Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1910-04-21
United States Law Ally
Of the Liquor Traffic.

this city, the superintendent and
workers of that organization adopted
a set of addresses and resolutions
which give a clear view of the tenn
perance situation in the southern
states from the standpoint OF those
in charge of the anti-liquor crusade
in that section. The statement con-
tains the essence of the addresses de-
liyered at the convention and is as
follows,
"The development of public senti-
. ment III our beloved south has reach
ed the stage at which the saloon is
recognized as a curse to the lndlVld-
ual and as a menace to society. OF
the 1926 counties in the 16 southern
states, lis have no legalized sa-
looms in the entire territory south
of the Mason and Dixon line as there
are in the single city of Chicago.
Danger of Overconfdence.
The statement then continues by
drawing attention to the danger of
oyercOnfidence bred of past successes.
To rest at the present stage OF the
struggle would be fatal to the cause,
as the liquor interests are still ac-
tive: they are possessed of vast re-
4 sources and will employ any means,
/. honorable or otherwise, toI attain their
ends
The paper continues:
In carrying on it's campaign OF
notification, we regret to be obliged
to state that the most potent ally OF
the liquor traffic is the United States
law. which allows the flooding of dry
territory with liquor from wet terri
tory, under the protection OF the in
terstate commerce law. 1t is matter
of prime Importance that each state
be made entirely Independent in the
exercise of it's police power.
"1The LIQUOR traffic is primarily a
moral, secondarily, an economic ques-
ton. 1t is a political question only
because it has been granted license
by the state, and legislation is there
fore necessary to abolish the license
system, and because when once pro-
hibited by the laws of the state, viola
tions Of the law must be punished by
the officers of the state
The paper concludes with the state
ment that the moral issues of the
question must be borne by the church.
'If the Christian pulpit will unite in
earnest appeal to the Christian citi-
zenship of the south to stand for the
enforcement of our righteous laws, the
victory will most assuredly be ours. "
Resolutions Are Adopted.
u1,o fo1Io1,ipoy roco1utiOnc also were
adopted by the convention:
Resolved /, That the legalized av-
erage liquor traffic is community,
state and national sin, and we pledge
ourselves anew to fight for its COM
plate extinction.
"Resolved 2, That law enforcement
is equally as important as law enact
ment, and we urge our people to
elect only those men to public office
who will strictly enforce the law
Resolved 8, That we rejoice in the
great work that has been done by
the Church of Christ in the destruc-
ton of the legalized traffic in our
southern country. This work of the
Church has been phenomenal in its
success, and has placed the south in
the leadership of the nation on this
great moral question. We look with
full and undated confidence to the
4 same Church of Clrist to lead in the
settlement of this great moral ques-
ton, entirely apart from personal and
political affiliation, and to wage an I'M
relenting warfare against the lawless-
ness of sensual appetite and greed"
Resolution petitions the several
religious denominations to give even
more energy and a deeper consecra-
u ton to the cause.
Resolved 5. That our people are
warned against the efforts of politi-
clans to use the League as a political
asset. We must not allow our organ
ization to be drawn into side issues
which are not directly involved in our
fight against the liquor traffic"
Resolution praises the press for
it's help in some instances, but de-
plores the fact that in other instances
it has been subsidized by the liquor
traffic.
Resolution 7 urges the necessity of
eIecting representatives and senators
who are in favor of change in the
present interstate commerce law
which allows the shipment of liquor
..S.t5 a. prohibition state.
Resolved 8. That we heartily COM
mend tie president of the United
States for his recent order to the
treasury department to the effect that
in prosecution for the violation of the
a internal revenue laws in prohibition
territory, that they shall cease to
compromise with offenders for a mon
ey consideration, but shall prosecute
under the criminal section of the Uni
ted States statutes, and where posi-
bic, secure prison sentences in addi-
ton to collecting the revenue tax and
to make the evidence upon which con-
yiction was obtained available by the
state authorities.