The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-03-15

ury state, anu ne tOlQ me tnat DuS1-
ness gets better every year you try
it. In 81 counties out of 105 there
is not single person in the poor
houses. In "a out of the los there
Is not an idiot. 81 out 105 there is not
a boy or girl In reformatory. 81 out
of los not person in jail. Sc out
Of 105 not inebriate. 16 out OF
| los, not an idiot, inebriaue or con-
vict, and not girl OR boy in refor-
matory. All over the state there is
less insanity, less poverty, less i'm
morality. The state is dry and the
law is enforced. Gov. Glenn's sue
cessor as governor Of North Carolina
made the statement that he consid-
cred Gov. Glenn wrong in trying to
have North Carolina a dry state but
since then he has seen his error and
said that North Carolina was never
so prosperous, never gone forth by
such leaps and bounds, never were
the people so contented. Since 1907,
SO per cent of crime had diminished.
record that ought to make every
man vote for prohibition. In large
city in North Carolina in the three
largest churches there, Methodist,
Baptist and Presbyterian, where i
attended meetings, l was told that
since the prohibition in 1907 the
membership had doubled and some
times tripled and never had there
been so great attendance at church.
Then If prohibition stands for the
social uplifting and education of the
people, how can any good man stand
for the curse. How can you? Why
should l go to North Carolina? Why
should l go to the state of Kansas?
/ stood in a county voted dry two
years ago. l did not know the sheriff
but l risked it. l said to him,
Sheriff stand up and tell the peo-
pie the difference in the county Jail
between now and before we had pro-
hibition." He said, 1.-TWO years ago
when we had saloons there were s
lifers and 101 termers. At the pres
ent time there is not a person in
jail" "Stand up prosecuting attor-
ney, has crime diminished or in
creased" ''No one has been convict
ed but a few bootleggers. Never
was the county so white and pure as
today. Will some of you tell me why
this difference exists. Answer. We
voted the county dry and also we vot-
ed the officers dry.
One argument given for licensed
saloons is that more liquor is drank
than ever. No one but fools ever say
that. / mean what i say. The man
is a fool that said it. If more liquor
is drank and consequently more Ii
quor made by the brewers and dis
tillers. they would be begging us to
please have the county dry, instead
they spend their money to make the
county wet. 1t is said that the laws
against saloons are more often and
easier broken, but this is not true
There are laws against murder, theft
etc., but these crimes are committed
just the same, and the person con-
victed is usually convicted by circum-
stantial evidence. But with men
breaking laws against sale of strong
drink, it Is easy to convict them oil
your grounds. Just watch some old
topper and then slip in and nab
them. Here you simply fine them
but in North Carolina We set them to
breaking roads. In every county
where this has been tried and the
law has been enforced, ! have seen
less drunkards. Any honest man will
see it? There are some old soaks
VINO are going to get it anyway, but
my dear friends, in local option
there is one gallon sold now
to twenty before and in local option
states, there Is one gallon sold now
to twenty-five before. Which is best?
That is the record.
Merchants say that the men that
go to other counties to get their
strong drink will buy their dry goods
and groceries down there. Don't be-
lieve IL. They are not going after
dry-goods and groceries, they are go
ing after liquor. They may come
back bringing liquor, but it Is not
hurting your business.
They say how are we going to pay
the taxes to educate our children II
we do away with the saloon. In
stead of the licenses we will have to
pay taxes out Of our own pockets.
You cannot escape it. Some will have
$.25 more year, some IS, some per-
haps $1,000. What is money against
your boy or girl? Are you willing to
run the risk of having your girl or
boy stranded by strong drink.
Who dares say that he can stand
It, can indulge in 1t and not regret
It. Such become poor craven drunk
ards. / myself am afraid to run the
risk. We strong men who never
touch drop are afraid to run the
risk, what dangers to our girls and
boys. l have stood for temperance all
my life and will until l die. God
pity man who casts his ballot for
strong drink.
If we do not have saloons these
blind pigs will sell 1t any way. But
1Othing that is blind will sell 1t like
hat you can see. A blind pig that
runs behind doors, cannot sell as
much as hotels and bright, attractive
Darrooms. They cannot entice our
boys and girls. If you want to get |