The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-03-12
STILL AFTER HON. ALFRED
ro the Editor OcaIa Banner:

, y Ill Ar En- 7ON. HLFnGN
To the Editor Ocala Banner:
Hello, Hon. Alfred! Here is
again. Have been out of town. Did
not know you had come back at me.
Say, have you run down that car
load of soda water yet, or are you
still chasing it? Strange how gas
from soda water will affect some peo-
pie. 1t knocked Hon. Alfred out so
bad that he has not been able to
climb out of Bens back yard yet. Or,
it may be that he prefers playing in
it, and sliding down his cellar door;
but, look out for splinters as you
slide.
Hon. Alfred says a 'dispensary will
put him out of a job" Wonder II 1t
has ever occurred to him that some
progressive ofice-seeker may do that
anyway. Perhaps he has the Ocala
dispensary job cinched; but l am go
i ing TO put Ed Carmichael or G. D. Ho-
gan in nomination against him for
that place. Why not? Either one Of
them. yes, both of them, are good
men. and are better qualified for the
Job by experience than Hon. Alfred.
! Now. wish to say in this connec-
( ton that l do not aspire to the posi-
ton. l am not in practice, and never
+ have been. l have never sought an
Office. have never held one and don't
want to.
! Hon. Alfred said, while under the
I influence of that carload of soda wa
ter, Let US unite q thought when
got that far in his article that he was
going to say in prayerD in sending
men to congress who will do away
with it (whiskey) entirely"
Now, Hon. Alfred, 1 want to make
an amendment to your motion and put
it thus: Let US unite in sending men
to congress who will not drink so
much of it," Who will second my
motion? Won't you do it, Hon. Alfred?
Now, Hon. Alfred, you say you
would like to meet on the
stump" Some now the ideas of some
men only reach stump high. Now, l
have higher ideas and ideals than
that; bnt then, I am not in politics.
Let US. as a state, go into the whis
key business, (wish it would go into
the grub business, if it would do it
any cheaper than the local dealers)
and establish headquarters at ITALIA
hassee, and let the governor run it;
then when we go to the capital we
can go in and say: Hello, Governor,
give us a quart of your best!"
Hon. Alfred, don't you think we, as
state, should keep out of this bust
ness? l do. l think you will admit
that when all is said and done that
there is no argument in favor of whis-
key from a moral point of view, and
there is less argument from a finan-
cial standpoint Your own figures
will condemn you. The wealth of a
county consists, or should consist, of
what each individual is worth. Now,
would not each individual be worth
more if he had saved his annual
spendings for whiskey?
Now, Hon. Alfred, time presses, for
l have other matters to look after be-
sides this unimportant controversy,
but l want to ask you a question, one
/ [ hear argued every time l hear the
question of prohibition mentioned,
and it is a question of taxes. Every
supporter of the whiskey cause
claims that to do away with it taxes
/ viii be higher. Now, my question:
How much lower are the taxes in Ma
/ riOn county than in Putnam, Levy.
! Alachua and Citrus counties. An
/ swer this, like a good boy, and will
ask you some more questions.
Your friend,