El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-24
"DRYS" HAVE A FIGHT ON HAND;
ONLY BEST EFFORTS WILL WIN

OEs Of the liquor believe that on January 80 prohi-
btion viii carry in Il Paso city and county by large
majority They believe liquor is doomed beyond hope
d reve and there IS talk Of two to vote in favor
CT prohibition.
Their conviction is based on expressions of opinion on
the Streets in the offices and the hotel obbes the homes
churches and social gatherings Certainly the majority Of
those generally termed he better element" of FL Paso the
representative citizenship avowedy in favor of prohi-
bition
The thoroughness which the saloon forces are putting
into their work of organization rivals the vigor and the
eznesuess Of the prohibition organization Both sides
n the contest with determination to win and It will be
fight.
The friends of liquor bound to be looked upOn by
Of that friendship apologist for the crime pow
eys suffering and disease which go with liquor The sup
portrs Of booze making great noise they
Organized and are hard at work to recruit up their forces
vote most effectively They going for the
votes and are polling every precinct.
Some days ago, In making mention Of arguments which
the saloon forces might be expected to the pro-
hoon sentiment out Of the people the loss of revenue to
city and county cited Saloon giving Figures"
city and county licenses which up into thousands
Of das and they make the specous argument that the
community viii suffer from increased taxation when as
matter CT fact larger taxes not important has
more money with which to pay them IF the money which
the bar now is turned into the groceIs pocket
he Is able to pay higher taxes If he needs to. But
argument saloon men IS never borne out BY fact
The cost Of the courts always with the closing
saloons-noIe than the amount the saloon pay in
licenses.
Liquor supporters also will paint desolae picture of
premises left in staring vacancy when the saloons
wholesale liquor stores and the retail bottle houses leave
They viii not mention the fact that invariably live
town those vacant premises occupied promptly by
reputable businesses
They viii try they have done, to make people believe
that the city Is going straight to perdition if whisky
voted ou they VIII threaten to close hotels and stores but
their threats made good In the of their
threat 10 close Hotel Psso Del Norte their hands
Immediately called by the owners of the hotel.
Presently last day effort the "wets" will try to
throw scare" into the merchants by showing them tabu
lson Of the number Of liquor dealers and employees and
their families IN Fl PasO city and county They viii show
estimate Of what each family spends with the merchants
and the total viii into many thousands Of dollars.
They VII say that if prohibition carries each merchant
vii lose his share Of that business because all these families
VIII leave FL Paso and 60 to place which wide open
and swet."
An appeal Of that character insulting suggestion
that the merchant would smother his conscience for the
sake Of few dollars but passing the insult there is
nothing TO the appeal Where saloonman leaves
town because It IS dry, another family to dry town
for the Furthermore whatever may be said
BY the vet campagners now, comparatively few of those
vino make their living By selling liquor viii leave FL Paso
They viii others Of their kind have DONE 20 into some
other business and be prosperous though perhaps not
immediately before and great deal happier Some
Of them already have privately voiced that intention. Never
mind this talk Of loss of trade It's Just talk.
What must be guarded against is overcondence the
P Of the prohibition supporters No one must believe this