Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-09-15

towns. North Carolina had sixty-oigl {
counties dry when she amended her con
stituiion, declaring the State dry. Ala
bama had fifty counties dry under local
option law Of 1907, called a special ses-
sion of her Legislature ard passed "A
general prohibition law. State. wide
prohibition therefore has followed when
local option laws have had thorough
trial. Oklahoma is the exception 10 the
rule, for she adopted prohibition as a
part of her constitution when admitted
into the union OF states
In most of the other Southern States.
surprising results have attended the
efforts put forth to suppress the saloon.
Out OF a grand total of eight hundred
and thirty counties in nine Southern
states, not named with those above, five
hundred and sixty.four are already dry.
practically speaking, the liquor traffic in
these nine States has been driven into
The large cities. and no surprise could be
felt if any one or al OF them adopt pro-
hibition in its hroadest sense al an early
day.
The people of Texas asked last wear
for an opportunity TO vote upon the
question, but Were denied. The next
legislature will tell different story.
The prohibition forces lost in Missouri
and Arkansas for the present, but not
for long. Within two years practically
F all The Southern States will declare for
State wide prohibition, and at the present
rate OF PROGRESS, not saloon will re-
main in the South in five years.
Why this reform in the SOUTH The
race problem has had some part in il
since the drink habit has always been
disturbing element in the relations of the
races, bringing TO the surface, the worst
passions and impulses Then too the
impulsive Southern temperament has
been more easily aroused by the fearful
results Of the traffic, and more readily
aroused TO the necessity for its suppress
sion
Whatever other causes may have con-
tributed to this end, it is certainly ac-
counted for in large measure by the
pure-blooded Anglo Saxonism of the
South. In the North, East and West the
greatest obstacle TO temperance reform.
especially in the large cities, is the large
element of foreign population. In our
Southland this element is relatively
small, but in the past decade is on the
increase
This fact fixes the South AZ the nat
ural guardian of the Nations moral wei.
fare and is blessing for which we can
not be too grateful.
Will this reform be permanent? Has
ii come to stay? Or will there be re
action2
We confidently believe that there is no |
ground to fear any permanent backward |
movement. The reasons are manifold |
Prohibition in the South has come. NOT |
Is the TesnIt Of impulse but the gradual
and well tried steps. II is not a hasiy. /
III advised movement, but the execution /
OF Il deliberate purpose, well grounded
by experimental knowledge, and by deep
conviction upon the part of her people.
Another reason for permanency is the
Tact that wherever found, local option
has been fully justified by there suits oi,-
iained. Drunkenness has been reduced
TO minimum. disorder and crime have
fallen of TO wonderful degree. bu. mess
conditions have improved and civic af
airs have been put upon a higher plane.
THESE changes mean everything 10 So
'iety, and Ia The individual and thc home.
n rehabiiitate@ character, new hope and
happiness to the largest proportion Of |
population. These things are becoming {
'lainly seen by the people of the South.
ma that they will ever retrograde OF. go
ack TO the bondage of the drink habit