The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-10-21
A SECOND EMANCIPATION.

upon the outcome of the confer,
ence Friday afternoon, between tn,
members of the County Court and
the City Council to determine con
clusively whether licenses are to be
granted to conduct saloons this fiscal
year depends largely the health, hap
piness and prosperity of the Negroes
Of Charleston.
Speaking of the great temperance
wave which is sweeping over the
country, Dr.. Booker T. WASHINGTON
said:
There is great moral revolution
sweeping over the entire south that
mas not yet attained it's fullest force,
but has already exercised an enor.
nous influence in the problem of lift
, lug up my race. 1t is revolution
which, think, has no parallel, either
IN This country or any other. The
revolution is the closing of the bar
rooms. [ know my race; | know its
condition OF living; l know its weak
ness ana | say the closing of the
barrooms has been second cmanci-
patton"
Unfortunately the Negro eople
vi charleston are not greatly interest
ed in the question of raising revenue
Tor the conduct of the business of the
city. In the mass, they are not OWL
ers or real estate to the extent that
they would be seriously affected bv
an increased levy. The saving .Darn
the land, let the white folks own it,"
justly or unjustly ascribed to their
reconstruction ancestors, has been
apparently their slogan. But if does
concern them whether or not there is
10 be reopening Of the saloons.
whether or not the money which they
are now compelled to spend, perforce
'o9o indictments for unlawful sale
OF liquor to the contrary notwith-
standing) for the support of their
families.
10 the saloon, says an exchange
and very truthfully, is to be charged
10 large extent the Negroes Doyertv
as we'll as his undesirable record in
crime. The Negroes income, which
mas Deen none too large, has been
worse than Squandered, in large
measure, in his almost habitual SUD-
,,f
port or the saloon. Others NAV be
able financially to drink, but the Me-
gro is not. TO start with, he is 2
poverty stricken individual and can
Ill AFFORD to waste his substance in
r1otous living. The saloon has made
the Negro improvident, uhriftless and
unreliable. There is scarcely a large
city North or South, with a large Ne.
gro population, in which there are nor
olFes where white men grow fat and
rich by degrading the Negro.
Not only has the saloon been the
occasion Of much of the Negro DOW
erty' but a large percent of his crime
can be traced to the same source
F1lled with cOncoctions made largely
OF chemicals that fire his brain and
SUR his blood, the Negro is DrcDarod
Tor any sort of an escaDadc that will
add excitement to his already over
wrought system. Dr.. WASHINGTON is
correct and is happy in the express
sion when he says that the abolish
ment of the saloon is the second
emancipation Of the Negro
Any person who has the interest
or the Negro at heart will be an IN.
compromising advocate Of the most
stringent prohibition laws. Nothing
would so help the moral. intellectual
financial, religious and physical life
or the Negro as the Immediate and
absolute destruction of the saloon
Wh1ch has been the bane Of civilian
tlon In general and the downfall Of
the Negro in particular.