The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-11-27
ERRONEOUS IMPRESS
SION CORRECTED

understand that certin parties who
are DESTROYS of seeing saloons in jeff
erson Davis Parish have been CRITICS.
ing me and have even gone so far as tc
say that ! am using unfair tactics in
opposing The license system, when as.
Sert that should license be authorized
liquor may be sold in any part Of the
parish.
Now want to say that IN making
that assertion do it honestly, square
and without fear of successful Contradic
ton and injuStiff1Cation of my position
| wish to call attention to the Ordi,
nance ordering the election which spe.
officially says, Section /. Ordinance 66
the purpoSeiS ITO take the sense of the
duly qualified voters and electors in
the parish of Jefferson Davis and State
of Louisiana as to whether or not there
shall be granted license for the sale and
retail of spurious, vinouS, malt and in;
toXtCating liquors THROUGHOUT THE
ENTIRE PARISH of Jefferson Davis
Louisiana.
The above is a verbatim extract from
ordinance presented to the Police Jury
by Mr.. Gorham who was representing
the liquor interests on that occasion
and which was passed without altera.
ton. lido not believe the liquor interes o
or those representing it ever thought
for moment that any construction
would or could be put upon that lang.
uage that would justify the statement
or belief that the Police Jury would or
could make any ordinance or regulation
that would confine the saloons to the
incorporated towns.
| understand that the statement was
made at w oodlawn recently that six
members of the Police Jury had prom.
iSed the liquor people that they would
conflne the saloons to the towns in the
event lice nSes are issued. At the pres.
ent writing eight of the Police Jurors
have been asked as to the correctness
of this statement and here is what they
say in signed statement addressed to
the Hon, Marius Fusilier. Chairman of
the Anti Saloon League of Jefferson
Davis Parish:
Answering your inquiry as to what
will be the attitude of the Polide Jury
in the event the people should vote in
favor of license saloons relative to issu.
ing license in the country we beg to
say that we are the servants of the
people and we feel we will have no al.
tentative other than to respect the will
of thepeople and grant license to whom
soeyer may apply for same provided
they comply with existing laws whether
that saloon will be conducted in the
country or in the city,.
The above statement has been sign.
ed as stated above by eight out of the
nine Police Jurors aud | believe the
other one will sign it but up to the pres
emf have been unable to see him, AS
a member of the police Jury it seems to-
me that it would be unfair and unjust
for the Police Jury to attempt to with.
hold the privilege of selling liquor in
communities where people favor it and
force monopoly 0 the traffic on com
that do not want it. NY infor.
nation is that, with one possible ex.
ception the Incorporated towns of the
parish will vote against license and
that the liquor interests are counting
argely on the outside vote to carry the
proposition.
Now let us suppose that the incorpor.
tied towns or a majority of them vote
against license and that the majority of
he outlying precincts vote in favor Of
license. What would be the duty Of the
Police Jury? Does it not seem a fair
to put the license down to
Jay $4,000 to SIS 90 so that saloons
nay sxist even in the most remote
,arts Of the parish? On the other hand
We all know that the saloon increases
he criminal expense of any oommuni.
y or parish and should the Police Jury !
~ high license or otherwise force the
;aloons into the towns where would |
he profit come to the parish? In