The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-11-19
BLIND TIGERS MAY SOON
BE OUT OF BUSINESS

The following from the Times
Union shows how the new parcels post
law may effectually eliminate the blind
tigers;
In Yesterdays paper Mr.. John T.
Coffin, the energetic leader Of the pro-
hibitionists of Florida, called attention
to the fact that when the parcels post
law goes into effect the postoffice de-
partment will become a common car
rier of whisky goods. SO far as jack
sonville's trade territory is concerned,
Postmaster Gerow thinks Mr.. Coffin Is
mistaken. He bases his opinion on the
fact that the government doesn't now
carry whisky, and he doubts the pos
siblity of getting any of it through
the Jacksonville office. AS to Mr..
IGerow's first ground for doubt it may
be that the government has not been
carrying whisky because it has not
been carrying large packages of any
kind, except such as are franked from
Washington. The officials a. Wash
Iington never send out whisky under a
frank, They send out only such things
as they have no use for themselves 1t
may be that now that the government
has gone into the business of carrying
large packages it will carry whisky.
We know of nothing in the law to pre-
vent it.
AS to Mr. Gerow's opinion that 1T
couldn't be gotten through the jack
fsonville postoffce, We are ready to ad-
nit that a good many shoppers would
come out and a good deal of the liquor
would be spilled. But Jacksonville is
such a heavy distributing point for
goods of this kind that we do not be-
u: is large
enough to materially affect the ship
iments The shipments would be much
more likely to affect the postoffice
force. Doubtless Postmaster Gerow
would apply for an increase of force
land would make a showing that would
Iget 1t.
1t Is probable that enough shoppers
would come out and enough OF the
lcontents of the packages would be
lspilled on the train TO make the rail-
lway mail clerks feel much richer and
lmuch more joyous than they feel now
But Jacksonville does such an enor-
lmous business of this kind that prac-
: ,tically all the shipments would reach
their destination. 1t would take the
ientire postoffice department Of the
limited States to spill the whole bust
} ness Then the people up in Georgia
, Savannah excepted of course-woulC
, be able to boast that they had no bar
: rooms aside from the postofhces Thes'
would be literally patroniZed: Crowd
would go to the postoffice, some ex
ipecting to get mail and others hopin'
their friends would get it.
There is no law to prevent a maj
from opening his mail in the postof
flee. and men are often too impatien
to wait until they get to their homes
lplaces of business. In every commun
lity there are a good many men wht
lexpecting no mail themselves, are $
Igood hearted that they would be Will
ling to rejoice with those who receive
lit. and with any number who wer
willing to be rejoiced with. This elias
of men would stand around the post
office and increase in Joy up TO IN
lpoint where they would feel incline
10 lie down and rest.
X But the rural mail carriers woul
= be affected by this new departul
r more than anyone else. Men llvln
&c lalong rural routes would not have
" go to town to imbibe. y travelln
: lbarroom would come to their doc
~ The government would get all OF IN
class Of business away from the e.
* press companies, for thirsty indivi'
Iuals would have to go TO town TO e
- their goods from the express comps
nies while Uncle Sam would dellv
I lpackages at their doors.
= Everybody knows how friendly pc
Iple in the country are, but most m'
think that on that account they
ID better than the city folks. They
u Just alike, only their circumstanc
u lare different Take a city man al
er let him look at a mule from sum-
eI until noon, and not even see the mule
face, and he would welcome any pas