Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-12

gathered out OF my own personal cNpCr-
fences What l want TO show is that an
immense amount Of liquor is sold in dry"
communities.
Legally, over half Of the United States is
dry territory. Prohibition literature
states that fve-eighths Of the incorporated
towns, cities and villages Of the United
states forbid the sale Of liquor only a
few wet spots remain in the south
Statewide prohibition has blanketed four
southern states.
Prohibition has scored the greatest tri-
ulnph Of any modern reform movement
The leaders are cheered and aspire now to
prohibit the sale Of intoxicants throughout
the nation
These are facts. Here are more. I have
Travelled over the United States i'm all sec
tons, stopping in hundreds Of towns.
never have found a city town. or cross
roads village in the last five years in
which, within two hours. l failed to get
drink. This is regardless Of laws. thgir en-
forcement or the feeling Of the community
as expressed at the polls This IS a broad
statement, but anyone possessing the price
Of drink can get 1t anywhere unless by
his own actions he arouses suspicion that
he is likely to be seeking evidence 1t is
not the purpose of this article to argue
the merits or the dement's Of prohibition.
but rather to state existing conditions as
l found them
Clerk Furnished Addresses.
was in Jackson. Miss when the
august Legislature of that state passed
statewide prohibition law Jackson
the city, had been dry" for many years
arWl,
hotel and asked the clerk where I could
get drink lie glanced at me and gave
me an address a few blocks up the street
went there and asked for a pint Of
whisky The proprietor called a boy,
ostensibly sent him somewhere else to get
the liquor In six minutes the boy re-
turned with a pint Of whisky for which
paid 20 per cent over the regular price The
boy had not left the store at all He got
the whisky from storeroom at the rear
discussed the situation with the pro-
prietor. He said he had been lobbying for
statewide prohibition, and explained It
was making a fortune for him. He sent
me to an agent of a railroad to verify some
statements he had made The agent in
formed me that one junk dealer out Of four
doing thriving business In jackson had
that morning shipped four car loads of
empty bottles
l went to the Legislature, which was busy
passing the statewide prohibitory law
amid cheers by the prohibitlonists The
busiest lobbyists mot excepting the re-
formers and the good women Of Jackson)
were the hired employees of the manufac-
turers of a popular soft drink The vote
was for prohibition. Mississippi was Legally
dry The cause was triumphant and
brave band of good women wept and
sang hymns, having saved their sons ."
That night the lobbyists for the soft-drink
concern gave a banquet to members of the
legislature. car load Of wine and in
toxicants was consumed celebrating the
victory" The returns of express COM
panies and the figures of brewery agents
at st. Louis indicate that Mississippi is
consuming more intoxicants dry than II
did wet. The brewery agents boast Of it.
Increase in Vicksburg.
Yicksburg had been wet Statewide pro-
hibition resulted i'm erection of saloon
shanties on an island belonging to Louis
lana, In whisky boats on the river and in
blind pigs One druggist in Vicksburg
gave me figures showing that the consump-
ton Of whisky had increased and that
the sales of cocaine, especially to negroes
had tripled in a year Two societies enter
tained me In their rooms on Sunday and
drinks were served all day. An effort was
being made by both to forbid members
bringing in visitors. but the ruling was
being ignored steadily.
Oklahoma City went dry. One Of the
hotels in the place defied the law and sold
drinks openly, restraining the people from
enforcing their own law. Three places in
the town that I know Of, with scant pre-
tense of cOncealment, serve drinks. At one
place l was instructed to go to a certain
door and cough twice. l coughed. The
door was opened and in side room twenty
to thirty men and boys were drinking.
Police I'm the Farce.
I had an amusing 90 experience in a
place in Oklahoma City At least thirty
persons were drinking and loaflng in the
place when suddenly three sharp raps. as
Of some one striking metal, sounded Bot
ties and glasses were frisked out Of sight
hurriedly. The men stood around in
studied attitudes of Indifference and pre-
tended to be watching hastily organized
pool games. moment later a policeman
strolled in at the door, looked around
nodded to one or two Of the men and went
out minute later three more sharp raps
were heard and the bottles and glasses re-
appeared. What was that" / inquired
| OF my sponsor. He laughed Why" he
said, the cop on this beat is instructed to
stop here to see that there is no drinking.
He hits the electric light pole at the corner
with his club three times before he comes
| in, so he cannot see any evidences of
drinking. lie hits the pole down the street
when he starts on, to let us know the coast
( is clear. Then he can swear he never saw
any evidence Of drinking" As l was
/ leaving Oklahoma City / wanted whisky on
the train. A short distance from the sta
| tion l went into a hotel. A negro
was in the office lie said they
did not sell whisky. told him
who l was and showed my railroad ticket
/ He Immediately brought two pints OF old
Crow whisky The small room across tn,
/ hall from the office was filled with whisL,
and beer.
Could Get Real Beer.
I Asheville was caught in the prohibition
wave that swept western North Carolina
One Of the hotels served drinks TO me in a
room IN the basement. The next time