Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1911-07-21

us believe that a more persis-
tent and extensive violation of
liquor prohibitory laws than of
any others is inevitable and ma.
tural-:hat public sentiment"
will not support their enforce
ment-that it it is character
istic of liquor that all who drunk
it at all form such an intense
craving for intoxicants that they
just will have them law or no law,
and that those who have never
drunk will be more strongly
tempted to do so when it is out
lawed and driven into dens and
dives.
The truth is that liquor is not
drawn into prohibition territory
for unlawful sale by the thirst of
the people for it, but it is forced
in by the liquor mans thirst for
the money it brings. All the
power, cunning and persistence
of the organized traffice is used
to intrduce it, not so much for
the immediate purpose of main
tanning or increasing cOnsump-
ton as to discredit the law so as
to bring about it's repeal and to
manufacture evidence that it will
not prohibit, for use in other To-
calities where prohibition is
proposed. 1t opposes with all
it's weapons Of deceit, corruption,
fraud, SANDER, intimidation and
boycott the adoption of prohibi-
ton wherever proposed whether
in precinct, county or state. If
it stopped there the case against
it would not be so bad, but should
it fail of it's success at the polls,
it does not accept the result, but
at once joins the criminal element
in that territory and backs it to
the full extent Of it's power and
influence in defying the law. If
manufacturers and dealers out
side, were to withdraw their
support from criminal dealers
in prohibition territory, dissolve
partnership with crime, and ia
vor the enforcement of the law,
all of which it is their duty to do.
who is so ignorant as not to
know that this would mean the
due enforcement of the law and
the virtual end Of unlawful sell
ing in such territory But they
know they cannot afford it. They
would be thus left naked to their
enemies. The very moment
they permit such an object lesson
to exist long enough to become
generally known, prohibition
would spread like a prairie fire
and their nefarious business
would be doomed to swift and
utter extinction throughout the
nation.
Shall this scourge Of mankind
be permitted to successfully de-
fend itself by pleading it's own
lawlessnessY
1t is wise and wholesome
maxim of our law that no one
shall be allowed to take advan-
tage of his own wrong. Yet
this is precisely what these
liquor people claim the right to
do. And the more fragrant and
general the wrong, the stronger
their claim to it's benefit.
Contemplating then the mighty
power Of the organized liquor
interests and the way in which
that power is used, should it be
any cause for wonder that liquor
prohibitery laws are so pecu
liarly difficult of enforcement, and
that in some localities they are
not enforced so well as other
laws of like character? If the
responsibility for all this lies
with the manufacturer and deal
er, shall we reward their villiany
by repeating or defeating such
laws? Have we not much great
er reason for widening prohibi-
ton territory as rapidly as pos
sible until we have achieved the
final and complete extinction OF
the traffic? We cannot hope TO
have an ideal enforcement of the
law until the business is shorn
of its stregth by nation wide
prohibition, but it will become
less and less difficult as prohibi-
ton territory is extended. Who
is so foolish as to expect to des-
patch so huge, calloused and
venomous serpent by one
strokey 1t will require time
and blow upon blow, never ceas
ing as long a. there is a wiggle
left in its tail. We will then
hang the dead reptile across a