The Green Forest tribune., 1912-09-06
BAPTIST PASTOR
 CREATES SCENE
Attacks Statewide Prohibition in Sermon and Recites
 Experiences.
RESIGNATION IS FORCED
Deacon Shakes Fist in Face of Pastor Who Finishes Sermon, Then
 Resigns.

Argenta.-Rev. K. R. Durham, pas tor of the First Baptist church of this city, precipitated an exciting scene Sunday night when in the course of his sermon he scored statewide pro hibition, defending the principle of local option. The pastor had devoted an hour and a half to his subject, re. citing experiences and arguing that prohibition would be curse to the state, when Deacon George M. Wood. al arose, and walking towarc the pull. pit, shook his fist in the pastors face and demanded his resignationA which Rev. Durham immediately tendSSed.
 The pastor took his text from 3S&- erbs, 23:21, For a drunkard and \ glutton shall come to poverty The sermon was in part as follows:
 q am going to talk to you tonight on the subject of statewide prohibi tion I have been asked to state my views on this subject, and l am going to do so. I have a message to deliver to you tonight on this subject that ] ulu uOl l6dTA lEOIl DOOhSs DuI HUH hards practical experience.
 Our temperance friends come to us and say to the people of Arkansas and say we must have statewide pro hibition. They say it will help the churches to obtain more members and awaken renewed interest in religious work, that it will be the greatest bless ing to the churches that could hap pen. I don't agree with my friends in this matter The churches can do as we'll and do just as good religious work under the present existing con ditions as if the state were completely dry.
 q have spent quite number of years in Kansas and Oklahoma and know exactly the conditions which eX. ist there, where everything is sup posed to be dry. I was engaged in newspaper work in those states and know what am talking about. Okla homa is supposed to be dry, as many of you know. Go at the present time into any first class city in Oklahoma. and if you are stranger, without any baggage you will be at once regard cd with suspicious glances. You will be followed everywhere. in your busi ness, to your hotel. What for? On suspicion that you are a bootlegger United States marshals, deputies, To cal secret service agents and others will be continually on your track.
 "They carry pistols in their hir pockets and follow the stranger every. where. That my, friends, is a sam pie of the larger towns in Oklahoma today.
 T have stood in saloons from Buff falo to Phoenix, Ariz,. and have wit messed more disgusting scenes in Okla. homa than anywhere else in the coun. try. All these things I am describing are occurring under statewide prohi bition In Wichita, Kan, another dry state, I have been in houses in the residence district, where women and children witness daily the illegal sale of beer and whiskey all over the two states.
 Talks of Taxation.
 AnOIuSl 1SoulJ OI SIeatV-N4uC piOul bition in Oklahoma is the great and increasing burden of taxation, which the people of that state are staggering under. When a person becomes a tax payer, he is surprised to find how many taxes are levied, road taxes school taxes, improvement taxes, etc and it keeps the people poor paying them.
 Prohibition in Oklahoma represents politics rather than the wishes of the people as arule. In fact there arg many people in Kansas who would prefer the open sale of liquor than things as they now exist in that state Should statewide carry Arkansas, the same conditions I have described would exist here as we'll.
 Now, between the two evils of ar open saloon or statewide, I prefer tc have that which I can see and know something about, rather than to know that here and there, on streets, uE alleys, in cellars and many other places, there are to be found man and women debased and degraded I pre- fer the open saloon, under the license system, operated by local option, by which it can be rightly handled and regulated.
 Talks of Public Sentiment.
 q have been in Memphis and other portions of Tennesse and know from personal observation that the enforce ment of the law is a farce there. IT the large cities the sentiment of the people is against such enforce ment."
 The pastor said he feared statewide prohibition would carry in Arkansas and that the conditions he had out lined would come to pass in all ths wet counties of the state and perhap, elsewhere.