The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1909-11-26

ME value others can decide. ~ fn9
same time We deny the right Of pfohi-
bitiCnigiB % charge the Tines Union
with the task 81 projecting TIE aaicon--
o n an enthusiastic advocate Of tenn
psFsnce, and practices what e pfeaebes
20 fer ~ ~ humanity may. jackson
vile Times Union.
Il ls surprising beyond measure that
3 neWspspeF Of such prominence &c The
Times. Union would 90 openly attempt
70 deceive lts readers. ~ &c editor
knows snything about prOhibitiVe laws
IN this country be knows that they
have, IN bat few instances, u any, pro.
ducod financial deficits IN the cite,
counties OF States adopting them.
Quite the reverse has been true IN
North Carolina, sJuth Carolina, GooE-
gle, Florida. Alabama. hIsaissippi, Ar
kansas and Tennessee--States Of our
own beloved Southland. In reference
10 q Western State. we copy the follow
ing from The Chattanooga News, form
eTly On anti-prOhibition paper:
TEMPERANCE AND TAKES.
There are n dry and q wet"
counties In the State Of indiana. The
tempernnee people Of the State have
complied statistics Of property values
and taxation IN Ell Of the counties.
They have been able 10 show that the
tax leVies IN the dry counties are lower
than In the wet counties. This for the
purpose Of meeting the argument Of the
liquor people that prohibition means
higher taxes. The temperance people
argued that prohibition would not make
Il necessary 10 Increase the tax rate.
FOTty-six Of the counties Of the State
have been IN the prohibition column sew
eYal years. 10 h q noteworthy fact
that In each Of these fOrty-six counties
the tax rate has been steadily decreas-
Ing until now they enjoy the lowest
rates In the State for county purposes
In none Of these counties u the tax rate
above IS cents. In the wet counties
the rate Is high. The Indianapolis Star
publishes the figures Of the anti-BalOOn
people and admits, evidently against lie
wishes, that the tendency Oh the figures
q 20 support the Rnti.salOon argument.
There Il one dry county IN the State
that has 9 high tar rate, but II h ex-
plalned that e u due % the fact that
the county hes recently issued bonds IN
large volume for public Improvement
purposes, and the tax rate has been
raised 10 take care Of these honda. "
The TImes Union cannot back up lie
statement 90 70 thess deficits BY Ofheial
figures. Ifit has secured sueh inform
alton 10 any Way Il is from the saloon
interests Of the country, and they are
not competent witnesses when Il comes
10 q consideration Of this matter, espee-
lally when their evidence iS rejected BY
the facts.
cit IL said the saloon produces moth
Ink Of value" begins this editorial
paragraph. Indeed the prohIbitlonists
Ell say 90. Why don't you, dear Tines
Union. refuts the assertion ! Do you
know anything Of Valus the saloon has
ever produeedi II 90, speak Il right
out plain 30 that even the prohibition
lists may understand. The saloon must
necessarily produce something, and II
you cannot shOW Il produces something
Of value, Il iS the Inevitable CONCLUSION
that ~ every product 10 ain and wick
sdnsss, For anything that is valusless
Il certainly destructive. There ehn be
no neutral ground
Ths Times. Union says nothing, does
nothing, 10 prove that "the saloon pro-
duccn nothing Of value, .aud yet has
the sifrontery 10 deny ''the right Of
prohibitionists 10 charge Il with the
task Of protecting the saloon. Pray.
what b Il doing bat protecting tf
Should . Wild and fsroeiOus beast be
loose IN aoommunlty, threatening every
moment the destruction Of human lives,
would the editor Of the T.-U. stand be-
tween Il and The guns Of the populaee,
dsiying them 10 shoot, and IN the same
breath argue that be Was not engaged
h the task Of protecting iti One posi-
ton ls 90 consistent 90 the other.
"An enthusiastic advocate Of temper.
anee," Il III Indeed, q strange kind
Of temperance. This editor should
compile q dictionary Of his own In order
that be might insert therein bic peculiar
- - a.