The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-11-18
WHERE AMENDMENT
WORKERS FAILED.

WORKERS FAILED.
Now that the issue Of statewide pro-
hibition has suffered temporary defeat it
may profit friends of the measure TO in
quire into the causes which brought
about the result.
Had the vote been a natural one the
amendment would have carried by an
overwhelming majority.
By natural vote we mean the self.
qualified whites and negroes OF the
state-those who ordinarily vote in all
general elections.
But the vicious, bum, barroom negroes
were qualified in thousand by unscrupu.
lous whites, and this class was the de.
termining factor in the election. There
Is no doubt about that
There is no evidence at hand that
negroes were illegally qualified in Pa.
latka, but there is evidence OF how the
colored men voted in this city.
The five downtown white wards Of
PAlatka gave majority of 40 for the
amendment. One other ward, almost
solidly black, gave two ~ votes for the
amendment and SEVENTH go
against. That vote determined the re-
suit in the city and the county.
The five downtown wards OF Palatka
do not constitute a New Jerusalem.
They represent the big business and white
residential sections and are made up
OF all sorts OF flesh and blood people.
These people are representatives OF the
divergent sentiment in Florida on the
best plan of dealing with the liquor evil.
As il was in Palatka so it was in other
parts of the state.
The negro was the determining force
in the state. He would not have been
such had he not been illegally qualified
in great numbers in the large cities.
There are not enough self-quaified
negro voters in the state TO constitute
them balance of power. That balance
had TO be secured and the liquor organl-
zation at Jacksonville secured it by buy
ing up the buns. They voted Solidly
against the amendment. So much for
that side.
On the other hand the amendment
workers spent their money largely to
entertain such voters and their lady
friends whose loyalty was never queS-
toned.
Instead of making campaign among
the careless voterS-those who refused
TO enthuSe for either Side-the state
wides sent good men and women into
the field who had made regulations as
Temperance orators. These lecturers
held big meeting, meetings crowed TO
the doors with church workers and Sun
day school pupils. They came unto
their own and their own received them
joyfully. They prayed and sang songs
and had lovely hallaluiah time, but
they didn't make any votes. The vot-
ers present, with here and there an ex
ception, were already theirs.
The amendment managers didn't seem
TO realize that the issue was not only
moral, but political, and that the weapons
10 use if they would win, must neceSsari-
ly be of the most approved political
pattern.
The hallalujah temperance orator had
no place in the fight and neither did the
alcohol exhibit of the w. c. T. U.
They attracted the church people and
the young people of the Christian En-
dcavor, but seldom an undecided voter.
The effective work of the campaign
in the field was done by the Stetson
Quartette of young men, Senator Don C.
McMullen, few business and profess
Sional men, the Florida Journal, and
some 20 democratic papers OF the state
led by A. NJ. Williamson of the Flor
idian.
The latter got down among the people,
the good but careless people of the state,
those who had refused TO take an interest
in the campaign until some argument or
appeal TO their prejudice struck their
fancy and won them for the amendment
in spite of the flood of circular appeals
from the headquarters of Pleas Holt.
Had the money expended by the
Anti-Saloon League TO hire professional
Temperance SpellbinderS TO go through
the state addressing church gatherings
and singing "I'm but a Pilgrim here,
Heaven is my Home" been turned loose
among lot of local political workers of
democratic and prohibitory prediction,
and who were sufficiently of the earth,
earthly, to get next TO the voters who
refuse TO abandon the idea that Florida is |
still part of the earth, the result might |
have been different
The amendment workers went after
their own and got them; they neglected |
10 go after the careless voter and Pleas.
Holt got him on the speciouS pleas OF
liberty" and local self government.
|
AT meeting of the Alachua county
democratic executive committee last
DR.. J. F. McKinstry, the chair
nan, introduced Hon. John n. c. Stock
on, who made an able plea. for support
n the coming senatorial primary. Chair
nan MCKinstry didn't say it, but it was
,Yident from the rcnnri Thai Mr. Sinck.