The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-04-25
A TRADE BOARD
FOR PROHIBITION

The recent unprecedented action of
the Pittsburgh Board OF Trade in
adopting a resolution favoring the
passage of the bill now before Con-
gress submitting the question of ma
tional prohibition to the several state
legislatures has caused widespread
comment.
The resolution cites the case of
Coatesville, where, it is asserted,
courts, financial statements and press
reports substantiate the claims that
crime has greatly decreased with the
elimination of the saloon, and recog-
nizes the responsibility Of the liquor
traffic for the constantly increasing
burden of taxation.
The resolutions follow:
Whereas, The county commissioners
of Allegheny county propose building
a special cottage for inebriates at
Claremont at cost of $25, 1000, and eX-
pect to spend another $4,000 every
year for maintenance and
Increase in Crime.
Whereas, AS this cottage is now
badly needed, this organization de-
sires to go on record as favoring the
building of the present proposed cot
tage for inebriates. However, in fav-
oring this one cottage for inebriates,
this organization desires to call to the
attention of the county commissioners,
the members of this organization and
the people generally, that We sincerely
believe that we have come to the point
when We should protest against the
ever-increasing taxation placed upon
US by reason of the steady increase in
crime, in inebriety, in the number of
insane and helpless in our almshouses,
in houses of correction and institutions
for feeble minded; that the number is
annually increasing at such a rate as
to challenge the attention of this COM
mercial organization on economic
grounds, not to mention the great loss
to the great employers of labor
through this ever-increasing curse of
inebriety and of taxation to care for
the victims of the liquor traffic.
1t is well for this organization to
face the facts as it relates to this traf-
fic, as it has bearing on the future
commercial supremacy of our city,
state and nation. In this respect the
following facts should have the atten-
ton of every business man:
The results of the many expert
ments by states and subdivisions of
states covering long periods of years
furnish abundant evidence of the soc
ial, economic, political and moral eff
feet of a prohibition policy.
Into Four Glasses.
In the proportion of population un-
der prohibition, the IS states and the
District of Columbia naturally divide
themselves into four classes-first, the
prohibition states; second, the near
prohibition states; third, the partial
license states, and fourth, the license
states, represents a population of a.
685, 961, and consists of nine states,
each of which has adopted prohibition
for the entire state. The second class,
or the near prohibition states, repre-
sents population of 26,j73 Gil, and
consists of II states, in each of which
between 80 per cent. and 80 per cent
of the population lives in prohibition
territory. The third class, or the par
tial license class, represents d popula-
ton Of 28,4lS,7S4, and consists of Is
states, in each of which between 20
per cent. and 30 per cent. Of the popu-
lation lives in prohibition territory
The fourth class, Or the license states,
represents Il population of % $40,
and consists of nine states and the
district of Columbia, in each of which
less than 25 per cent. tf the popuIa-
ton lives in prohibition territory.
Highest Court Against Saloon.
The Supreme Court of the United
States is authority for the declaration
that "the statistics of every state
show a greater amount of crime and
misery attributable to the use of qr.
dent Spirits obtained at these retail
liquor saloons than at any other
source.
"No state Of the Union has given
prohibition 50 fair a trial as has thu
State Of Kansas. Today that state has
property with an assessed valuation
surpassed only by that of New York.
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. and
presents the unparalleled record Of 81
counties out Of total Of 100 without
any insane, 81 without any feeble
minded, IS without any inebriate5, 32
without any roorhouses, 50 without
any prisoners in Jail, G5 without any
convicts in the states prison, and do2-
ems in which no jury has been called to
try acrimina! case in ten years.
Coatesyille's Experience.
L. A. y 4