Bradford County telegraph. (Starke, Fla.) 1888-current, 1910-09-30
". c. 7. U. DEPARTMENT.
Edited by Mrs. D. z. knight.

One of the great hobbies of the saloon
interests against the adoption of the
nineteenth amendment to our coDstitu-
ton in the November election is that
prohibition interferes with the personal
liberty of men who drink. Now, let us
see If this is q fact, and see what the
Judicial construction of the words
personal liberty" is. First, we will 20
to Blackstone, who is one of the highest
authorities we can LOOK to, and he de-
fines those words as follows: Personal
liberty consists i'll the power of locomo-
ton, of changing situation, of removing
ones person TO whatever place ones
own inclination may direct, without re-
straint, unless by due course of law. 4"
You say, "Oh, well, that definition does
not cover the ground" No, / guess it
does not cover what you would like for
it to. But if You are not satisfied ct the
definition of Mr.. Blackstone, let Us see
what others have said along this line.
In the United States district court IN
the case of United States vs. Hutson,
Goth. Fed. Rep. "a, that court said ::
IAN the liberty we know anything
about under this government Is liberty
regulated by Law. Everything else is
licentiousness, because 1t gives to each
person the right 70 trample upon the
rights of all others" Well, you say, it
gets worse. Yes, and we'll it might, for
you certainly have no right or PERSONAL
liberty to drink anything that makes
you a menace TO the community or that
decreases or lessons your ability to care
for those dependent upon you.
Ofrimes the man who prates loudesr
about his personal liberty is the man
who has a wife and half a dozen chill
dren. The wife and children know that
if ne is permitted to crafty his appetite
it means hunger and misery to them
Shall the government regard only the
appetite of the one and disregard the
needs of the other six or seven, and per-
hsps make them public charge, that
the one may enjoy what he calls his
personal liberty? So when the sot CON-
plains that you are about to interfere
with his personal liberty to he a sot, ]
would have you remember also the per-
sonal liberty of his wife and six chill
dren, and that getting drunk is not an
inherent attribute of liberty.
This sentiment against the saloon is
further justified by the finished producer
which the saloon turns out. The sa.
loon keeper often dishonesty claims
that his business is as honorable as any
other business. Let Us compare it with
two common lines of business. Take q
brick yard as an example. The raw
material used is ordinary mud. The
finished product is brick, which may be
used for building houses, paving streets
aud various other purposes. The fin
ished product is more valuable than the
raw material, and the business is
therefore, justified by its fruits. For 9
second example take -four mill. The
raw material is wheat. The finished
product is -four. Flour is more valuable
and servicesble THAI wheat, and the
Touring mill is justified by its fruits
With these compare the saloon business
The raw material is the bright boy and
pure girl from the home. The finished
product is the drunkard in the gutter
and the scarlet woman in the streets
How the finished product compares Will
the raw material. BY their fruits u
shall know them.