Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1917-01-18
DEMOCRATIC.
LEAGUE STARTS FIGHT FOR
STATEWIDE PROHIBITION
Concluded from last issue J

II must be an unselfish Democracy. Ihel
man who would enlist In this campaign 10
make Kentucky dry must be WILING 10
serve in the trenches The Democrat
who would allow his personal ambition to
hinder or delay the triumph Of this rlgnt-
eous cause Is not worthy TO pear us
stainless flag, If we enter the Goniliet
with this spirit of service in our hearts,
the enemy, powerful as II Is, can ho'
check our forward march.
Watch the Other Fellow.
1T must be vigllant and discriminat,;;
| ing Democracy. The liquor element WIN
not put avOwed wet candidates IA me
field. In many Legislative ana Seha-
torial districts, Democrats VINO nave pee,,
consistently and 2erslstently wet az
their lives men who fought the county
unit law at every step in its progress,
are announcing their candidacy ana de-
claring for submission, ana IN some IN
In saw that some of these sudden CONVEX
sions might not be genuine, but there Is
TOO much al stake TO put In positions
of responsibility men who have had all
their training In the enemy camp, espe-
cially when tried ana true veterans are
In keeping with the conversion Of
these lifelong enemies of the cause, sim
Infamous with the announcement Of
their candidacy for legislative honors, is
Inc recent Lypocritical declaration of the
leading whisky newspapers of the state
that they favor submission. 1t is but
another part of the conspiracy to throw
the temperance Democrats off their guard,
make them believe the fight for subn.iss
sion is all over, and while they are re-
iolcing over this alleged fact, the vets
| hope TO elect General Assembly made
/ up of their 'promisers,' who. would eitner
find some excuse to defeat the submission
bill outright, or would pass a palpabls
fake, imperative and worthless, and tIus
delay the cause for five years
rms Forward Democracy must be an
Intelligent Democracy. We must meet
business arguments. with business facts,
To illustrate, the information is easily
obtainable that the states that have voted
dry are among the most prosperous Of
the Union; that their taxes are lower
and their bank balances larger than in
the wet states; that in our own state
the cost of criminal prosecutions and
penitentiary, asylum and other state ex.
penses, directly traceable 10 liquor, are
overwhelmingly greater than the taxes the
state receives from the liquor business
pays into the State Treasury in taXc
$500. 100000 year, and takes out, In III,
expenses to which | have referred
/ 81, 100. 100000.
I'VE must meet the 'conhscation' argu.
ment with the plain statement that pro.
hibition Is not confscation; that there
Is no purpose to take a penny of any
mans property away from him: that thu
Supreme Court has held that no man ha,
a right to manufacture liquor, in tn,
sense that man has the right to til
the SOIL but that he merely has q priv
lege, granted him by the sovereign peo
pie under the law, and that the authoriti
that conferred the privilege has the same
right TO withdraw IL at It's pleasure.
this does not satisfy the contender, W,
may simply remind him that he is es
topped to raise the question, as he ha
declared his undying loyalty to the coun
~ unit law. under which exactly the sam
character Of alleged cOnfscation has bee
going on for dozen years.
1T must be lighting Democracy. AM
the hght must begin now, for the Au
gust primary Is but seven months II
front of us. In my judgment, one OF tn
hardest fights in front Of us Is the nomi
nation OF Democratic legislative candi
cntes in the coming August primary VIII,
7 VIII not only vote for the submission OF Z
rcal prohibition amendment on the fna
) roll call, but Will use every honorable
means TO advance It to a vote II Is
= going to take some Of our time. and In
many instances all Of our courage. Men
{ who have hitherto held aloof from active
5 work must enter vigorously into the cam
paign. for we may rest assured that not
man OF the enemy will be idle. In de-
2 Gliding just how much time and energy
, you can give TO this preliminary fight,
/ bear In mind that the opposition has an
one hundred million dollars invested IN
e their Kentucky plants, They have been
+ listing these plants for taxation at only
2 little more than eight millions, so II
. their boast Is correct they have evidently
% been lodging taxes on the other ninety.
d two millions. In order to accumulate q
campaign fund.
n we have the greatest respect for al
X the organizations that have fought fo
. prohibition through the years that ar,
r. behind us. No one would underestimat
- the great value Of their pioneer work, o
, detract from the honor that is due them
g liut this tas' is so big that II demand
. the services OF a great political part
. IN win the victory. Fortunately, IN
/ Democratic party In Kentucky has wo
4 Its right 10 espouse this cause. Ever
temperance law on our statute books ha
. been written there by the Democrat
: party We do not mean that there wer
y not some dry Republicans who voted fo
The bills, but the measures were Demo
cratic. and had been promulgated /
democratic platforms. | might add 4
passing that every one OF these laws eX
r-~' ~'hH' ie "nown ms the Or Der cen
, amendment (Which was passed later, wit
..... IlGUI sttntn) was enaC
under the leadership of our dis
tinguish Junior Senator. j. G. w. Beck
; ham during his term as Governor.
Having made this splendid record. III
u party Is now entitled TO the honor
leading the fight TO finish the task"