The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-08-07
TRICE'S TRUMPETEER
ARTICLES Published under this Heading fur
nished by M. P. A. Bureau, jacksonville
TEXAS REJECTS PRcHIRIITIoN
Virginia Will Be Next Southern State
To Fall In Line

Texas has again put her seal OF
unqualified condemnation upon the
prohibition fallacy. And it cannot be
charged to her this time, as has been
done in all such elections heretofore,
that negro voters swung the election
to the wet column. It was a white
democratic primary, and besides the
election of state officials, the question
was put, Shall Safe Prohibition
! Amendment be Submitted" Both
sides had candidate for governor.
and the contest was clear-cut ana
fought determinedly on prohibition
and anti-prohibition grounds. Phohibi-
ton was completely routed by the
nomination of the anti-gubernatorial
candidate and by the rejection of the
proposition to submit an amendment
| to the state constitution. These two
facts largely substantiate the state
ment made by the writer several
months ago that the force of the pro-
hibition wave in the south was spent,
1 and that the pendulum of human
liberty was already poised for swing
in the direction of sane governmental
ileas.
| Speaking of the backward swing or
the pendulum, what more evidence
| could be desired that such is the case?
The wonderful activity of the anti
| Saloon League for the past few years
/! has been one admirable feature about
it. 1t has gone to every length of
claim and assertion and activity short
of openly counting jail sentences.
President Anderson went so fe
other day as to reclare it the protege
of the church, sort of political
clearing house for all churches This
was of course intended to give it al
clean bill of health and ingratiate it
into the hearts of the people. But
notwithstanding all this the league is
steadily growing in disfavor. 1t has
had but one loaf of real southern con-
ISOLATION for years, that was haded
them the first day of August by the
State of West Virginia-and West
Virginia is the one osuthern state al
ways out of harmony with the Others |
When the other states were embrac-
ing prohibition as the dawn on the
millennium, West Virginians gazed |
westward and curled their lips in dis |
dain. When the others began to de-
clare the fallacy of the movement,
West Virginia, in line with her ira
ditional instincts, embraced it.
Of course. the league has sort of |
toe-holt in Virginia, the birthplace and
home of the south's most treasured /
memories, but it is only a toe-holt-
and appears to be slipping. On Sep
TENDER End, Virginians will declare
by ballot whether or not they intend
to cucumber themselves with this
stupendous folly. Many of that states |
strongest and most influential citiz-
ems have engaged in a vigorous cam |
paign and it is hardly believeable that
the Virginia type will do such an |
unwise thing as to adopt statewide
prohibition instead of local option. T
which they now have. Virginia has
always stood for the widest range of |
individualism as opposed to restric- /
tive or tyranical legislation of every
description. 1t was from one of her
majestic hill-tops that Patrick Henry
hung to the oppressors of the world /
his immortal def, 81 care not what
others may say. care not what others
may do. But for me, give me liberty
or give me death" In the CITY of Rich
mond is still preserved the Confede-
rate Capital, the White House of the
Confederacy, and even the furniture
used by Jefferson Davis. AS the visi-
tor strolls through the house former
ly occupied by Mr.. Davis, the whole
countenance of the guide lights ND
with animated reverence for the
President of the Lost Cause as he
points out each piece Of furniture and
extols the purpose for which it was
used. If perchance you take that mag
nificient trip down the James river
by steamer a guide perched upon the
DOW takes of his hat and points out
with pride and reverence the identt
cal spot where Patrick Henry stood
while making his impassioned speech.