The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-09-24
Facts About Prohibition
Favor Strict Regulation
To the voters d okIahoma !.

To the Voters OF Oklahoma
On November you viii be called
upon to decide by your ballots a ques
tion of tremendous importance to
your state. namely, the question Of
prohibition VS.. legalized liquor traffic
land as have given this question
some twenty-seyen years of the closest
study. am sure that you viii not re.
sent few suggestions from me as
president OF the National Model Ii
cense League.
Prohibition is a protest on the part
of the people against certain evils
connected with the liquor traffic, but
as a remedy for what is known as the
liquor problem It has invariably prov
en- to be complete failure. and ii has
been tried during the last sixty years
By such states as Maine, New Hamp-
shire. Vermont, Massachusetts,. Con-
necticut. Rhode Island, Ohio. Iowa.
Kansas and South Dakota. and during
more recent. years by Oklahoma. Geor.
gia, Alabama. Mississippi, Tennessee
and North Carolina.
In none OF these states. and In none
Of the innumerable counties in which
it has been tried, has it at any time
interfered with the purchase. posses
sion or use of beer. wine or whisky.
Where prohibition is adopted the
bootlegger. the moonshiner and the
mail order house Immediately supt
plant the legalized saloon or liquor
store. and in such communities the
supply OF liquor Is kept in the resi-.
dences instead OF IN licensed places.
Experience shows that where people
keep supply Of liquor at home in
stead Of sending to the liquor store
for It as they may need it. the con-
sumption Is very much greater than
it is in counties and states where the
business is licensed.
From a letter received this morning
from an attorney ia Alabama. | would
ike to quote what he says in regard
TO the working Of prohibition in that
state. as follows:
Il have always been strong advo-
cate of-prahibition personally. and in
the past have done what l could to
that end. but since we have given il
a trial have been forced e the con-
clusion that It is not what We want
for prohibition as it nov exists ia this
state is stencil in the nostriIs OF de-
cency. Being the prosecuting attor-
ney Of this county. I. perhaps. know
better than any one else the evils at
'ssndant upon the so-calied prohibition.
and my judgment is that to license the
traffic and surround It with every safe
guard possible would be great deal
better
The conditions Of this section Of
the state now existing are deplorable
IN the extreme, and am ready 10 ren.
der what service can for the benefit
Of existing conditions. So, after a |
careful consideration have come to
the conclusion that your plan is much
better than what NE nov have.
A reference to the reports Of she
commissioner of internal revenue Of
the United States government winI
show that during the last fourteen |
years-that IS. during the time that
the Anti-saloon League has been ii
existeEfe e=ztkez consumption Of dissilI /
ed and feFmeaFed liquors in this coun-I
try has increased fully 50 per cent i
Fourteen years ago We were usInei
100000 gallons Of distilled liquors
but last year We used about 12s 600.
900 gallons, and while fourteen years
ago ne used about 1.11e,000 600 gal
Ions Of beer per annum. We used last
year over 1.s0o0Oo.00O gallons.