The Durant news., 1948-01-08
Evils Of Liquor
Truffic Pointed
By WCTU Group

Traffic Pointed
By WCTU Group
The following statement wos
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 our states pro-
hibition laws, the facts stand out
boldly and definitely that the issue
is moral one, and because if its i'm
plications and the effects upon hu-
man lives it cannot be brushed aside
as a money raising project or 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 op-
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 cause or agency thr-
ough which we have come to this
condition is a death dealing danger
Gus drug, alcohol.
Its 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
it's 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 dangerous narcotic and
depressent. It has the power to
change a normal personality into a
brute, a murderer and rapist, and
even a small amount produces
dangerous driver because it slows up
his power of concentration to say
nothing of the feeling of exhilaration
and false self confidence it gives him.
The medical men tell us it IS
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 ever 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 and
the devastating effect of this drug
whose legal distribution they seek
to bring to Mississippi. Surely they
can not help but realise that the
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 ter
rible picture of Mississippi because
of the bootleggers. but thoughtful
citizens know. that legalization 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 fact.
Bootleggers can make liquor cheaper
and sell it without tax. In Missis-
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 cheap
er market, and thus double sour
ce 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.
etc exap,ine 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