The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-09-26
Reviews Temperance Legis.
IatiOn For Years Past
And Also Speaks OF COndi.
tiOnS 10 Knox Co.
The Complete Address Of The
President, Miss farquhar

The following is the annual address |
of Miss Flora Farquhar, county presi- |
dent of the W. G. TU., delivered at
the county convention held in Mt.
Vernon on Tuesday and Wednesday,
September 19 and 90:
Knox county white-ribboners are
glad to hold this, the twenty-first an
nual convention in the county seat,
this beautiful little city of Mt. Yer
non.
Many evidences of prosperity greet
us in the great foundries and fac
tories, in the busy mercantile estab-
lishments banks and hotels
The educational needs seem to be
well supplied by the numerous well
equipped school houses with their ef-
ficient corps of teachers, supplement-
ed with public library, book stores
and publishing houses sending out
daily and weekly papers.
The many commodious and beauti-
full church buildings, and the Y. NJ
G, A. indicates that the religious life
of the city is not being neglected.
Yet with all these desirable things
plainly speaking of Mt. Vernon as an
ideal home for American families,
some parents are asking for some
thing more.
How about the places of public
amusement, are they clean and safe?
And are there any places where habits
of vice and impurity may be taught the
young people?
The state laws and city ordinances
seem good and right. Are they well
enforced? Is the mayor man of hon.
or and character who uses his high
Office as an opportunity to make his
| city a "clean town." Are the city
council the best citizens? Do the po.
lice do all in their power to make the
city safe and pleasant" for law abid-
ing citizens and dangerous and unde.
sirable for law breakers? Are the
county and local officers such men as
we can safely trust to do the duty de-
volving upon them? Upon the ans.
wers to these questions depends the
desirability of the city as home.
Many of the mothers, wives and
! daughters of the city and county wish
ing to obtain the best conditions for
their homes and loved ones, believing
that in union is strength" that Chris
tianity, temperance and purity of
thought and life are of paramount i'm
portance to the welfare of those homes
and children have united to aid in Sc
curing these things.
For 81 years the W. c. T. us of
Knox county have worked together
for the uplift of their own county, of
the state and nation upon whose gov
ernment the safety of their homes de-
pend, Each year we come together
to look over the situation to encourage
each other with reports OF success or
plan to overcome failures.
During the last year temperance leg
islation in the various states of the
union has been gain in some and loss
es in others. Texas has had reverses.
Indiana has repealed the county To-
cal option law and given the liquor
dealers an opportunity to have a IL
cense law in its place AS result
scores of new saloons have opened
in the state, bringing wave of law.
lessness and crime.
Speakeasies flourish in all liquor
centers. Senator Flemming, lead
ing brewer of the state, who assisted
in securing the new law In Indiana,
admits the wholesale lawlessness. but
blames II on the retail dealers. Ind
lana newspapers quite generally agree
that the utter failure of the new IL
cense law to regulate the saloon will
bring about its speedy repeal and
win hasten statewide prohibition.
All agree that the liquor traffic is
an evil Then why waste time and
thought and money? Why sacrifice
homes and happiness, honor, health
and lives trying to regulate the thing?
Why not destroy it utterly and for
ever? Public sentiment is rising rap
. idly against II and this is our strong
est hope for its ultimate overthrow
Maine has reafiirmed her determin
alton to remain free from the liquor