The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-05-22
TRICE'S TRUMPETEER
ARTICLES Published under this Heading fur
nished by M. P. A. Bureau, Jacksonville
THE HoBsoN BILL
What Its Passage Would Mean To
American Government
(By John Trice)

(By JOnn IrlceD
1t is surprising how few people re-
alize the scope and magnitude of the
prohibition problem. Perhaps seventy
five people out of every hundred see
nothing involved in the question but
''liquor or no liquor" Because of the
natural and righteous antipathy of
the masses toward the excessive use
OF intoxicating beverages this view is
industriously cultivated by the prohi-
bition leaders and agitators, in order
to inf1ame the destructive passion
were the people cannot be reached
by line of falIacious reasoning. This
is deplorable, because the passions of
men, when allowed to become their
masters, more frequently encompasses
their downfall than their salvation.
Who has not at some time in life seen
the folly of his unbirdled threat, when
IL was too late to undo the wrong they
had done?
Prohibition is the favorite spawn
of the paternal governmental idea and
nourishes wholly upon mans inhu-
mainly to man. 1t absolutely denies
the rights of a minority, and makes
might the supreme ruler of the land.
Either the long fight of civilization
for emancipation from the bondage of
fyrants has all been wrong or prohi-
bition is wrong. If prohibition is right
then the tyrant King of England has
a perfect right to prevent us from
taking advantage of the markets of
the world and force us to buy from
English merchants in 1776. The
natural sequence would be that of the
revolution was a mistake, and those
ancestors whom we have delighted
TO worship as heroes inspired with
wisdom and endowed of supernatural
endurance from on high, were no less
than common traitors, cut-throats and
murderers.
IL prohibition is right and war of
distructiveness. has place in the COM
mandments of God, then Sherman had
a right to march through Georgia and
try to terrorize the people into submits
sion by burning property and butcher
ing helpless citizens. If might makes
and justifies tyranny over the weak
and that is the doctrine of prohi-
bition-Sherman's name should go
down to posterity as the hero of the
sixties, and the name of jeff Davis
go out of the hearts and fade from the
memory of his people.
"Forbid it, Almighty God"
Thomas Jefferson sounded the key
note of warning more than a century
and quarter back when he declared
that enemies to the American form of
government lurked within our own
borders as well as without, and at an
other time we were more dangerously
farrassed at home than threatened
abroad. It is not difficult to trace the
thought to the stirring days when the
church Of England pompously planted
itself upon American soil and AFRO
gantly assumed the preogative of
Judge, jury and law giver-even to
the prescribing of the hours and
places where all the people should as.
semble and defy their oppressors-
most barbarous the tradition OF
heathenism could suggest.
II the government. has a right to
assume a paternalistic attitude to.
ward its people and enforce tyranni
cal mandates nolens volens, then LET
MS swallow the whole nauseating thing
at one time-establish a monarchy
and do away with the farce of a mere
semblance of freedom and Individual
rights. If prohibition is right, Wash
ington was a knave, and the singers
OF the Declaration of independence
blind followers of the most gigantic
fallacy of the ages. Who will you pin
your faith to? Washington or Dow!
Bloxham or Crook?
A crisis in the affairs of this coun
try is now menacing the political no
riZon. Hobson, whose failure began
with the sinking of the Merrimac and
ended with the overwhelming defeat
for congress in a clean cut fight at the
polls in Alabama last month, but who
has ridden many fad-fancy fanat
icism to triumphal victory, has a pro
hibition bill before the lower house
OF congress. To him its passage
means no less than ten thousand dol
lars year salary for the rest of his
life If it passes the house and fails
in the senate. To the country its pas
sage through the house even means
a direct slap in the face of every