The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-09-27
Robert Burdetfe on Prohibition

Sometime ago Robert Burdette said
the best way to make a temperance
man is 10 teach him not to drink. This
was seized on by saloon men and made
TO do service for their business. This
brought out the following from Bur-
dette:
Now about the power of prohibit
tory laws to prohibit.the laws of the
state against murder do not entirely
prevent murder. But nevertheless, 1
am opposed to licensing one murder
| er to every thousand persons, even on
| petition of a majority of the property
owners in the block, that we may have
all the murder that is desirable in the
community under wise regula lions.
with a little income for the municipal
| ity. / believe in the absolute prohibit
| ton of murder.
| The laws of the country prohibit
ing stealing do not entirely prevent
| stealing. But nevertheless 1 am OPP
posed to licensing stealing, provided
| that all theft shall be restricted to
certain authorized thieves, who shall
steal only between the hours of say 6
a. m. and 1870 p m, except Sunday.
when no stealing shall be done except
by stealth, entrance to be made in all
|
and at the thiefs risk I believe in
laws that absolutely forbid theft at
any houS on any day of the week.
"And, on the same ground, and
just as positively. l believe in the pro-
hibition of the liquor traffic. And 1
never said 1 did not. And I did say
that / did. And l do.
II do say that the best way to
make a temperate man is to teach
him not to drink. But a saloon is not
a kindergarten of sobriety Your tows
lis under no obligation to any saloon.
| All that it is, in respectability and
permanent prosperity, it has grown to
/ be without the assistance of the liquor
traffic.
"As to prohibition in Pasadena, if
any liquor man thinks there is big
Fmoney and a safe thing in running a
| blind pig in Pasadena, let him come
here and try it. If he has any love for
| his liberty and pocketbook, however,
he will do we'll to consult the fellows
who have tried it, if he can find them;
we can't. They are in hiding some
where out in the desert. Running a
joint in Pasadena is like running a
powder mill in a smelling furnace
It's mighty exciting while it lasts, but
it doesn't last long.
IF the saloon men insist in quot
ing me on this topic, let them commit
| this to memory, that they may repeat
it as they need it: / do not know one
| good thing about the saloon. 1t is an
| evil thing that has not one redeeming
thing in all its history to recommend II
Ito good men. 1t breaks the laws OF
IGod and man. 1t desecrates the Sab
bath; it profanes the name of religion
it defles public order: it tramples un-
der foot the tenderest feelings of hu-
manity; it is a moral pestilence that
blights the very atmosphere Of town
and country; it is a stain upon hon
esty; a blur upon the nobler i'm
pulses: it is an incentive to falsehood
deceit and crime
| Search through the history of. this
hateful thing. and read one page over
which some mother can bow her
grateful head and thank God for all
the saloon did for her boy There il
no such record. All fits history is
written in tears and blood, with
smears Of shame and stains of crime
and dark blots of disgrace"