The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-01-27
v. c. I. j. Department.
Senator Sheppard's Speech
CONTINUED from Last Week.

I4oAA A0oL " SCht
Let us examine some of the more
important phases of the world strug-
gle with alcohol Great Britain has
been wrestling with the liquor traffic
for nearly 600 years. The English
Parliament passed law in 1927 linn
iting the number Of liquor shops. and
in 1875 gave the justices power to
prohibit them in certain localities.
On various occasions Pertinent act
ually prohibited the Installation of
spirits through the Kingdom for a
ton of high authority that the to-
| tally prohibitive acts against the liq
uor trade have been the most sue
cessful. Parliament has adopted al
| together about 400 acts in relation to
the liquor traffic without any perma-
nently satisfactory result. 1t is ap-
parent that the one solution of this
| problem in Great Britain, as in all
other countries, lies in the prohibi-
tion of the manufacture, sale, or i'm
portation of intoxicating liquors for
| beverage uses. Well may we here
recall the statement in 1884 of Chas.
| Buxton, the noted English brewer,
| to the effect that the struggle of the
school, the library, and the church,
all united against the beer house and
| the gin palace, was but the develop
ment of the war between heaven and
hell.
In Denmark prohibition is making
rapid advancement. The king of
that country is reported to have said
in 1909 on signing an act for state
wide prohibition in Iceland, de-
tendency of Denmark, that few, if
any, of his actions since he became
king had given more satisfaction
than that of signing this law, and
that if the Parliament of Denmark
would pass similar law for Den
mark he would be still more willing
to approve. In the Farce Islands,
another dependency of Denmark,
prohibition is in unrestricted and
satisfactory operation.
In Norway and Sweden public O.
pinion is rapidly moving toward nat
ional prohibition. Never was there
sounder or more prophetic utterance
than that of the Crown Prince of
Sweden in 1911 at Hessleholm:
Il do not hesitate to say that the
people which first frees itself from
way acquire a distinct advantage ov-
er other nations in the peaceful, yet
intense, struggle. l hope it will be
our own people who will be the first
to win this start over the others
In Russia the sale of Intoxicating
liquors is monopoliZed by the gov
eminent and the establishment OF
state vodka shops throughout the
country, causing a general increase
in drunkenness, has resulted in a
distinct movement against the use OF
alcohol. A commission was appoint
ed by the Duma in 1912 to investi-
gate the liquor question, and one OF
its recommendations was that the
following sentence should be labeled
on every bottle of vodka:
Man! Although thou hast bought
! this spirit, yet know that thou drink.
. est poison which destroys thee. Be.
fore it is too late never buy another
bottle. (Signed) Minister Of Fl
nance
The Duma, composed of men e.
lected by the people of Russia, adopt
ed this recommendation and sent il
to a body of higher power for ap
prevail. The higher body rejected it
but approved another requiring in
struction in abstinence from alco
holic liquors to be given in all the
public schools Of Russia. Let me
quote here the words of an eminent
Russian scholar at St. Petersburg, il
1910:
The struggle against the liquor
traffic is not simply a national ques
ton, it is a worlds question. All So
cial problems group round the ques
ton of alcoholism, while the evils OF
drunkenness, on such an authority
as Gladstone, out weigh the evils Of
war, pestilehce and famine put to-
gether."
Twice within the last six years the
Parliament of Finland has voted ov.
er whelmingly for total prohibition
but the veto of the Gar of Russia
has prevented these measures from
becoming laws. The sentiment il
Finland is almost universal for com
plete, countrywide prohibition.
In Germany the present Emperor
said in 1910, in a speech before tht
naval cadets at Muerwick, that thu
raOuncia ti0n of alcoholic drin K: