The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-03-19


Birmingham (Ala.) Register which
says, "Oklahoma has constitutional
prohibition and il has been a signal
failure from the start" etc. Strange.
passing strange, that one has to go TO
Alabama to hear the truth(?) concern
ing the state of things in Oklahoma.
forcement attorney for the state Of
ruary, 1910, says:
Oklahoma Under Prohibition
The total bank deposits Individual
and bank) Nov. Is. 1909, amounted to
Sl04.2s3.410.S5. Prohibition did not in
1ure the financial conditions of the
state.
"Schools.-During the first two
years of prohibition statehood Okla
homa built $500 new school houses,
and the majority of these cost as much
as $4,000 each.
More Money Spent for Insurance.
The insurance companies have been
thriving under prohibition, as the peo-
pie have money to purchase insurance
since the saloons have been abolished.
The insurance commissioner paid into
the state treasury the sum Of $4,000
In 1908. and in the year 1909 1t
amounted to 100000. Our state in
surance commissioner has placed the
department on high plane and shut
out all wildcat companies.
state Records Show Increased
Earnings.-Wildcat corporations with
watered stock have been eliminated
and the business conditions Of Okla
homa have improved greatly under
prohibition.
Our justices Of our higher courts
as we'll as the attorney generals de-
partment, state that law is better en-
forced today in Oklahoma than 1t was
in the territories prior to statehood
that the violator is brought to justice
and that crime has not increased.
improvements in Cities and Towns
Wonderful improvements have taken
place in the cities and towns of Okla
homa since prohibition statehood
Street paving. sidewalk building cleo
trio light plants, water works and
sewer systems have been pushed rap
idly in many Of our cities and towns
that did not have foot Of paved
street before prohibition statehood
that now have miles Of streets, paved
either with brick or asphaltum. The
saloon states of Ohio, Indiana and I'LL
nois can not show single saloon
town the size of some Of these towns
that has a foot Of paved streets. The
anti prOhibitionists told US the grass
would grow in our streets If we voted
the saloon out, and in order TO stop
the grass from growing we pave our
streets.
Taxes Not Burdensome-Taxe FOR
running the government affairs Of the
state, counties and municipalities
have kept pace with the increase in
valuation since prohibition statehood
but raenot excessive or burd ensone
With the closing Of two breweries
and $50 retail saloons and about 80
wholesale liquor houses. any truthful
person will not state that more liquor
Is sold now than when these places
were running.
The close OF the first year Of pro-
hibition statehood found the Anheuser-
Busch Brewing Company stating that
prohibition in Oklahoma cost them
100000 that year. That was GER
tainly a gain to Oklahoma financially,
morally and physically.
THE empty breweries in Oklahoma
are silent and vacant monuments to
the fact that in Oklahoma prohibition
prohibs. The Interstate commerce,
the Federal postal. and the internal
revenue tax laws are the cl lief OBJ
struction In the way of ideal prohibit
ton.
Now which testimony shall we &C
cept as to conditions in Oklahoma
that Of an Alabama newspaper. a
liquor organ. or that Of an Oklahoma
state official?
Again on page 20 we learn(?) from
a clipping from the Pittsburg Labor
World some startling things-among
them, that prohibition will make a
nation OF sneaks:" that "a million
wage earners will be thrown out OF
work." that prohibition IL successful
would cause panic and we are tired
OF panics." etc. Now the fact is, the
leaders Of the labor unions all favor
prohibition. See their utterances:
f0n Labor Leaders Against the Sa-
ohn Mitchell. union labor's greatest
Ter, says: II am not al all Impress
with the argument that if YOU close
Gown the liquor traffic you bring
pout calamity Rather the contra
~. Nothing has done more to bring
misery upon innocent women and chill
dren than the money spent in drink.
The average workingman has no mon
ey to spend on drink without robbing
his family. l believe that as the labor
movement grows so will the temper
ance movement grow"
Samuel Gompers, president American
Federation OF Labor, says: The time
has come when the saloon and the la
Dor movement must be divorced"
John B. Lennon, treasurer American
Federation of Labor, says: The
liquor traffic tended TO decrease wages
never to increase them. The use OF
alcohol made workingmen less skillful
and drove men to lower scales of en-
ployment and reward. Every cent
spent In the liquor business was vast
ed. To the trade unionist there is no
redeeming feature in the saloon"
Thomas A. Lewis, president United
Mine Workers, says: III you want TO