The Ocala evening star., 1920-01-29
SHUT DOWN ON
THE MOONSHINE

LHiS county dFOuSou themselves anu
acted in regard to the moonshine evil,
which while by no means so deep or
widespread as the open saloon is much
r.crc vicious in proportion.
The only reason why moonshining
exists is that it has been treated with
tolerance or negligence or in some |
places with downright cowardice by
the large and respectable majority. A |
good deal of this is due to the ignor-
ance of the general public regarding |
moonshine liquor.
1t was the style among ardent pro-
hibitionists to refer to the liquor sold
by the open saloon as poison. This
was in a measure true. But it was al
very mild poison if taken in modera-
tion. And so people familiar with the
action of ordinary whisky or brandy
think moonshine is not much if any
worse. In this they make their great
mistake. Up in the mountains of the
Blue Ridge, where they have been
making moonshine for generations
and are skilled in the art, the stuff is
no worse than other corn whisky if
allowed to age. It is seldom allowed
to age. To make it one day and drink
it the next is the greatest restriction
the average moonshiner puts on him
self. But mountain dew" is dew
sure enough compared with the stuff
made in Florida. where the "stillers"
are comparative amateurs and mix
their elements with the haste and
recklessness of greediness. The re-
suit is liquor that will eat the lining
out of the insides of any man who uses
| it and turn the brain into sour mash.
No sensible man will drink it and
nothing but a degraded brute will
make and sell it.
| 1t is difficult for the officers of the
law to obtain testimony against moon
! sinners, but the principal difficulty
lies not so much in the smartness Of
the lawbreakers as in the Indifference
and cowardice of the public. Every
body has a good idea as to who
handles the stuff. 1t is impossible to
conceal it's marks or it's smell When
a man out in country precinct is
making "shine." it isn't long before
his neighbors have good guess at
what he is doing. He shows it in his
face and his dealings. If he has been
at farming or some business, he gen.
orally neglects it in order to attend to
:. the new and unlawful occupation.
Either he or his family show unmis-
taxable signs of hectic prosperity.
, They buy beyond their means and the
means of their honest neighbors. All
the toughs in the neighborhood hang
around them. When a man is show
/ ing these signs, it is time for the re-
spectacle men of his community to get
together, to put the sheriff wise to him
and back up the officers. They should
: ostracise such men. collect evidence
, against them and do everything to
) show their disapproval of their acts
/ There is no community that has even
) strong minority of law abiding men
t in it where outlaws can continue to be
: outlaws.
) Here in the city there are certain
r well-known channels thru which the
= illicit liquor runs. The better element
should get together and break these
channels up. 1t can do it if it will. II
2 should quit its pharisaical policy OF
1 sitting back and expecting half a
= dozen officers to watch a half a hun.
: dred different points.
r We have heard the sheriff say the
Y force he has the means to employ is
a not adequate to the task of breaking
D up the moOnshine traffic, and we know
i, enough about the matter to believe he
4 is telling the truth. The sheriff has
: had to fight for years against an or.
e ganized blind-tiger, gambling combi
: nation. On the other hand he has haC
= the undeserved distrust of the prohi.
t bition element, which by it's treatment
a of him has helped its enemies.
r When the county commissioners
meet next week, they should give the
sheriff the means he needs to break u[
? the moonshine business. They shoulc
= give them to him if they don't builC
Y mile of road the next twelve months
e Whenever a moonshiner or bootleggel
2 is brought up in court, the county
s should be represented by a first-rate
n lawyer, and care should be taken tt
= eliminate the professional juror. AnC
e above all things. public sentiment
5 should make itself felt on the side ot
a the law and morality.
s Some people kotow to illicit distill
: ers and bootleggers. and some art
r afraid of them. They are as unclear
a as lepers and should have no recog
S milton from honest men. Unless fired
S with their own hell-brew, they are ar
rant towards. and when they are sc
t infiamed they are as liable to kill G
perfect stranger as a man who ha:
denounced or exposed them. The safe
0 as well as the honorable, the public.
: spirited, the Christian, policy of this
d county, is to wipe their Infamous bus.
: mess out, and this can easily be done