The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1916-12-28
A STRANGE DOCTRINE.


Colonel Henry Watterson is at Mi
ANU. William Jennings Bryan is also
at Miami The Miami Metropolis in
tsrviewed the famous Kentucky ed!
tor in regard to his views on the Try
an proposition of making national
prohibition the dominant issue for
the campaign of 1920. Mr.. wattersCn
is quoted ms replyllg in he t"fplwing
words:
'lts a good thing for the politicians
aid a bad thing for the country when
a great moral issue can be made a
leading party issue. They are trying
their hand now on prohibition. 1t
is an appeal from God to anarchism
that is the worst part Of 1t, for the
fanatic knows no relenting. Neither
does he make any discrimination. He
IS a monomanlac ON the one subject
that engages and enrages him. He
would by act of assembly enact con-
sttutJpnal amendment and suddenly
change the human species from NOR
tails to angels, thus he becomes an
asset to the politicians.
"The cheap-John orator, the mere
office seeking politician, finds it read
Ter to stir the blood Of the voters
than q appeal to their reason. The
dissolute candidate gets on the water
wagon and breaches prohibition. The
elected candidate preaching prohibit
tiOn, sells his vote to the beleaguered
liquor interest. The prohibition prop
uganda makes a merit and a reason
Of the crimes 1t has itself occasj Dned.
The dupes, reckoning not what they
have done dance about a confiagra-
ton thinking 1t a bonfire.
an ordinary affairs no great harm
Is this. But there turks behind every
movement of this kind a feeling
which, when aroused. is unreflectlng
and unsparing. 1t is conceivable that
this spirit, when It has blown up the
breweries and burned down the dis
tilleries, 1t might turn on the tobac-
co beds, under the plea that the weed
is poison, and having destroyed
them, next propose the elimination OF
hardware and cutlery as the only
means of stopping pistol toting with
its wanton sacrifice Iof life, and finally
address itself to tea and coffee, or
anything that excites his ire"
Imagine for a moment one Of our
leading citizens saying, ITS a good
thing for the politicians and a bad
thine for the Guntry when a great
moral issue can be made n leading
party issue" Imagine il you can, one
of our greatest writer's saying when
there is an effort to rid the country
of its greatest evil, the saloon,
thing that Mr.. Watterson admits to
he indefensible now using the folIlw-
ing strong language: ut is an appeal
from God to anarchism." Who of you,
fellow citizens, will permit yourselves
~ uC hSiuuSb Ni'h H'PiiSAiy n ''iiiS
is wrong, admitted wrong. thing
That is the curse Of nation, and yet
when people rise in their majesty
to smite it, this "becomes an appeal
from God to anarchism.' II would be
difficult TO find more absurd remarks
than these by the distinguished Ken.
tuckian. 1t does not require an argu
mcnt to answer them. mere state
ment of his words are sufficient. If
the distilleries and brewerles destroy
Thousands of happy homes, and thou
sands of lievs, without rendering any
service TO the country, then why |
should they not he destroyed? Not by
an act of anachism, as Mr.. Waiter |
son would have you believe, in order /
to prejudice your minds, but by the
sovereign will 'of the people. If the
question of profit could he eliminated /
the liquor business Of this country |
would go speedily. The people have
a right to settle all such questions by |
their votes, the only way il can be
legally reached. The leading political
party that ADOPTS as a part of its
platform national prohibition wi
either force the other dominant par
ty to do the same, or its success is
assured from the beginning In either
,ase national prohibition is obtained.
Yes, in 1920 this will be a leading is
sue, Mr.. watterson and tothers TO the
contrary Notwithstanding.