Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-06
COLOR LINE IS DRAWN
Prohibition Law Enforced as
to Negroes in Mobile.
White PEOPLE ARE IMMUNE
Procedure in Accordance With Pub.
lie Sentiment.
STATUTE SEEMS EFFECTIVE
nerreace Noted in the Number of
STATUTE SEEMS EFFECTIVE
Decrease Noted in the Number OF
Arrests for Offenses Attributed
to Drink.
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and thu
Chicago Record Herald.

Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
MOBILE, Ala, April 4, 1909.
It is the universal testimony, except
from the authorities. that the prohibition
law is not enforced among the white
people of Mobile and that 1t Is enforced
among the negroes. That is in accord
ance with public sentiment, and I have
always noticed that public sentiment Is
the dictator where social requirements
are involved. The chief reason for the
enactment of the prohibition law was to
prevent the colored population from get
ting whisky. because white people be-
lieve that whisky rather than q vicious
disposition has been responsible for the
greater part OF the crimes committed by
colored men.
Thus far the law seems to have been
quite effective. because its enactment has
been followed by a decrease in the num-
Der of arrests for offenses that can be
attributed to drink. The criminal class
In the southern states Is largely col
ored. 1t may not be said that white people
violate no laws. On the contrary, the
same percentage of. sinners appears
among that race in this latitude in
every other community. But the business
of the police and the criminal courts is
about 60 per cent with the colored popu-
lation and 40 per cent with the whites,
and the prohibition law was intended to
be applied to both factions with equal
force. At the same time everybody here
will tell you that respectable-looking
person can get drink Of whisky as
easily in Mobile today as he could before
the prohibition law was passed.
"Thirst Parlors" in Mobile.
The law went into effect on the LIST of
January. The bars have not yet been
taken out of the hotels. and there are IT'S
thirst parlors' In Mobile where both
hard and soft drinks can be obtained
upon application by those who know the
etiquette Of the transaction. More than
half of these soft-drifk stands were for
merly saloons which had regular custom
erS, and 1t Is the common impression that
very nearly as much liquor is consumed
as before the law was passed, only under
different names.
A customer who knows what to call
for gets what he wants. Sometimes it Is
served In glasses. according to common
custom; sometimes in teacups and mugs;
and drink called near beer" which Is
supposed to contain only per cent of
alcohol can be had for the asking. 1t
gets its name from the fact that 1t is
near" the real thing, and 1t Is put up in
bottles exactly like those used for the
real thing, and 1t is the popular impress
sion that the real thing is served when
the imitation is called for. Any hack
any policeman-will take you or direct
you where beer Or whisky can be OBJ
tanned. I undertook two experiments. A
hackman took me to two former saloons.
wanted There had evidently been very
little change from the arrangement and
the methods that existed before the pro-
hibition law was passed. The saloon
bottles in sight bore the labels OF soft
drinks such as ginger ale. sarsaparilla
drinks
While strolling about town I accosted a
stranger. who said could get drink at a
place he named around the corner.
went into the place indicated. 1t had
every appearance of the saloon; three
ton. and each had glass of some liquid
that looked like beer. The man behind
the bar did not hesitate when I asked
him for whisky. and proceeded to open a
bottle that bore a ginger ale label. 1t
was evidently a very poor quality Of
ginger ale reinforced with a poor quality
of whisky. and am told that large guam
titles of the mixture are put UP In Chat
tanooga and New Orleans at regular bot
thing works and shipped as ginger ale
into prohibition territory. The form of
the bottle. the label and the color Of the
contents are the same as those Of ordi-
nary ginger ale. but the price is % cents
a bottle instead of 10, the regular charge
for domestic goods.
Cocktails From Bottles.
did not experiment with the hotel bars,
but was told by several people that any
respectable looking person will be served
on application with cocktails from bot
ties, high balls. which are a mixture Of
whisky and soda in ordinary soda water
bottles. with the same form Of ginger ale
above described and with near beer"
which is the real article under fictitious
label.
In addition to these regular bars there
are large number of soda fountains at
which. 1t is alleged. the law is often vio-
lated In a similar way. II a certain kind
of drink is called for the man at the
fountain will pour an ordinary dose of
whisky into a glass and fill 1t up with
carbonated water. A large variety Of
soft drinks are also served. and ply
stefan told me that they needed immediate
attention from the board OF health, be-
cause some Of them contain harmful drug
and nerve tonics that should not be sold.
particularly to young people. As a rule,
however, aside from these vicious COM
pounds. there is little violation Of the
law at the drug stores and soda fountains.
Soft Drink License Fec.
The 175 soft drink stands pay q