The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1901-1982, 1912-08-29
CANNON ANSWERS
JOE [. ROBINSON
CRITiCESFS LIQUOR STAND
CONWAY EDUCATOR ADDRESS
ES OPEN LETTER TO DEMO
CRATIC NOMINEE.

From Thursdays Day.
In an open letter addressed to Con
gresham ice T. Robinson, Democrat
ic nominee for governor, Prof. X. H..
Cannon, Superintendent of the Con-
way public sshools, critcises the
stand taken ty Mr. Robinson for To-
cal option and against statewide pro-
hibition. Mr.. Cannon's letter fol-
lows:
To Hon. ice T. Robinson:
Dear Sjr:-1 see in yesterdays is
sue of the Arkansas Gazette that you
define explicitly your position regard
ing the icuor question. As a voter
and a Democrat, / wish to say that
admire your frankness. | am per-
suaded, also that there are thousands
of good Democrats all over the state
who will rejoice &c hear that you re-
pudiate the use that has been made
of your picture and an accompanying
extract taken from your campaign
speech by certain honorable ca gen
tlemen in Little Rock IN order to de-
feat, if possible, the cause of prohi-
bition in Arkansas. You are of course
aware of the fact that the men who
compose the so-caIed Local Option
and Self Government League of Ar
kansas with headquarters at 120 1-2
West Markham street, Little Rock,
are in the employ Of the liquor inter
ests of the country, ard that the mis-
named sheet which they are sending
all over the state, and in which they
have made the use above referred to
of your name and picture, is being
sent out, not Tor the purpose of de-
Tending nor Of Strengthening local
option, but for the sole purpose of de-
feating prohibition and Of prolonging
the existence OF the leealized saloon
in Arkansas. The sad thing about it
all is, however, that The mischief has
already been done and your repudia-
ton of it amounts to little, especially
since you and they stand on Identical
ly the same platform.
Who does not know that practically
every saloonkeeper in the state, and
every man in favor Of the legalizeC
liquor tarfhc s now pfofessedly in "a
vor of local option? is that the crowd
you are lined up with? That is where
every well-informed person is com
PEELED to place you On your own print
ed statement.
Your arguments, c. rather the
statement Of the grounds upon which
you would base arguments in support
of your position, seem to me altogeth-
er unworthy Of one who is soon to be-
come the governor CT the great state
of Arkansas Strange to say, too,
they are identical with the arguments
used by the fellows who have so in
solently and presumptuously made
such unau1hCf- -2ed use Of your name
and picture in their efforts to defeat
prohibition TO SUM them up briefly ::
Local option better than statewide
prohibition; prohibition does not pro-
hibit; local self-government.
Now, M Robinson, in the same
breath in which you bewail the Gin
describable misey and suffering to
mankind" words in quotation marks
yours caused by the use of intoxicat-
ing liquors, you also state that your
experience has not convinced you that
statewide Jaws afford better method
of regulating and suppressing this
evil than the system now prevailing
in Arkansas commonly called local
option. / should like to ask where
you got your experience" in dealing
with statewide prohibition laws that
led you 70 such conclusion as that.
Certainly not IN Arkansas, for we
have never had a chance 10 test any
such law IN tbs state yet. Perhaps
in Memphis Well, any Of us would
admit that Memphis would be sOr-
ry example 10 take as specimen Of
the good elects Of statewide prohioi-
ton. The trouble there, however, is
not with the law, but with the men
set for the execution OF the law; that
/ IS, with the officers.
But if your experience has not
been such as to influence your posi-
ton, such experience as you have had,
may not man learn some things
that are worth while by observation?
What kind Of testimony would appeal
to you in such case? If it is reg
ulation" you want and not suppress
sion of the traffic, admit that our
(ContInued ON second page.J