The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-02-05
DOES 1T PAY?

Does it pay to make and sell moon
shine liquor?
Is any man who makes it so stupid
as not to realize what the conse-
quences may be?
Is he so depraved as not to care?
Is he silly enough to think he can
beat the game he plays against the
Law and organized society?
If he believes in God, does he think
he will be forgiven for trying to sell
his own soul and ruin those of others
given to Judas?
Does he realize that he is despised
by everybody except those of his GUS
toners whose brains and bodies are
burned by the poison he sells until
they have lost their self-respect?
Does he understand that even in
criminal society he is on the lowest
level-that he deserves not even the
respect that may be paid to the MUIR
, sneakthief, and must take his place
with the pimps and those who commit
the offenses against nature that may
not be mentioned in print
Does he even comfort his perverted
excuse for mind by thinking that the
money he sells his liquor and his soul
for is going to remain with him and
keep him from want?
If he does, he has another think
coming. The money made by vileness
ever has a curse on it. Thru all the
ages, the potter's field has been
crowded with bodies of those who
strove to evade honest labor by pan
dering to the base appetites of hu-
manity.
Instances increase even in our COM
paratively quiet corner of the world
of the futility as we'll as the wicked
ness of trying to make a dishonest
living.
A prominent citizen. man who had
made a decent living for his family
and had the respect of his community
turned aside from his lawful occupa-
ton and began making and selling
whisky. He made money for awhile
then he was suspected; suspicion be-
came moral certainty, he was ar
rested, indicted and tried; three times
his case came up in court; three times
disagreement of the jury saved him
from the penitentiary; he is out on
bond--and the case may be dropped
but all the money he made by carry
ing on an illegal business will not half
make up for the money he has spent
trying to keep on the right side of the
bars. His character as business
man is badly damaged; if he tried to
make an honest living, he is handicap
ped; if he tries to make more moon
shine, he will be caught again and the
next time he won't escape.
A Woodworking colored man, some
thing of leader of his race, respected
by the whites, living in modest COM
fort on what he made by the sweat OF
his brow, turned aside to make big
money from the still. He made it for
awhile, but he has been arrested, tried
and found guilty. and when the law is
thru with him he will be poorer than
he ever was before, and he will not
orly have lost his ill-gained money
but the respect and goodwill of honest
people.
And these instances are only two
or maryland more coming.
Makers and sellers of moonshine
may also make up their minds to one
thing-they may beat the law for
awhile, but it will always beat them
in the end. They have two ways OF
escaping its penalties-they can quit
their meanness. or they can die. Pro
hibition is no longer an opinion-it is
the law of the land. 1t is the law be-
cause large majority of the sober
respectable and responsible people OF
America have decided that it shall be
the law, and it is going to remain the
law, and it will crash those who think
they can defy it. If the respectable
people of this county and the officers
they elect are not sufficient, there is
yet greater power behind them; ii
will be invoked and Florida moon
sinners in federal prisons will rue the
day on which they became tired OF
trying to earn an honest living.