The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-11-19
Why Some Went Wet
And Others Dry.

And Others. Dry.
The Miami Metropolis, which is pub
lished in u wet county but county
nevertheless that cast a majority OF
votes for the prohibition amendment,
is worrying about the solution OF the
puzzle which the result Of the recent
election presents. Our contemporary
says:
It is strange, perhaps. but worthy OF
remark that many OF the prohibition
counties went wet and some of the
whiskey counties went dry in the vote
on the amendment. For example JET
ferson wet and Hillsborough dry. 1t
would be difficult TO find two counties
in the state that represent the anti
thesis of each other so thoroughly in
class and manner Of life. Such in
stances offer real opportunity for
careful study of the liquor problem.
II may be regretted that we haven't in
Florida newspaper or suhlcient en-
terprise to send careful and impair
tial investigator into the field to ap-
praise tho results of the recent cleo
ton in such cases as those cited. II
would make very interesting reading,
anu HiditildILc iVdi SiAo's
The people care little or nothing
for he rehashed opinions of the
clergy and the liquorites. The argu-
ments are stale. fiat and Improbable.
The students of events and sociology
arc interested in the results and their
true meaning. They are interested in
tho solution of 3 problem. The ex-
tremists on the one side and the liquor
men and their hirelings on the Other
should be dismissed as incompetent
witnesses. The agitation of the one
IS Just as disturbing to the peace and
we'll being of the people and just as
Improbable so far as the real solution
of the question is concerned as the
determined tenacity Of the other.
Whiskeys the curse of the world, says
one Everybody admits 1t, bu. an evil
that cant I've done away with, says
the other. There is the gist of the
question. Each is right from his own
point Of view. But the end is not yet
and tho contest will continue inter
minably.
We think our contemporary is need
lessly asitated and we believe II un-
necessary also to send an investigator
into the field to "appraise the results"
of the election. To anyone who has
observed public sentiment on the
liquor question in Florida, the result
simply emphasizes several features OF
the situation that are reasonably con-
elusive.
Tho counties In which the saloon
Is strongly entrenched go wet on any
kind OF a proposition simply as a re-
suit Cf the saloon influence and its
ability to pull wires on the other bust.
ness institutions of the town.
The small towns and villages which
are, under county option, already dry
and many of which voted for the
amendment, vote dry now because
they do not under any circumstances
want the saloon with its demoralizins
influences back again. They are en-
abled to do this the easier also be.
cause they do not have the direct OF
immediate influence OF the saloon to
contend with in their present cleo
tons.
TIL result in the country districts
which go dry in county option cleo
ton and go wet In a state election
may be accounted for on one of two
hypothesis. 1t may be that, while
they do not want the bar-room near
them and they know, under county op
ton. they can keep II away from them
still n majority may want to know
that they can somewhere get a min oil
tho stuff when they want IL. A more
reasonable explanation. however, We
believe lies in the fact that these coun
try districts. being remote from the
saloon itself, do not appreciate what
a menace II is to those who are in
close proximity to it. They therefore
vote on the principle that they car
look after their own immediate in
terests and other people can do the
same thing.
There is another thing also which
a close study of the situation reveals
and that is that very great number
of people do not regard the mere use
of liquor as of such serious and men
acing importance as they regard the
saloon serious and menacing as an in
stitution. Both are of course bad. bu
the saloon as an institution is the
thing against which very great pro
portion of the people vote.
The Tampa Tribune boasts tina
one-tenth OF the people Of Florida re
side in Hillsborough county. Most o.