The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-07-29

In every department Of human &C.
tivity. every man asking for employ
ment is reques.1u TO furnish testimo-
mails as to character. ability. etc. and
every institution asking for the sym
pathy and support OF the public must
show why the public should support It
The clerk. the school teacher. the
preacher. the stenographer. must give
promise of profit to their employer
The school. the church, the orphanaSe.
the poor house and even the mad house
looking to the public for support.
OF such support.
But how about the saloon: What
sort Of testimonials has II to present
when IL asks the public to tolerate its
existence and furnish II boys and girls
to keep its mills Of death grinding.
The first one II presents Is from the
courts Of law. We asked one OF the
ablest and most prominent Jurists OF
the state once what percentage Of the
criminals who came before him COM
mitted crime through the influence Of
liquor He replied that not less than
as per cent Of the crime he had to deal
with was caused directly or Indirectly
by liquor How does the law-abiding
decency-loving voter like that testi-
monial from an institution that seeks
TO plant itself right under the shadow
of his home?
The next testimonial Is from the ex-
ecutors OF the law. What do they
say? The saloon has utterly no regard
for the law. is a constant and persis-
tent violator OF the law. does every
thing in its power to discredit Law and
to breed I'm the public mind q con-
tempt for law. There Is much talk
about prohibition failing to prohibit.
We venture the assertion that there In
not a violation Of prohibition Law any
where for which the liquor traffic Il
not directly responsible The liquor
traffic Is simply buying and selling
liquor for gain Every man who buys
and sells liquor for gain Is q part Of
the liquor traffic Every bootlegger il
a part Of the liquor traffic and his vio-
lations Of the law are therefore
chargeable to the liquor traffic. The
saloons know which are the dry coun-
ties Of the state and they know In
practically every case when they ship
liquor into dry counties whether II Is
for individual use or for sale In vio-
lation Of the prohibition law and thus
lHeg betoIuc the
violation OF law. The saloon Is In the
business for the cash-that and moth
ing more-and they care nothing for
the laws Of prohibition territory SO
long as they can deliver the goods and
get the cash.
Up in Ohio recently. a detective, who
was forced to kill saloon keeper in
self defense, was lynched by the vio-
lators of the prohibition law. The sa-
looms were defying the law. and when
an effort was made to bring them to
justice. they resisted the law. even to
the extent OF assuming the reins OF the
law and committing murder. This Is
the liquor traffic approaching some
what toward its natural nature What
do the voters of Florida think OF this
testimonial? Do you think you are Jus
tifiable in permitting the continuation
in your state under the constitution OF
the state an institution with such q
record and Of such a nature?
But ask the statisticians for their
testimonials. and they will tell you
that every year in our country . hun
dred thousand or more OF our citizens
are slain directly by king alcohol and
as many more indirectly That more
than billion dollars every year n
spent for strong drink-thrown to the
four winds; taken out OF productive
enterprises. bringing no profits TO any
one save the distillers, brewers and
saloon keepers. thus weakening the
nation to the extent OF a million dol
lars every year TO say nothing OF the
loss to the nation in disabled wage
earners and wealth producers and i'm
poverished women and children What
iale Is II n good one? Would you vote
for a continuation OF the public schools
| OF the country II statistics showed
| them to produce such resu1ts7
Ask the moralist for his testimonial
He tells you the saloon breeds disor-
der. makes men immoral. shiftless
liars. thieves. murderers. inspires the
| establishment of gambling dens, and
| makes gamblers OF our boys. Of hous-
es Of i'll fame and makes prostitutes
| Of our girls. interferes with the work
| OF the schools and churches, and
4 damns the lives and souls Of men who
| otherwise would be honest. uprigh,
/ citizens. and robs the community OF
| their services and their productive
| powers. This Is the saloons record
laid bare before the gaze Of any maj
| who will simply look Voters OF Flor
ida how do you like that record? VIII
this testimonial justify you In voting
for the continuation OF the saloon II
Florida:
These are not all the testimonial
the saloon has to present. but in al
the long list there f. not one that AM
homes; nan would consider a good ant
| worthy testimonial to the man VIII,
asked TO be elected as pastor or TIT
principal OF his high school Let thu
voter Dear In mind that the question 8
no, prohibition OF local option. but "a
looms or no saloons The saloon simpl.
comes TO you and asks you to vote 20
its continuation In the constitutions
life OF the state. Upon the testimon
falls ii presents. do you think Il
worthy, Honestly. now. do you. You
vote will be your answer.