St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-10-01
PROHIBITION BREEDS
DRUNKNESS and
HYPOCRICY.
Judge Dupre Wants to See the
Day When Beer Won't Be
Guzzled by the Kegful.
THE LIQuoR QUESTION UP AGAIN.

GLSCGiOu on Gl6 IQuOE QuGSGiOu W
tako place November the 9Th. The
people of Acadia are tired of blind
tigers and are going to knock them
out with high license. The article of
prohibition we are having is only a
meckery and from practical expert
give us high license, that is the only
cure. It will only be a short time
until our people come to this same
conclusion Banner.
To the Editor Of the Clarion:
Every one in this Parish knows
how much l was opposed to Prohibi-
ton. My opposition is as great now
as it was then. 1t is gratifying to
me to observe that the people are
getting sick and tired Of the re-
straints sought to be placed upon
them by a majority Of well meaning
people, but misguided all the same.
Prohibition in this Parish has not
prohibited. Blind Tigers ran riot
until / assisted in paving the way
for Wholesale Houses to take their
place. Now we have drink galore.
Instead of a gentleman walking into
a saloon and drinking one or two
times, he assists in consuming a keg
of beer. Instead Of it's being drank
by the bottle, we have it by the keg.
More beer is now consumed in
Opelousas than heretofore. Every
body has it. Fraternal orders, and
private residences have it. Why?
Heretofor 9 an Elk IN going to or
from his Lodge generally on his re-
turnl could drop in a saloon with a
genial companion and take a glass of
beer as a night-cap, when no harm
resulted therefrom. The spirit Of
intolerance has denied him this right.
He gets even by buying a key, and
inasmnch as key beer does not keep,
he and his brother drain it ere they
depart.
So it is with the boys. Many who
never entered saloons are daily get
ting their fill under a shed, in back
yard, garage plant, stables, race
track OF some other place which they
would not frequent were the saloons
opened. | stated that the closing Of
the saloons would breed hypocrites
and liars. II is doing something
worse. tt is making drunkards OF
boys who never drank before. Some,
time since, at a tournament, whep
excursions came from several points,
the boys had TASKS Of whiskey il
their pockets and many Of them got
drunk therefrom. With the saloon
opened these boys rarely entered.
Parental influence and the saloon
mans unwillingness to sell them had
a deterrent effect. Nov that they
have the "boot-legger' to deal with;
now that the law has stepped in and
said ''Thou shalt not with the per-
versity Of Adam they say Il will"
and they do it to excess.
In Acadia they are going to vote
again upon the question. In Evan
geline they are getting tired of this
restraint. See the clipping from the
Evangeline Banner herewith. In St.
Landry when Evangeline shall have
been created upon the present pro
posed lines) we will demand a vote
upon the question and sweep the Par
ish for the open saloon, with proper
restrictien,-rathe than the skulk-
ing retreats where beer is guzzIed
rather than drank.
/ welcome the day when | shall be
permitted to walk into a saloon, pay
for my drink and walk out,-rather
than sit under a shed, in a barn, or
a garage and guzzle beer until the
keg is drained.
assert more beer is now con-
sumed, more harmful results ensue
from its consumption in the manner
consumed, than when the saloons
were open.
The open saloon properly restricted
Is the remedy. The closure Of these
ii unproductive of results. Temper
ance yes, but not under compulsion.
We are breeding drunkards galore,
making liars and h~ypocrites and in
return therefor have a lot of bank
rupt towns with nothing in sight but
beer kegs, filed and untitled, TASKS
of whiskey, filed and untitled, and
people over drinking themselves
new, formerly were deemed abstemi-
ous.