The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-10-03

TINS much m0oCeQ question to the
people and said tAat if it was left to
them, the people could be bought;
and so the State wide law went upon
the statute book. l tell you that it
would not be necessary to buy & To-
cal option in. Alabama for he is al
ready with US and do here and now
enphatically deny the charge of the
Speaker Of the House of Representa-
tive of Alabama and say that the
Prohibitionists of my State are not for
sale. His charge was the cry of a
wolf at bay and he was afraid to
leave this question to the people of
my commonwealth.
docs Judge Weakly remain in my
State and aid us in enforcing his
laws? Does he abide with us? and
direct and lead us in meeting and
providing for additional offices and
additional revenues Not at all, but
he comes to Florida, to pastures
green, and tells you that he is draft
ing new laws for your state, that he
is to become your guardian, that he is
to direct you IN voting on this great
question, and then goes away self
satisfied leaving you to work out
your own salvation under a law
which he proposes to write, in a con-
dition which he seeks to bring about.
"The true question of temperance
is to be settled alone by education;
that father and mother who trains the
child around the fire-side, who warns
him of the pitfalls, who teaches
| him to forego and to control his APP
petite and desires. I am as much
interested in the boys and girls of
this State and my State as any law
abiding citizen; want them to grow
into splendid men and splendid wo-
men, but tell you tonight for your
lack of training of your children you
must expect, however, strong those
laws may be, your boy to fall by the
way-side; all the prohibition laws
that can be drafted and written will
not save him; he must meet the storm
and stand out alone for himself.
love the Church, / pay my preacher,
and I believe that there is a God
above US, and surely as | believe this
tonight also believe that the prohi-
bitionist is taking to himself credit
which he has not earned; it is educa-
ton of the school, of the Church of
Fathers and Mothers, that is doing
away with excessive drinking, and
then comes the prohibition laws and
the prohibitionist points to what has
been done and accomplished as having
been done by his law.
REGARDING TAXES.
| "Let US look for moment at the
conditions of your own county; if this
county is to be placed in the dry col
umn by you men then you must ex-
pect to meet the conditions that con-
front us at Birmingham Montgomery
and Mobile. You pay the taxes and,
if they are raised, you will still pay
the taxes. walked into your Court
House today and / find that the tax
collector of your county is charged to
approximately the sum of 1928
$4,000; 1 find that you have not paid
and that there is still owing from this
County tax payers the approximate
sum of sec, 175.00; I also find that
the taxpayers of this City still owe
approximately 100000 as City
taxes. You have just gone through
the war panic, you are just commenc-
ling again to grow and prosper, with
this great burden of taxation to meet
empty the store-heuses if you will
empty the warehouses by voting
this county dry, and you may conf
IDENTIFY expect to meet raise in taxes,
both State and County, and to pay
these taxes-on property which has
decreased in value. The Liquor rev
enues from this County aggregate ap-
proximately $85,000.00 this sum in
cludes the 100000 which each Lii
censes pays as State and County and
City tax as we'll as the direct tax
upon their property; all of this sum
would be lost in the event of Prohibi-
ton.
'T read in your paper today a
headline where your city employees
had been paid in full. When this
county goes into the dry column ]
shall not expect to see that headline
appear again for many many moons
You, gentlemen, must expect to en-
force the laws of your county; you
must expect to pay the taxes; you
must expect to meet and breast the
situation fairly and squarely. Don't
expect reformers like Judge Samue
/ d. Weakly, Fred Jackson, and Smith
of Alabama to meet this situation fol
you; when you are confronted with il
these men will have moved to new
fields; they will be painting new pic
lures and YOU viii be confronted will
the proposition of keeping alive the
interests of this splendid city of Pen
sacola."