Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1917-01-11
Speech Of Senator Beckham
Senator Beckham said IA part:

Speech Of Senator Beckham
Senator Beckham said III part;
"rhe most embarrassing experience
encounter when j am 0utt of this State,
especially at your national capital, Is when
l occasionally meet citizens OF other states
and In some instances OF other countries,
who have not been to Kentucky. and their
Kentucky Is with smile, The State where
they make whisky, They undertake to be
pleasant about 1t, but It y Irritating to
me. ! resenl the idea that this great com,
m0nwealth Of ours with the nOblest and
most chivalrOus manhood tand with the
| l0veliest and sweetest w0manhood on earth
should be, advertised abroad alone for its
production of those things that destroy
the citizenship Of any country / tell them
tas politely as l can under such circnm-
stances that that remark Will not go in
few years that the time Is rapidly ap,
preaching In Kentucky when we will not
make whisky and hope i will only be
d very few years, and am willing to de.
vote every energy and every talent that l
possess to bring about as speedily as pos
sible the. time when there IS not saloon
nor distlllery nor a brewery anywhere
In this fair commonwealth.
Believes Amendments Certain.
81 do not say that In any spirit of nm.
kindness or hostility toward those who
are engaged In thai business. This is not
personal contest. we should not imi-
tate the methods Of those who fight us
/ by using defamation Of character, by in
dulging In lander or libel or anything
Of that kind. Our cause Is so just that
we do not need to indulge 10 personalities
to insure Its success In this great fight.
hope to see those engaged In that buJl-
ness succeed in life and they should take
warning today, my friends, and t ey
should gather in their sails because be-
lieve that there is no political event OF
| the future more certain than that the next
Legislature OF Kentucky will submit TO
the people Of this State constitutional
amendment upon Statewide prohibition
and that In 1919 the earliest day upon
which we can get vote. an overwhelming
majority OF our people will adopt It.
THE whiskey men will begin to use evCry
sophistry, every fallacy. every false argu-
mislead the people OF Kentucky. But the
time has passed when any man or even
paper can say word Of defense in favor
OF the defenseless saloon.
"The only argument upon which they
have any hope left Is the economic idea,
the Idea that they would incuicate into the
minds Of the people Of Kentucky that this
. Is great industry In our State, that II
, bears large part OF the burden of taxa
tion in our counties. cities and States.
"But, my friends, 1t takes only little
common sense to meet such q fallacy al
, that. The liquor business Does not pay
/ any taxes at all. Whisky and beer do no
, pay any taxes. Such taxes as are collect
I ed on them come from the consumers o
those products and those products them
selves pay no taxes. NN
II believe as firmly as believe anything
at,er ysaar. q ssgssisnss a 90 0sserys
\ the matter OF your State finances, tina
! the best thing that can happen TO you
I State from revenue standpoint woLl
D be the complete elimination Of the Hquo
l.a.aN L. I'LL
: nothing can happen In this State tina
2 would mean more to the foundation o
I industries and to the commercial develop
ment Of the State than the suppression o
that traffic, not merely to close the sa
=: looms, but to prohibit the manufacture
, There Is no reason to leglslate against tn
saloon unless You legislate also agains
I those concerns which furnish the product
4 that are sold in the saloons.
y His interest In the Question.
"This is r great fight. have been in
!. terested In number OF issues In thi
: State and In this country since / frs
! came to manhood and took an interest an
! part In the political affairs Of the Stat
, and the country, but / say to you, m
e friends, there has never been any question
! In which am more interested or In whic
. | can see more Of far reaching, incal
G cnlnble benefit to the people of this Stat
! than / do In prohibition and the ellmina
= tiOn Of the liquor traffic. not only froI
! Kentucky, but from this entire nation.
6 rejoice In II more than l have ever re
e joiced In any personal success Of my owl
u to see the growth Of that sentimen
:, throughout the country. You see 1t /
u this state. You can go to your nation,
: capital and see II there. and you will b
Z as surprised as l have been to see IN
u strength OF that sentiment In Washingto,
? ut would not be surprising to me II IN
u present Congress should favOrably act @
. that amendment and submit Il to the State
J, for ratification.
u 80 the cause is growing. II is gettin
= stronger and stronger every day, and
y welcome TO our ranks these new converts
!, | am not going TO criticise the sncerit
u Of their purpose. | do not believe In try
ing to hold monopoly on any good thinI
want to see the Democratic party
Kentucky take charge OF this movemen
want II to throw OF entirely the yok
= OF liquor domination In this State. and
, want II TO be the instrument throug
- which this great reform is TO be accom-
y plished. but hope that our Republics
" friends Will be dry, too. ! hope they wi
+" make that party dry.
=, why, the last plea they make Is on n
" matter OF compensation. They say II yo
=, suppress their business you should CON
I" pensate them for what they may los
~ No such plan as that has ever bee
70 adopted. No business OF any kind thi
a.. Hves upon the misfortunes and calau
~ tiles and tragedies OF the human rae
~ should ever be compensated when thi
u business Is prohibited. l wish | had m
J" genius and power to write a law ar
'' secure Its enactment that would forev,
eliminate the possibility OF war in tn
#" country and In the world. | believe
y would rather do that than even to 5,
y Kentucky dry. But II that could be don
u, my friends, II | or anyone else could ;,
70 cure the enactment Of such a law OF n
" adoption OF such policy, II would thro
~ out Of business all OF these great mum
" tion factories and armor plate plants al
; gun factories Of this country, and tn,
w they would have even more reason TO a,
y for compensation than the liquor peop
u, would have II prohibition comes.
of Tribute TO Bryan.
n But have not come here to dIScu
Mt that subject. ! refer TO the program al
nj see that ] nave been assigned the III
The Peerless Leader You all reco
nize him, ! have been with him on
visits to Kentucky for the last TWEEN
cy years doubt II he has been here
Du any time In all those years when | ha
ut not been along to encourage him and
in follow after him. But | have never Z,
he like giving him n more hearty welcor
nj than | do on this occasion. | am not
rs. believer In too much hero worship. u
IN, heroes sometimes make mistakes, hui
he believe II can be truthfully and Justly sa
Id Id OF our distinguished gSest that
ey has rendered more Valuable seryi
nd to the people OF America than any 9th
re man ever did since that great predecess
n, Of his, Thomas jefferson.
air He has won great victories, and ii ey
nj a man In the history OF this great cou
ct, try has earned rest. he has done
ds But he Is not Of that kind He is I
TO greatest friend OF the human race III
NJ. lives IN the world today. | may not agr
en- with him on every question, but up
'ei all of these great issues | do, and | /
We jolce that In this great fight that
II, have In Kentucky and in this nation
Ill the Accomplishment Of reform great
,Sc than any Of these have mentioned,
lc, shall have his splendid and incomparal
ty, and devoted leadership. II means vi
all tory. II Is great thing for our caus,
icy II Is a great thing for us In Kentuc
Ow where the struggle Is so difficult, that Ii
an man who has won all OF these victor
nd In these years past at great sacrifice
lre himself, at much Inconvenience has L
his attractive home In the Sunny Sou
ri. and Travelled UP here that he might spe
le to Kentucky Democrats In behalf Of ii