The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-12-18
GOOD WORDS FROM GOODWIN


to receive a parcels post package,
which on being opened revealed a
handsome photo Of our staunch friend,
Commodore Goodwin of EastIake and
Chicago. On the same mail came a
! letter from the commodore. We viii
give the picture an honored place on
our sanctum walls, and we think the
letter is well worth printing. 1t fol-
lows:
Commodore Goodwin's Letter
Editor Star: Pending greetings in
the flesh on Jan. IT, / am sending you
my photo, with seasonal and fraternal
good wishes.
do not want to wait that long.
however, to express my hearty admir-
alton of the Stars sledge-hammer,
bell-ringing campaign for a dry Mar
ion county. 1t was clean, forceful, I'M
answerable, pursued with candor but
without rancor. It was a campaign
in favor of clean and economic com
munity life that will build for the
Star an enduring monument in the
appreciation of the people. am not
well versed in the currents of your
city and county life, but l know
enough to understand the sacrifices
the Stars attitude required, and glory
in its bravery in hewing to the line.
Possibly the victory might have been
won without it's determined, intelli-
gent leadership, but | doubt it. The
Star has served well its days and gem
Grafton. | am more proud than ever
that have a winter home in Marion
county. have liked the water of the
county, but not its fire-water.
In am one of the original John z.
St. John prohibition party people. I
fought along that line until | learned
that | was butting my head against
{ stone wall, and then I stepped out
side the ranks and waited for the
procession to catch up with me. What
was that stone wall? The indifference
Of the good people. So long as part
of our taxes could be coined from
widows tears and orphans cries, the
license money looked good to us-to
some of US. never wanted to have
any of my taxes paid in such coin.
We veterans in such campaigns
raised the moral issue, and made
comparatively little progress. This
is pitiable but true. Now we have
seized the winning sign by which we
quer-efhciency The uneconomic
saloon lags superfuous on the scene
of our latter-day civilization. We old
time prohibitionists are not so lone
some as we used to be. We knew the
only way to dry stream is to dry
up its source. The bailing-out pro-
cess is ludicrous. A lot of people,
thousands and thousands of them, are
now seeing this great fact. You have
won only a skirmish. The real battle
lies before you. The organized liquor
traffic is essentially lawless. 1t en-
deavors to throttle the expressed will
of the people whenever that vote runs
counter to its interests. So long as
liquor is made, some will be sold in
Marion county, in violation of the
law.
Let US all get together and scotch
the snake by cutting its head off.
What say you?
am especially proud that my own
precinct of Stanton recorded only two
wet votes. Our negro people in that
section have had some fine school
teaching and some splendid preach
ing for years. have repeatedly said
that a .better-behaved and more in
dustrious class of colored people can
rot be found in the state than live
along the east side of Lake Weir.
They understand the economic as well
@@~m~@@~m~-~~@-~1@~~~-@-~