The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1948-01-08
Evils Of Liquor
Traffic Pointed
By WCTU Group

The following stutement W0s
issued by the Women's Christ
ion Temperance Union of Missis-
sippi this week addressed to
members of the state legislature.
Despite all the arguments for and
against the repeal of states pro-
hibition laws, the facts stand out
boldly and definitely that the issue
is a moral one, and because if its i'm
plications and the effects upon hui
man lives it cannot be brushed aside
as a money raising protector even as
a means to law enforcement.
There is no way to approach a
problem for a sane and permanent
solution except through its basic
cause. Both the proponents and OPP
ponents of this question must meet
on this common ground and start
from here if they are sincere in their
desire to do something about the
present situation in Mississippi.
There can be no doubt on either side
that the prime or agency thr-
ough which we have come to this
condition is a death dealing danger
Gus drug, alcohol.
It's effects on the human body and
welfare has been known since the
days of Noah-a record of tragedy
and sorrow has followed in its trail
| down through the centuries-Its VIC
tins out number those of all COM
bined wars in history. Great men and
minds of all ages have condemned
its use-such as Gladstone, Abraham
| Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Robert E..
Lee and others. Even Seneca, thous-
ands of years ago said Drunkenness
is nothing but insanity purposely as
| Sumed."
Modern scientists have made in
tensive research as to its effect on
| the human body and they have pro-
nounced it a dangerous narcotic n
| represent. 1t has the power to
| change a normal personality into a
! brute, a murderer and a rapist, n
! even a small amount produces a
| dangerous driver because 1t slows up
| his power of concentration, to say
nothing of the feeling of exhilaratlon
and false self confidence it gives him.
The medical men tell us it is a
| habit forming drug and produces the
| disease of Alcoholism. one OF the
greatest menaces of today to its VIC
| tins and to his family and society,"
| and that this disease in almost every
case begins with the cocktail and mo-
| derate drinker.
One has only to read his news
paper or listen to his radio, or view
| the sorrow of broken homes around
! him, to be convinced that alcohol IS
| the greatest curse eve visited upon
mankind.
We have read with interest and
| genuine alarm the statements OF
some of our legislative leaders on
this question. Surely "having eyes
they see not" the above facts ard
the devastating effect of this drug
whose legal distribution they seek
to bring to Mississippi. Surely they
a not help but realise that n
traffic in LIQUOR, whether legal or
| illegal. is a traffic in human souls
and misery.
The LIQUOR interests with their
| propaganda are trying to paint a ter
| rible picture of Mississippi because
of the bootleggers, but thoughtful
| citizens know. that legalizatlon Will
| not eradicate this evil, 1t is a well
known fact that illegal LIQUOR
| flourishes more in the wet states
than in the dry. Records in other
| states furnish evidence to this fac
| B%ootleggers can make liquor cheaper
and sell it without tax. In Mlssls-
| sippi their clientel is built up and
they are well on their way to be-
| coming millionaires. So if and when
legalization comes they will only re-
| double their efforts to build a cheap
err market, and thus a double sour
&c to secure this poison. The state to
Justify its action makes its wares
sell, So no doubt we shall have a
| competition set up between the two
sources of supply.
These leaders say that we must
have the revenue and that millions
of dollars will flow into our treasury.
Let's examine this revenue propa-
ganda. In the state Of Massachusetts,
which is a good representative state,
three million dollars were collected
from liquor taxes. In the same year
EIGHT million dollars was spent to
take care of extra costs, extra jails
institutional care, to say nothing of
the poverty, loss of working hours,
car wrecks and loss of human life
which cannot be estimated in dollars
and cents. The real money makers