The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-10-11
WEST VIRGINIA JURlST DE-
CLARES FOR PROHIBITION
Hon. L. Judson Williams, One of the
Judges of the Supreme Courts of
Appeals Tells Why He Will
Vote for Amendment


Vote for Amendment
herewith give you a brief state
ment of my reasons for supporting
the constitutional prohibition amend
ment:
l. Alcoholic drink destroys the vir-
tue of the race. 1t not only weakens
the physical and moral powers of the
individual, but visits its direful con-
sequences upon his pOsterity. The
laws of nature are immutable, and
drunkenness is one of the sins of the
parent, the evil of which is visited
upon his posterity generally to the
third and fourth generations. 1t is in
furious to both Drawn and brain, and
units a man for the duties of life and
of good citizenship.
The Parent of Crime
2. 1t is the parent OF more crime
than any other cause, and entails
want and misery upon the innocent
and helpless.
8. The state should not pursue
policy that impedes the healthy physi-
cal and moral development Of its cit
iZenship, but should strive to better
present conditions, and thus lay the
foundation for a nobler race of citi-
zens in the future. In obedience to
natures law of economy and evolution
we owe to the succeeding generation
a healthier childhood, and a more
wholesome nursery in which to rear
it than we inherited from the gener-
alton that preceded us. But, by de
bauching the manhood of its citizen
ship by authorizing the sale of alco-
holic drink, the state is robbing the
next generation of its natural birth
right, and is itself committing
crime against nature.
Folly of License
4. Many years of experience have
fully demonstrated that it is false
economy to raise revenue by debauch-
ing manhood and breeding crime and
misery. The wisdom of such course
is like that of the man who set fire to
his barn to destroy the rats; it is
short-sighted, penny-wise and
pound-foolish policy.
5. Prohibition is preferable TO To-
cal option, because local option en-
courages the INSCRIPTIONS man TO vi
olate the law, by making unlawful
sales of liquor, in the hope that, by
doing so, he may create public be-
lief that it is not practicable or posi-
Bile to prevent the traffic, and that,
therefore, it is the better policy to IL
cense the business and thereby get a
revenue from it. Moreover, local Op-
ton causes frequent agitation of the
license question, and produces a state
of unrest and discord among the peo-
pie OF a community.
6. The adoption of the amendment
will remove from the pale of state
politics the baneful influence of the
liquor traffic. and will tend, in an i'm
measurable degree, to promote polit-
ical honesty and civic righteousness.
What Prohibition Will Accomplish
Z. That prohibition does not pro
hibit. one of the stock arguments
against the amendment, is no saner
reason in favor of licensing the traf-
| fic than to say that men ought TO be
| licensed TO steal because the law
against theft does not prevent all men
from stealing The law of the state
has placed unlawful selling of IL
quors. without a license. on a PAL
with stealing, by making them both
crimes. Prohibition will remove
much of the temptation to indulge IL
unlawful selling. and will make il
much easier to enforce obedience tC
law than under the so-called local op
ton system 1t will make it easier Il
do right and harder to do wrong
good test of wise law.
For these, and many other reasons
which l have not time to give, shall
vote for the amendment In fact,
have been brought up to obey th'
voice of conscience in political a.
vel las in private affairs; and, enter
tanning the views l now have concern
ing the evil effects of the traffic
which has not a redeeming featur,
that presents itself to my mind,
could not get the approval of my con
science to vote against it.-Selected