The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-06-11

Louis lille. KY. June lO.-The TO.
lowing address. explaining the large
increase in the use of alcoholic bev.
erages. as admitted by the Northern
Presbyterian Assembly in its meeting
al Atlantic City, is being mailed to
leading ministers OF the United States
by T NJ Gilmore. president OF the
National Model License League:
TO the Ministers OF the United States
"Somc years ago in my first address
10 the ministers OF the United Stats,
l declared that a prohibitory law that
only prohibited the fanufacture ana
sale OF alcoholic beverages. and did
not prohibit the purchase. posses
sion and use OF such beverages,
woul bt merely destructive to reve-
nues and to private property, and
would not in any way curtail either
the use or the abuse of whisky, wine
or beer.
Since that address was issued the
prohibition agitation has been kept up
by its devoted and deluded followers
and until a year ago the movement
made great headway. but now comes
the general Assembly Of he Presbyte-
rian church. speaking from Atlantic
/ City on May %. and declares that
'Thera is IN alarming increase in the
use OF alcoholic liquors in the United
States on the whole and that Only
harm can result by deceiving the pub
lie by charts which indicate rapid
advance in temperance legislation and
by boastful statements about making
the map ali white while we are
doing nothing of the kind
"1he Assembly also declared that
the per capita drink bill in the year
1910 was s2417, or Stills as the
annual drink bill of the average
American family
This is an honest admission from
the Presbyterian General Assembly
that prohibition is 5,upendous fail
ure. and, furthermore, that mislead-
ling statements have been issued TO
dccei,e the public and disguise the
actual results arsiing from such leg
islation.
MY address to the ministers OF
the United States was issued after
a quarter Of centurys study of the
liquor question and thorough in
vestigation of prohibition. ani |
! know that prohibition had never pro
hibited, was nC5 expected 20 nrn
/ hibit and would never b, adopted If
] it did prohibit: and knew it WAS
destroying the peace and good Will
in our various communities. turning
/ lc'e-time friends inc bitter enemies,
converting thousand; of oulpits into
tC'itical rostruls a.,C thousands If
/ r,cacherS into poli,;,a' agents of
20 tical organization
"ln consequence o. which | felt
ilsti!ied in advising Ggainer the alop-
ton of such destructive legislation
when | was absolutely certGin that
.'' .rCd conli 'esult from IT,
"Ut coursa was very mu.h crit
.r,'od by tn" agents os tna Ann
Saloon Leaarc, by A largo. number
Of ministers and to somo extent by
80 ness, ani the ulnftiOn waS ask.
eG me 'TEen why doe, The liquor
trade oppose prohibition if prohibi-
ton does not prohibit?'
II tried to explain that liquor meE
wore opposed to prohibition because
they did no. want their business out
lawed, and did not want to ship whis-
ky INTO forbidden territory. and did
not want their property destroyed as
it was DESTROYED whenever prohibition
was adopted
81 explained that the newspapers of
the country would be opposed 20 a
movement TO prohibit newspapers. al
though the effect of such a movement I.
would undoubtedly be to increase the /.
sale of newspapers. and / am sure .
that ministers would be opposed to
a movement to prohibit the sale of /
Bibles, although such a movement .
would undoubtedly increase enormous
ly the sale of the Bible.
Furthermore. am sure that min
listers would oppose such prohibit
tion on the ground that it would be
an interference with individual lib
erty and freedom OF thought
Time has passed since these first
addresses were sent out. effects have
followed causes and testimony is now
being borne as to the futility of pro-
not merely from the So
called dry states but from the states
that have prohibition in the form of
county option.
Prohibition has not only not pro-