The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-07-08
NATIONAL AMI
SALOON LEAGUE
CONVENT
FORMER GOVERNOR MALCOLM
r. PATTERSON DELIVERED AD-
DRESS BEFORE BODY TODAY
URGING PROHIBITION.

NNi"IltlC wy ". D % July CT OlllCL
Governor Malcolm X. Patterson of
Tennessee, who was one OF the
speakers at today's session of the ma
tional Anti-Saloon league convention,
urged that national prohibition was
the proper way to deal with the liquor
question.
THE case against the liquor traffic
has been made out" he said. The
witnesses, who testify, conform to
every legal requirement of credibility
they are intelligent, have the means
Of information and are willing to
speak the truth They are Science,
Experience and Religion.
Science, without bias, cold, accu,
rate, calculating testifies that alcohol
is a poison to the body.
Experience comes and sets before
our view an inept, sullen, moaning,
struggling, unhappy procession o. vic
Tins; SO long that it would almost
reach across the continent; SO sad
that it would move stone to pity.
She shows the dry husks OF hope, in
sanity and suGden death, disease,
want, waste, and bloody crime.
"Religion cones and delivers her
testimony. She relates how hearts
have been hardened to her eternal
truths; she exhibits rents in the
garment Of justice and bloody smears
mercy fleeing before hate, passion in
flame, and love with a broken wing.
There has been no false testimony
delivered; there has been no exag,
geration, no contradiction among
these Witnesses"
Mr.. Patterson discussed state rights.
The duty of government, he said, was
to surround the citizen with good en-.
yironment, to dig no pit falls in his
path; to make II easy as possible for
the citizen to DO right, as hard as
possible to do wrong.
This is the highest attribute of
sovereignty. TIE efforts of our gov
ernment to suppress the lottery; to
stamp out polyeamy; to destroy hu-
man slavery; to prevent the use of
narcotics; to eradicate the diseases of
cattle; to preserve the public health
to give the people pure food were
all in harmony with the purpose of
its creation, and to maintain the
liquor traffic is a prostitution of its
power.
"lt is not surprising that the
liquor traffic would seize upon states
rights for safety. In the past when
a town or county proposed to outlaw
the saloon, this cunning malefactor
sought to stay the local sentiment
by telling the people that it would
favor state prohibition, when it knew
that state action was remote or i'm
possible.
when the sentiment for state pro
hibition grew until it threatened to
overwhelm the traffic, it then sought
delay until the government should
now, when the tide has
rushed on until it has reached the
walls of the caritol-the traffic would
sweep it back with the broom OF
states rights.
stripped of all technicality-the
question is a broadly national one
and the government alone can solve
it. If lottery conducted in only one
state is a proper subject for national
authority-and the sale of narcotics,
which affect a comparatively small
number of the people, who will deny
the same authority over the liquor
traffic
THE doctrine OF states rights as
a defense to human wrong and the
violation of the conscience of civili-
,ation was buried forever under the
apple trees at AppomatoX"