The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-09-26
Or. Weith on Prohibition.


Il
DR.. Weith on Prohibition.
Yesterday morning at the Presby-
terian church Rev. Weith talked
on the proposed local option and
high license substitute for statewide
prohibition, which will be submitted
to the voters on November Sth, as
an amendment to the state constitu-
ton.
At the beginning of his talk Rev.
Weith stated that the question was
not a political, but a moral issue,
and declared himself in favor OF
womans suffrage when it came to
voting on questions OF moral i'm
port; that he thought it just to give
them the opportunity Of protecting
their boys and girls by their vote
at the polls
lie began by stating number Of
evils the amendment would brins
about and proved them later in his
talk.
The proposed amendment seems to
be not a local option measure. but
a trick to deceive yoters-a care
fully constructed proposition in
which some smart attorney has
used all his abilities to make it pos
siJle for the saloons licensed under
it, to avoid penalty for violation
and practically TO eliminate all reg
ulation. When a town goes wet or
votes the license system, it must
run for five years and keep on run.
ming after five years until over
thrown by a second election as pro
vided by law, with no law providing
for second election.
Should the town go dry, the wet
contingent by securing a certain
number of signatures from the tax
payers-who may own no more than
a deg TO pay taxes on-can call
new election every three months,
but should the town 90 wet there is
no provision in existence whereby
it can be voted upon again without
amending the constitution or sccur
ing a special act of the legislature.
The amendment completely disIran
chises the country voters. Rev. Wcith
compared the bait they use to catch
the country vote to the tax Eng
land inlTosed on tea in Revolutionary
times.
The amendment says that part Of
the license money from saloons
shall be used for improving the
country roads, but he stated he be
lieved few farmers could be bought
as cheap as that
The amendment states that sa-
looms must have no tables or chairs
to accommodate their customers
while drinking. and no swinging
doors, stained glass, etc, to cut off
the public view-eXcept in the case
of restaurants, hotels, etc.
Mr. Weith stated that the saloons
could buy little crackers and
cheese, put in a few tables and call
themselves restaurants and escape
that regulation.
This also provides for the opening
of road houses, which have been
such a curse to other states.
over two thousand ministers in
Oklahoma took this amendment as
the basis for their sermon yester-
day. Turning loose the batteries
through the churches OF Oklahoma |.
has but opened a campaign for the |
prohibition side of the controversy |
This will be supplemented with |
street meetings, addresses at school |
houses, country picnics and in thirty |
days prohibition orators will be in |
every county in the state.
+
Mr.. and Mrs. p. s. South have a |
very welcome visitor in their home
"a little baby girl who arrived |
on Sunday morning.
The w. C. r. U. held call |
meeting this afternoon at the Chris |
tian church.
+
Mrs. Whitfield OF Detroit, Texas, /,
will arrive Thursday to visit her
daughter, Mrs. Clay Hancock.