The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-09-05

teresting because the remedy suggest
ed is now in full force and effect.-Ed-
itor Union cignal)
Recently certain periodicals have
devoted not a little space to exploit
ing what is termed the failure Of
prohibition in the south" In every
such indictment of the various stat.
utes that inhibit the liquor traffic viii
appear an apparently limitless cata-
logue Of attractions of the law. Pos
sibly, indeed probably, every fact as
there presented is exactly and liter
ally true But as to whether the anti
prohibitionist has seen all the facts
or has given an unbiased report Of
the conditions as he has seen them, is
by no means os apparent.
The entire division of opinion arts
les over what constitutes prohibition.
For. instance, if you live in a prohibit
ton state and are asked the question,
SIS prohibition enforced in your
state?" you will, in all likelihood, get
one of two exactly contradictory an
swers. 1t all depends upon whom
you ask One man will say no." the
other. yes" Whom are you to be-
lieve?
The man who says no." will urge
as proof of his statement that whisky
is still sold in the state, that bootleg
ging" goes on, that drunkenness still
exists. and the prohibition law is
openly and fagrantly violated. Now.
all this is true. There can be no
question that the prohibition law is
not enforced as strictly as those who
voted for such an enactment wish
that it were. But it is also true that
the law against murder does not pro-
hibit murder altogether, although God
himself Numbered forth from Sinai,
'Thou shalt not kill" If after three
thousand years of Jealous enforce
ment, the prohibition of God and man
against murder is still violated, are
we to expect that prohibiting the sale
of harmful liquors will at once abso-
lutely stop the business?
The man who says YES" will main
tain that prohibition of the liquor traf-
fic is as well enforced as any other
restraining statute. He will admit
that liquor is sold, but in nowhere
near the quantities trafficked in dur
ing the days of the open saloon. There
are three kinds of drinkers: The man
who has the habit full upon him; the
sport who drinks because he wants
to be one of the boys" and the cas-
ual drinker, who can use liquor or let
it alone. Nothing can be done with
the members of the whiskey-soaked
class first named. They will have
their liquor. AS president of the civic
league, which undertook to enforce
the prohibition law in an Oklahoma
town, | have data that convinces me
that hardened drinkers do not repre-
sent two per cent. of the city's popu-
lation. On the other hand, the third
class, the casual drinkers, give up the
use of liquor the day prohibition went
into force. The struggle is over the
second class, which consists chiefly of
young men and wage workers, who If
they go on, will become STEPPED in
alcohol, and will eventually be push
ed over into the first class, which con-
sists of those who cannot do without
their potion.
1t is in this regard that all who
have had experience with prohibition
feel that it does the most good. Gone
are the allurements of the open sa-
loon, the resplendent bar, the inviting
chairs, the music, the social games,
and the convivial glass. The business
is now outlawed The man who
Graves liquor and must have it, will
seek the hidden cellar and the hip
pocket merchant, but the young fell
low, or the laboring man, not seized
of the habit, will find little to attract
in such conditions.
Hon. Lee Cruce, governor of Okla
honoa in ronon+ Iaftpr IN Erod Ar