The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-11-17
ALL GRAFTERS
AND THUGS TIED
TO LIQUOR TRADE
M n PATTERSON.

i hANO AAAOuO AAGD
| LIQUOR TRADE
M. n. PATTERSON.
(Conti.ued from Page One).
L
drink a. the most degrading force In
American life. I lived In q fast
circle; lived a fast life, with drink.
and race horses as amusements.
saw my boyhood friends In prisons,
In asylums. I knew what had sent
them there, too. Every wet does.
But I paid no attention. Time came
when I suffered humiliation and sor-
row from strong drink. 1t made me
think. The farthest had ever gone
was to think that local option and
| high license we're the most that
should ever be done to liquor traffic
But / went on my knees to my God,
and / arose, prohibitionist, and /
am one all over.
"As a wet, remember writing a
decision when I vetoed q prohibition
measure for Tennessee. The vets
sent that statement of mine, broad
cast The first sentence Of II was,
osition, is profoundly and fundamcnt-
uAY WIOhB. IL 4 wCAo " WiAtO Shas
again, I would substitute the word
right for the word wrong There
isn't q college professor, political
economist. physician or scientist,
whose word is worth hearing, who
tries to defend the liquor trafic. The
strangest thing. though, 10 that the
trafiic doesn't try to defend itself. II
hides behind the cry OF Personal I'D
erty.'' @
Rum 10 waste. It 10 the chief
despoiler and corrupter Of the ballot
box. It not only kills the living, but
| II poisons the generations yet unborn.
There's not q thief, thug. CRATER or
crook, who 10 not In some way con-
nected with the liquor trafflc. and the
people who are told that their taxes
will be heavier II the liquor revenue
Is abolished, are told barefaced lie.
The taxpayer pays more to keep up
criminal courts and institutions, and
asylums. filled by the liquor traffic,
than all the revenue amounts to.
THE golden age OF this country was
the great construction period Of won
derful growth and prosperity. from
1915 to 1862. And In that time, not
one dollar Of liquor revenue was col
lected.
When the Civil war broke out, and
money was needed, President lincoln
was urged to raise the money by tax
ing liquor. He said he would prefer
to cut or his right arm. rather than
put the government into partnership
with the liquor trafic and when he
signed the revenue bill, he said tnat
as soon as the war was over, ne
would see that the revenue was with
drawn. He was assassinated before
he could have II repealed. And the
tax was never withdrawn. Now we
are taking up the work that Lincoln
wanted to do. IL he we're allowed to
live. We are going to make the
whole nation free OF liquor.
And now is the time to do It. Az
ter the war In Europe Is over, Castle
garden will swarm with immigrants.
They will head mostly for the con-
gested centers, which right now are
the only bulwarks Of the liquor traf-
nc, and the only trouble that we have
ahead OF US. Now Is the time to
write prohibition into our organic
law.
"The government licenses liquor, to
pay for the army, and navy. Then II
refuses to allow the army and navy to
use what II licenses. II discharges
employees for using II. The govern
ment forbids It's use on any Indian
reservation. II has entered into a
treaty with Britain. to prevent liquor
from entering Samoa. Yet the gov
eminent allows this destroyer of
homes and lives and souls. TO be pour.
ed across state lines. to debauch the
ignorant Inhabitants OF this, our own
country, and even those who are not
ignorYnt.
Congress will ratify the Prohibit
ton amendment II will be ratified,
because II ought to be. That is not
the fight The fight Is to get 36
states TO vote for prohibition.
We must get majority I'm each
state legislature. Old Virginia has
gone dry. Tennessee, with Memphis
and its 1000 saloons has gone dry. We
have 100000 people living under
prohibition today. And think that
when Memphis and have gone dry,
there is hope even for Michigan, now
one OF the greatest strongholds Of the
vets"
A. c. Bane, financial secretary OF the
AntlSaloon League Of America, deliv-
cred an ADDRESS. preceding the speech
OF former Governor Patterson, and
made an appeal for funds to carry on
the national campaign for prohibition.
Scores Of pledge cards were signed.
guaranteeing monthly contributions.
for Ave years.
Mr.. Patterson will spend several
days In Detroit. He speaks this even
ing IN the Church of the Covenant;
Wednesday evening In Brewster Con
gregational; Thursday evening In the
First Congregational, and Friday
evening In the Jsffsrsoneve. Presby.
terrain