the coDfiscatiOn Of pTi-
vate property that must inevitably
bea~ disastrous fruit in the future.
I am aware. gentlemen. that this
prohibition wave is a protest against
things that ought not to De; against
conditions that ought not TO con-
tirUe; and | am also satisfied that il
will ultimately result in good to our
trade and TO society; but | must in
sis that it should be carried along in
a less radical way, and that the re-
forms desired should be brought
about without such tremendous losses
as are being entained through the
passage of prohibitory laws.
The people of this country do not
want prohibition, nor do they want
the saloon unless the saloon is prop
erIy conducted. The consumption Of
alcoholic beverages in this country
amounts to something like twenty
three gallons per capita, which means I
that whisky, wine or beer is used for