Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-06-04
stoy Of the Campaign in Muncie,
Ind, Which Was Spectacular
But Argumentative Also-How
wet" Answered DRY" and
DRY" Answered wet" Big
Majority Against the Saloon.

MUNCIE, Ind.,-Has your neighbor the
right to prevent you from eating pie be-
cause pie is harmful?
Tea, coffee, tob acco, hot bread, tight
corsets, hair rats are also agents of ply
steal degeneration, but can L say that
you shall not have them?
BY the same token shall one man re-
strict another in regard to the use of al
coholic liquors, which are also harmful?
Is a dry town a dead town?
Are more men driven to drink by pow
erty tl.an are driven to poverty by drink?
Hasn't the state gone into the church
business? Thos. jefferson declared that
the church had usurped the power of the
state and the nation legislated this evil
down. Are prohibition states now usurp-
ing the function of the church?
Here are some of the questions that
have stirred this city of more than 10000
people during the past month. Muncie
went into the saloon question on broad
lines While rs of the 80 other counties
of the state were rushing in for prohibit
ton. Delaware in which Muncie is locat-
ed, held back until both sides had been
heard. Then, the other day, by sub
stantial majority, the people Toted that
the 50 saloons must go. AS the question
of personal liberty" had been considered
not the spirit of the dry campaigners and
as the election was, so far as can be
proven. clean of fraud, this local option
figth is considered a conspicuous feature
of the national temperance movement
Nuncie is one of the few cities OF more
than 10000 people to vote dry
The city has two newspapers. One was
..vvet' and the other dry" This insured
. thorough presentation of the arguments
of each party. ,-,-,-,-
The "wets' (made up of the drinking
nonuIation. liberals, business men VINO
fear the effects of prohibition upon prop
1rtv values, the state brewers assocla-
ZION and men otherwise financially inter
estedD argued that to prohibit the SAFE
of intoxicants is in violation of the spirit
of the constitution, which guarantees per
sonaI freedom. They did not say that
liquor was not harmful but they did con-
tend that other fads and drinks were also
harmful. and that people had the rlghl
to indulge their appetites even tney
aid do themselves harm. One wet leaoer
in a speech before a great and respecttui
audience, made up from both Sizes was
applauded when he said that the Saloon
was the poor mans club, that the poor
man gets little enough out of life Tor MS
hard labor. and that if he could nave
any fun from whisky he ought to be per
mitted to indulge himself" He also said:
"Some men drink and do not beat their
wives. and some men beat their wives
and do not drink.
The vets argued that it was just as
reasonable to say that rich drinkers ger
rich from drink as it is to say that poor
drinkers become poor through drink
Men. they said, become what they VIII
and YOU cannot legislate bad out OF them
or good INTO them.
In regard to the states usurpation o.
church rights thev said that the inhN-
ence of the church was waning because
legislators were making laws which pre-
scribed personal conduct, whereas TINS
used to be the function of the church.
And. OF course, they went in for status
tics. alleging that temperance hurts bus
mess. depreciates property values, In
creases the taxpayers burden, causes
men to sneak to drink. induces the sale
of inferior liquors in drug stores ana
.'blind tigers" and results in more whis-
XIV drinking because whisky is easier 10
procure under cover. than Is beer.
The wet campaign was carried on by
distribution of literature and public
meetings.
Women were the active leaders In the
dry campaign In automobiles, buggies
and on foot they canvassed the county.