The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-20
Elk GOV. PATTERSON,
s,,ss,s. To SPtAk HIRE
thursday NIGHT

journeyed along the Damascus road,
a heavenly voice and saw a heavenly
vision, he was not disobedient to the
voice and obeyed the vision.
Malcolm r. Patterson of Memphis,
Tenn, has been called the modern
Saul OF Tarsus, who has become the
modern Paul, the Apostle. Not quite
three years ago this man who had
been governor of his state, was sud
denly transformed, and from being a
toe of prohibition and temperance, he
became one of the foremost OF the
iapostlles of righteousness. In fact he
began to preach the gospel which once
he had prosecuted.
As public man i'll Tennessee, Mr..
Patterson had ridiculed prohibition
and had been friend of the liquor
interests. Since his conversion, his
whole viewpoint as well as the prac-
tees of his life, has been changed
about.
At first there were those who Doubt
ed the sincerity of Mr.. Patterson's
conversion. In that respect, he shared
the experience of the Hebrew tent
maker of Tarsus. But it was soon
learned that the man of Tennessee had
changed front completely; that he had
decided to devote the remainder of his
| life to the destruction of the liquor
traffic.
His first public appearance as a de
fender of prohibition was at the con
vention of the Anti Saloon League OF
America in Columbus, Ohio, in No
vember, 1913. Thousands heard and
Cheered him then, and many more
thousands since have listened to his
rcmarable oratory.
At the Columbus convention he stood
out and declared himself thus:
Il favor prohibition in any form that
will either reduce or destroy the liquor
traffic
Il favor it person wide, town-wide
state wide, nationwide and world
wide"
/ The Anti-Saloon League soon found
| in htm one of the most valuable plat
form speakers in the cause for which
the league stands. AS Il result OF the
story of his conversion and the reports
going out from the Columbus CONVEX
aion. Mr.. Patterson came into instant
demand everywhere as speaker
There was no trouble to find dates for
him; the only trouble was to find time
Ito fill those dates. People wanted to
iih>>ar his story.
Too many men on the platform are
blatant, loud, voiciferous, important
Iinsistent. Mr.. Patterson has none Of
these qualities. He is modest, grave
iunassuming, kindly, persuasive. he
has convincing argument and he pre-
lsents 1t as true orator should. One
almost esteems him sanity. So deep
so earnest, so pathetic in his convic
ton that his appeal comes with al
carnestness and force that needs not
deal of noise and fuss to present it.
There is curiosity to hear this re
generated politician, Then as he goe
beyond his opening sentences, an
launches into his addrdess there come
to the nearer admiration, almost ve1
Grafton. certain conviction and deadl
earnestness.
No person ever questioned Mr.. Pa
terson's sincerity in opposing prohib
Ition. He himself says today that h
e was conscientious but mistaken. II
t was popular and gifted son of a
t equally popular and gifted father a
: lone of the younger leaders of the Der
n ocratic party in Tennessee, he had ia
d en- his fathers seat in Congress, an
IldttI was CiCStOu SoNSihO
e He was an able lawyer of markt
a elouuence and great thinker. IL
power as leader rested largely upt
genuine ability. He was friend
the saloon mn that he was "constit
f" tionally" opposed to the anti-liqu
II sentiment, whwich already had gain
- great strength in his state when he /
- came its governor.
n Governor Patterson based his OPP
a. sition upon higher and famili
&c grounds, however-just such grounds
" as the liquor forces suddenly we
~ forced to tae He planted hims'
es firmly on the bedrock of personal
Nc erty" and property rights" and for
fled his position with the ancient a
seemingly prausible argument II
- morality cannot be legislated into
a istence.
in So while the progressive sentime
n of the state, regardless of party, fore
a. the passage of prohibition i
!, Through the Legislature shortly at
- he became governor. he vetoed
"A land accompanied his veto with m
= lsage in which he characterized
! act as obstructive and under
cratic
This bill was passed over his We
and shortly thereafter bill prohi
ch ing the manufacture of liquor in 7