The West Weekly News. (West, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 41, Ed. 1 Friday, July 21, 1911 Page: 2 of 12
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If.
I
JELL’S HOME
prohibition in a Speech to a
Large Audience—Many
Ladies Present
Palestine, July 13.—"They have
taught the children to sing Texas go-
ing dry, but they have not taught
them the golden rule, ’ exclaimed Gov-
ernor Colquitt In his address this af
ternoon against the proposed consti-
tutional amendment. This was the
only allusion made by the speaker to
the action ot the Anderson county
Prohibition association in filling the
city hall with women and children at
the hour appointed for his address.
Having met at the prohibition tent
on Oak street, about 700 women and
children marched to the city ball and
waited for the doors to the auditorium
to be opened. When they had all
been seated the capacity of the hall
was taxed to the limit, and not over
200 men were able to secure seats. In
♦e course of bis remarks the speaker
fumed to the seats filled with chil-
dren and asked If any bright boy
couid give him the golden rule.
Though he repeated the request a
tton to a vote of the people, aqd the
prohibitionists, even under the moat
provoking conditions, doubtless would
be able to control over one-third the
members in one or both houses. In
Maine, Kansas and Oklahoma, they
have constitutional prohibition. In
other States like Georgia, Tennessee
and others they have statutory pro-
hlbitlln
They Repudiated It In Alabama.
The difference Is that "statutory
prohibition" Is an enactment which
the legislature has the power to pass,
and the power to pass such an act
also carries with It the power to re-
peal It. Therefore, In those States
where they have "statutory prohibi-
tion” the people can repeal It any
time It becomes distasteful ar.d un-
satisfactory to a majority of the peo-
ple through the election of n major-
ity of the legislature committed to
such repeal. Whereas, If prohibition
Is put Into the constitution, as Is the
case of Texas, the legislature cannot
pass a bill repealing it, but It must
remain a part of the organic law until
two-thirds of the members elected to
both branches of the legislature can
be committed to re-submit a proposi-
tion to take It out of the constitution.
In Alabama, up to a few years ago,
they had a system of local option and
regulation similar to that which we
act for themselves independently is
irrevocable—except by force and des-
potic power. During all these years
the people of the counties have been
given this right of local option, and
under It more than 160 counties In
Texas have adopted it: and all the
rest have a right to adopt It. Are
not the counties which have not
adopted It, or their people, as calla-
ble of self-government as those who
have? It Is now a constitutional right
and the people of each county have
to settle the question for themselves.
But by this prohibition amendment
is proposed to take that right away
from them, and confer It upon the
State. The exercise of all ages has
shown that the best governments
have been those where the most pow-
er of self-government was conferred
upon the smaller subdivisions—con
ferred on the precincts and the coun
ties. This Is true In the discipline of
all forces—of all men. The Israel-
ites were commanded by Jehovah to
divide their army Into tens and hun-
dreds; they could be better trained
and better governed. And who will
dare to say that the same plan of
government for the people is not the
best? Suppose regiments of men
without battalions or companies, or
commander of an army without cap-
tains, lieutenants Mnd corporals! Talk
about a free State and a free people
by abolishing the counties! Mon
have in Texas. The agitators contin-
ued until they secured the passage of i strous thought and suggestion!
a bill through the Alabama legislature; -
providing for statutory prohlbltlin. j Can We Be Trusted?
Not satisfied with this, they proposed ! Can't the people of the counties be
an amendment to the constitution and trusted? Are we to create a sfate
called an election on it. At the time i dictatorship over the people of com-
the amendment was voted on the peo- munltles and Ignore the God-given
pie of Alabama had been experiment- right of local self-government? Must
ing with State prohibition about one WP concede that an extra grant of
year under the State wide act of the power shall be conferred upon the
legislature. The people evidently ! state? If we must have this forced
were disgusted with it and defeated j upon us In one Instance where shall It
constitutional prohibition by a vote stop? The people of the county have
of two to one, in 1909.' Then last year, m their hands the enforcement of the
came on a campaign for State officers ]aw. ]f they do not want prohibition
and members of the legislature, and j jn a particular county, will you then
h.v an overwhelming majority the peo-. proceed to take away from them the
pie of Alabama declared against stat- right of trial by a Jury of their peers
utory prohibition by electing a gov- nnd to have the law administered by
ernor and over two-thirds of the legis- local officers, or will you have this
lature committed to Its repeal and I done by the State at large and draw
the enactment of efficient local op- j the Jurors from the State at large to
try offenders. One proposition fol-
lows the other. The vice-chairman of
the State-wide Prohibition committee
Is reported as saying on this very
point that he would—
''Call out the rangers; then if nec-
tlon laws and regulatory statutes.
The Wisdom of Texas
When the delegates assembled to
consider the making of a new consti-
tution in 1ST:, to take the plaee of
the one framed for us by the carpet-: ,-cgary he would call out the militia.
baggers after the civil war ,our people
and their delegates In convention had
the benefit of the experience of other
States that had tried prohibition. Pro-
hibition was proposed then, but after!
full debate the convention, by an
If necessary he would take the of-
fenders away from their home coun-
ties to dry counties to try them.'
That is Just what will be demanded
if the amendment carries. Civil liber-
ty will give way to military despotism
number of times, not a child respond-
ed. "Can't one of you tell me?" asked
the governor, “You have been listen- . , . . , .
ing to prohibition sermons too Ion-’ overwhelming vote, adopted the pro- j ,0 appease fanaticism on this subject,
my little friends vision now In force on that question. Cod will spare us from this despotism.
The governor was Introduced bv C and *jav'* ,0 counties, or the peo- the crime of taking a drink as a
M. Day of this city. Amo: i:\hose , n" ‘hereof, or to the precincts, the ; heverare so had as to Justify such
Jie platform were J. !>. Dunav. Hor-! rl*ht ,0 determine for themselves j tyranny? Is all civil liberty and hu
ace Ward, chairman
Arm
D. Dupuy, Hor-I
I of the antis of
this county; Hon. A. W. Gregg, J. W.
Osment Judge J. L. Storey, Adam
Cone. Cameron Kay and B. J. Parker
of Elkhart.
On account of the fact *hat many
were unable to secure standing room
In the city ball, after shaking there
for nearly two hours. Governor Col-
quftt adjourned to the open air on
McKclght's plaza. where he delivered
a second address to a crowd of about
800.
The governor spoke as follows:
My Fellow Citizens: On the 22d of
thi* month the people of Texas will
be called upon to vote at a special
election on rn amendment to their
constitution. The amendment pro-
poses a complete change in the pub-
lic policy of the State in dealing with
the problem of liquor regulatiC"
There have been many misstatements
Trf the issue, and there has been much
misrepresentation of myself by parti-
sans with one or another purpose to
serve. The people bare not seemed
inclined to get excited over the cam
paign except in spots. The people
seem tired of political agitation and
strife, and I believe they want polit-
ical peace, and above all, a fair and
honorable discussion of the question
now before us.
- - ' *1 "• i
The Real Issue.
The Issue now before the people
of Texas Is: Shall the present con-
stitutional and statutory provisions
for local option and regulation of the
liquor traffic continue? Or shall they
be annulled by the adoption of the
pending amendment prohibiting the
manufacture and sale of Intoxicating
Mquors in the State?
I eay that experience has shown that
the present system Is best and has
proven reasonably effective and satis-
factory and ought to be retained as
the public policy of the State. On
the other hand, 1 declare the policy of
state-wide prohibition has proven but
an experiment In every State that
has tried It.
The agitation for State prohibition
began back In the forties, and most of
the New England State* adopted and
experimented with It more than half
• century ago. All of them have
abandoned State prohibition and
adopted the local option and regula-
tion system, except Maine, and that
State will vote In September to de-
termine whether State wide prohibi-
tion aha)! continue in the constitution
of that State, or If the people will
adopt the system of local self-govern-
ment and regulation of the traffic aa
other New England States that tried
State prohibition have done. State
prohibition is conceded to have been a
farce and a failure In Maine for more
than a quarter of a century. Undoubt-
edly a majority of her people have
wanted It abandoned and taken out of
their constitution, but not until the
defeat of the Republican party last
year could enough members tie elected
to the legislature to re-submlt It to
the people to be voted upon. If the
pending amendment to the constitu-
tion of Texas la adopted and prohibi-
tion proves unsatisfactory and a fail-
are here, aa it has everywhere else. It
win be the fruitful source of the bit-
terest of political resentment and
strife In Texme for fifty years. A
minority of the legislature, comprla-
Mg more than one-third of the mem-
bers of either bouse or senate, could
defeat the re-eubmlseton of the quen
whether Intoxicating liquors should be roan rjgMs to fall prostrate and be
sold within the county or the pre-: trampled under foot in this way? Can
clnct. It was further provided that, 0ur rights of local self-government in
the legislature should have the right due anj constitutional form be made
to regulate and tax the sale of intoxl- j j0 give way to frenzied fanaticism
eating beverages. And in the "local j which will Induce a good citizen to
option" provision It Is provided that declare himself for a policy like that
the people, upon petition, can vote, announced by the vice-chairman of
every two years upon the question. I the prohibition State committee?
thus clearly providing for a change of j shall our constitution become a dish
public opinion, and for a way to ex-; rag for the convenient use of political
press that opinion. But If this pro-! despots leading a popular clamor? Or
vision is repealed and replaced by the j shall it remain the bulwark of protec-
proposed prohibition amendment, youjtion to the Individual and continue to
will never again be given an oppor- j confer upon him and the community,
tunity to vote upon the question until J and the county, that governmental au-
vou can elect two-thirds of the mem-1 tonomy, security, protection and ef-
bers of both branches of the legisla-
ture who will order an election to re-
peal It, ) »- *
----* ' ii ~ -•
Deriding Local Self-Government.
One of your fellow citizens Is going
about the State deriding local self-
government and local self-control on
this question. In 1905 he said local
option was the right way to handle
the question. Now he says that If It
is not right In the State It la not
right in the county. He says that lo-
cal option Is a grant to the counties,
and their subdivisions, from tbe State,
and that It may be withdrawn from
them at any time. True, and that Is
just what Is now proposed—to take
away from the people of each county
the right to govern themselves on
this question. But Is it right to do It?
It should not be overlooked that the
same breath If sovereignty that
created the State created the coun-
ties; the same constitution and form
of government Is established for both.
But by the exercise of power—op-
pressive power—the constitution can
be so changed as to abolish the coun-
ties, and by the same arbitrary rule
fectiveness necessary to the happi-
ness and tranquillity of the people.
vw— ——
An Appeal to Reason.
Discarding aspersion and abuse, I
appeal to the reason as well as to the
calm and dispassionate judgment of
the thoughtful man. All over the State
they are assailing me with vitupera-
tion, and In some instances, with
downright falsehood. Is it necessary
to destroy me and besmirch my good
name that others might take my place?
1 have not deemed It necessary to re-
tort In kind to some harsh and false
things that have been said, but I do
want to appeal to your reason. Now,
suppose you force prohibition upon the
people of counties where public senti-
ment Is overwhelmingly opposed to it,
do you not think they will regard It
with disfavor? What provisions will
you make for Its enforcement In those
counties? Will you have the legisla-
ture pass a law to deprive them of the
right to elect their own county offi-
cers? You can’t do that without an
other change in the constitution. Will
you have the legislature pass a law to
deprive the people of the county of
voice In thta legislation. Now, for all
these years we have had local option,
which has permitted each county to
legislate the saloon out of Its borders
by a majority vote of Its people, and
this, too, was vouchsafed to the peo-
ple of all the counties during a time
when tnose who did not believe In the
principle of prohibition were in the
majority in the legislature and in the
State. But now It is proposed to take
this right from the counties which
have not yet adopted local option.
The people of the pro counties have
exercised the right of local control
for all these years; now will they vote
to deny the same right to the people of
other counties of equal intelligence
and patriotism? Leaving out the fa-
natics, I don't believe that even the
prohibitionist, who consults his reason
and decides the question in the spirit
of the Golden Rule of "do unto others
as we would have others do unto us,"
will vote for the pending amendment
and deny the very same right to oth-
ers which he has contended for so
long himse'.f. So much now for a dis-
cussion of the underlying principles in-
volved In this contest.
ar.d overbearance tbe constitution of the right to a trial by JuTy, or deprive
tbe United States can be amended so | the people of the county of the right
to sit upon a Jury In the trial of vio-
lations arising In that county? You
can’t do that without another change
in the constitution. Will you have the
legislature to pass an act to take cul-
prits charged with violation of the law
to another county for trial? This will
be revolutionary and unjust. Will you
pass a law requiring the governor to
send an array of rangers to the coun-
ties to supplant the local authorities
and aTtest, offenders? And then will
you compel by fore, Juries to render
verdicts of guilty? Or will you de-
clare martial law? Who has not heard
of the resentment of old Ireland and
her people against a similar oppres-
sion of the rights of her people by
England? The American colonies
thought the laws of taxation paased by
the British parliament were unjust and
thev rebelled against them. Now, in
the light of the ages and of reason. 1
appeal to the ludgment of the probibl
tlonist and ask him If tho present »ys-
tem of local option does not answer
all the requirements of the moral sen-
timents which may be actuating him?
la it not better to use pet suasion on
the people of counties that are now op-
posed to local option, even from the
standpoint of a prohibitionist, and ap-
peal to the people of those counties to
adopt It, If It is efficacious, rather than
apply the doctrine of force to them?
Ireland baa battled against this spirit
of force for centuries and M gradually
being accorded home rule and local
selfgorernnoent. The thirteen colonies
of our own country resented the doe-
trine of force—-the doctrine of being
iegtelated for without being allowed a
as to abolish the counties, and by the
same arbitrary rule and overbesranct
jthe constitution of the (United States
can be amended so as to abolish the
State, and we could have one vast em-
pire policed by districts. The State,
or tbe constitution, creates the coun-
ity and precinct as the unit for the
enforcement of all the laws, and
creates Judges, sheriffs and other of-
ficers to execute and carry forward
the plan of government and execute
the laws. The people of tbe counties
received all this authority from the
State, too; from the same constitution
that allows them local option In the
control of the manufacture and sale of
alcoholic stimulants. And the same
-onstltution, or the State, confers the
right of trial by Jury and the right to
demand that you be confronted by the
witnesses against you if you are ac-
cused of crime, and It confers on the
citizen of the county the right, and
imposes the duty, to act as grand Ju
rors and aa petit Jurors; to Investi-
gate and to determine charges against
those accused of crimes and mlsde
meanors. The State can. by a major
Ity vote, amend Its constitution to
taka away all fbese right* of local
self-government from the people of
the several counties. These rights
were all conferred upon the counties
and the people of the counties, re-
spectively, by the State, or the con-
stitution of the State—and tbe sov-
ereignty that created the State creat-
ed these right* In the counties. They
are sovereign rights which can not
be taken away except by force. The
right of the people of the county to
Abuse and Proscription.
One of the chtel weapons used by
the prohibition orators Is proscription
and abuse. They try to besmirch
those who do not favor the amend-
ment; but such talk should not have
weight with sensible people. Recently,
in a speech in San Antonio, a Repub-
lican politician who has held office all
his life, in a prohibition speech said
In effect that the saloonkeeper was a
good fellow, and that he was not fight-
ing him, but the man who had no pe-
cuniary Interest in the traffic and was
opposed to the prohibition amendment,
was the "dirty" fellow. ]?e denounced
those of us who are op- o?ed to this
undemocratic doctrine as utiag worse
than the man engaged In the traffic.
He meant by that to say that the man
who is an antl-prohibltlonlst from prin-
ciple is a very bad man; such men,
for Instance, as George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson.
Henry Clay, Sam Houston, Jefferson
Davis, Jim Hogg, Senators Culberson
and Bailey, and the bishops and clergy
of the Episcopal and Catholic churches,
and the tens of thousands of church-
men. All these he or they would put
down as bad men because they dare
to think for themselves on the prohibi-
tion qv.r-:!cn r.r.d crvr'!"' It.
According to this standard of "good-
ness," the Turk and the Moor and all
other Mohammedans ought to.be the
best people on earth, for they teach
and practice prohibition absolutely as
a requirement of their church. The
Mohammedans do not even use wine
as a symbol, and It forms no part of
their religious devotions. The real
sure enough rrohibitonlst Is the Mo-
hammedan. They spread their church
over a good part of Asia, and all of
Egypt and Palestine, and threatened
Europe, but they did it under tbe prin-
ciple of prohibition—by force, with
fire and sword. The governments dom-
inated by the Mohammedans do not
know what local self-government Is,
have no constitution, and the church
and State are blended and have one
head and one code. There you have
the prohibition theory summed up in
one grand peroration. The Mohamme-
dan Is treacherous and blood-thirsty—
but be Is a prohibitionist. In line with
hint Is the man who recently, in a
speech !n Sherman, tried to create the
impression that everybody was now
denied a hearing before tbe State gov-
ernment on equal terms with saloon
keepers. The man who tried to create
that impression is too mean in spirit
and too full of venom to deserve fur-
ther notice from me; he would slander
anything or anybody If it suited his
purpose to do it. I have given every-
body, high or low, a tearing. 1 am
willing to compare the appointees
made by me with those of any admin-
istration the State hag ever had. Most
of them are church members and all
are of tbe highest character—there is
not one of them who Is not a better
man, from any polDt of view, than the
man who sought by questions and in
uendos to asperse them.
attendance and 72.94 per cent of en-
rollment In attendance.
Marshall, a prohibition town In East-
ern Texas, with a scholastic popula-
tion of 3,463, has 65.98 per cent of tbe
population enrolled, 73,34 per cent of
the population In attendance and C5.69
per cent of the enrollment in attend-
ance. Beaumont, an anti-prohibition
town, with 3,873 scholastic population,
91.43 per cent of which Is enrolled,
C8.89 per cent of the population In at-
tendance, 75.35 per cent of the enroll-
ment in attendance.
Asylum Statistics.
Prohibition speakers try to show
that the saloon is responsible for 40
per cent of the Insane in the asy-
lums. The figures show the following
facts, made up from statements of the
superintendents of recent date. And
I may add that these superintendents
are all either prohibitionists or local
optlonlsts, with on possible exception,
And T don't l-nrtnt hlo off Iftldo*
Adopts Houston's Reply
As an answer to the’bltteuie,,
spirit and the attack* upon me f0r m,
views, I adopt the reply of 8am Horn.
ton to a delegation of mlnlst..rj
called upon him in 1853 and r< quested
him to advocate prohibition statut*.
He said to them:
"The laws of Mexico, Intended to
prescribe and regulate a peraon’j r»
llglous belief, were tne first moving
cause that Inspired the Texas iiatrlota
to draw their swords In defense of Z
lightened freedom and religious tolsr*
tlon. The mnn that fought for and
won her independence, dedicated bet
soil to be tbe abode and dwelling
place of freedom of every kindred and
tongue, coming from all nations, to
enjoy, unmolested, at they may think
proper, the religious views and cue
toms taught them In their native lands
Our friends, the Germans, are a clan
of Immigrants I have made great **
ertlons to secure. They purchase our
to secure.
land and pay us cash. Some of tb«n
and 1 don t know his attitude. .have settled on land that was contld-
Number inmates Insane asylum ered unproductive, without Irrigation,
a; Austin— ' Through their skill and Industry thli
Dry counties .............................. 581 dormant soil blossoms like the ron
Partially dry counties ........... 57<» i and brings forth Immense treasures of
Wet counties .. ................ 381 ' wealth. We beckon these peaceable
-! Intelligent and hardy pioners to our
1,535 j shores; we promise them an asylum
Number Inmates Insane Asylum
at San Antonio—
Dry counties ..................................... 307
Partially dry counties .................... 202
Wet counties .......!.............................. 607
1,116
Number Inmates Insane Asylum
at Terrell-
Dry counties ....................................1,560
Partially dry counties ..................... 427
Wet counties................................ 2)3
2.2C0
of freedom.
"When a government like curs tns'
dertakes to declare certain acts of fo.
divlduals unlawful, that a considerate
portion thereof honestly believe »a
abridgment of their Inalienable right*
■can not be enforced and Is calc*
it
lated to offset the respect that citi-
zens should have for the laws of tb
country.
“In regard to the suppression of ti
evils of Intemperance by legal enact-!
ment, I should give the measure IM
sanction and support, if I thought It
tofslb’e to accomplish the object Is
Number Inmates Epileptic Col- j that manner. I have given the msi
only at Abilene— : ter some thought, and I have come to
Dry counties .......................... 292 j the conclusion that there are Insub
Partially dry counties..................... 621 mountable obstacles In the way, in
Wet counties 116 the first place, If you prohibit the ss‘
-1 of intoxicating liquors In one country.;
A total of 5,327 Inmates, 2.719 of
which number are from counties to-
tally dry, 1,261 from counties partial-
ly dry, and 1,317 from the wet counties.
The superintendent of the San An-
tonio asylum, which has the largest
number of patients from 'wet” coun-
tin' article may be obtained from aa
adjoining one; If the State abolishes!
the traffic of honest spirits, lmports-i
tions of the same from the neighbor-
ing State may be resorted to. if :h*
congress of the United State* should
prohibit the manufacture and sale. Im-
portation from foreign countries would
Not Sustained by the Facte.
Contention Is made by prohibition
campaign orators that prohibition will
Increase the attendance In the schools.
The records of the prohibition states,
by comparison, do not support this con-
tention. The latest statistics show the
following by comparison: Tennessee,
a prohibition state, shows scholastic
population of 766,849, and 47.46 per
cent attended school. Oklahoma, pro-
hibition, with 515,478 scholastic pop-
ulation, 44.82 per cent attended school.
Georgia, prohibition, with 735,471
scholastic population, 48.64 per cent
attended school. North Carolina, pro-
hibition, with 727,565 scholastic popu-
lation, 46.18 per cent attended school.
Mississippi, prohibition, with 712,044
scholastic population, 39,93 per cent
attended school. Alabama (prohibition
when figures heVe given were made),
with 087,274, 39.52 per cent attended
ties, voted for prohibition In Kaufman j take place. If congress should pass
ond 'heretoro can not be no-; a law prohibiting the importation It
rtiseil of undue partisanship against. would Involve (he government In a wir
prohibition. He says that only 4 per with natlonaltitles where treaties
cent of his patients are there as are-'have been formed
suit of excessive use of alcoholic stim- i —
ulants.
The Experience of Nations and Stafk
The experience of nations and stats*
has shown that It is best to force the
traffic in Intoxicants Into the
- U*n:
J
Penitentiary Statistic*.
Much is said about the effect of the , wh(.re „ b regulated and the
!I"rha'L-e'il1 rim0C °n^lr and * re8ul,g of excessive drinking reduce*
i , prr°b'b ,on T**: <° th« ®'n<“unt. Even In this country
Z £'*• ....«.....- » * *“"»"»
Below is a statement showing the [
number of convicts sent to the penlien
rnee' An^nrtnnlni^1 'I'* I ,0 dr,V« th,> <» “ dealers who
lon are shown * conv*- haudled nothing else, and by this
V,"?I . . , | means make it easier to regulate. !n
counties f U‘ t0,a‘y < ry0 ... - addition, the wisdom of statesmen fa»-
wb|tc ......................................... gp.',! oring this policy, believing as they did
Negro ..............................................1,079
j iation, and Intoxicating liquors wer*
: to be had at every tavern and store,
j One of the purposes of taxing It »aj
Mexican ........................................... 10C
Number sent from partially dry
counties ... ............ 1,131
White ......................................... 374
Negro ................. C50
Mexican .............'........................ it 7
that It would be Impossible to prohlb-i
it the consumption of liquor, taxed It;
for a two-fold purpose—one was to
raise revenue and ths other to reduce
the number of places where It could he
purchased. As Hlready shown, the
consumption of liquor in prohibition
states has evidently not decreased It
___. . , „ Btoice uas UUU-IUI • uut Ufureuscu. iV
White counties 1.803 | hss cl0Bed up the ,aloon whlch whlch
v. ® ............................................ ; paid a tax upon Ita business, and was
b ...................................... subjected to regulation and to punish-
x ran ................................... 3(/4 ,meiit for violating tbe law, but It did
A further analysis of the same state- j not stop the consumption of liquor, for,
ment from which the above Is taken | according to the report and estimate of
shows that— ! the Interstate Commerce commission,
Of the 2,177 sent from totally dry
counties, 1,064, or 49 per cent, were
sent for burglary, theft or robbery.
Of the 1,131 sent from partially dry
countie*, 665, or 58 per cent, were
sent for burglary, theft or robbery.
Of the 1,803 sent from wet counties.
1110, or 62 per cent, were sent for
burglary, theft or robbery.
A total of 5,111 convicts were sent
to the penitentiary during the periods
of 1906 to 1910 Inclusive, and of this
number 43 per cent were from the to-
tally dry counties, 22 per cent from the
partially dry counties, and 35 per cent
from the wet counties.
These figures disprove all the con-
tentions of the prohibition orators and
advocates. Yet candor compels me to
say that I do not think the figures
the amount consumed in prohibition
states is about the average per capita
for the entire country- In the morn-
ing papers a few weeks ago was an
Associated Press dispatch telling us
that In Memphis, Tennessee, one thou-
sand saloon keepers had plead guilty
to selling liquor in violation ot tba
state prohibition law of Tennessee,
and each of them paid n fine of twenty
dollars, and costa to tbe amount of
$28.50, and opened up their places the
next morning. Tennessee has a prohi-
bition governor and a prohibition leg-
islature, elected and controlled by the
I Republicans and Prohibition Demo-
crats. Recently, a Texas newspaper
sent a telegram to Governor Hooper,
at Nashville, and asked him If the re-
port that saloons were running open in
school. Now with these states com-jha8 not stopped crime where It Is In
pare Texas, anti-prohibition, with a
scholastic population 'of 949,006, 61.83
per cent attended school.
Take cities and towns In this State
for firrther Illustration: Wichita Falls
In Northwest Texas, with 1,422 schol-
astic population, 108.16 per cent en-
rollment and 67.09 per cent of scholas-
tic population in attendance and 62.09
per cent of Enrollment In attendance
compared with Brownwood In Middle
West Texas, with 1,503 scholastic pop-
ulation, 98.94 per cent of which is
enrolled. 46.73 per cent of enrollment
in attendance and 47.34 of the enroll-
ment being In dally attendance.
Brownwood is a prohibition town and
Wlehlta Falls is an antl-prohlbltlon
town.
• Take Corsicana, a prohibition town,
and compare It with Temple, an antl-
prohlbltlon town—the two cities being
in Central Texas and made up of simi-
lar population. Corsicana has 2,136
scholastic population with 101.69 per
cent of the scholastic population en-
rolled; 72.75 per of the population In
attendance and 60.69 peT cent of en-
rollment In attendance, where Tem-
ple with 2,271 scholastic population,
99.60 per cent of which Is enrolled,
baa 72.65 per cent of the population in
worth anything as an argument on ‘ that pity was true. Governor Hooper,
either side of the question, but they
are given for the value of the honest
facts which they show. Crime and In-
sanity is the result of many causes
and influence, not necessary for me to
discuss here. Most of it lg due to the
inate meanness and weakness of hu-
man nature. Crime Is punished, but
not prohibited, by the law. The taste
for liquor was never yet destroyed
by legislative enactments, and if 90
per cent of the crimes committed Is
attributable to Intoxicating liquor, ot
even 40 per cent, or any other per
cent, the facts show that prohibition
effect. No man will deny the baneful-
ness of excessive drink, nor of intem-
perance in any form. Human nature
must be reconstructed to prevent it.
Persuasion, gentleness, charity and
love, will regenerate a man, but force,
abuse, and nagging never will accom-
plish it. Kind treatment and a ray of
hope to the forsaken felon In the pen-
itentiary Is more potent and effective
In his reformation than the lacerations
made by the inhuman application of
the strap and the bat. We are trying
the doctrine of compassion on the
convicts now and it has worked a
wonderful reformation in the conduct
of the convict. Under the application
of the lash applied with cruel force,
the penitentiary used to be a perfect
hell of Inhuman torture. Yet those
chief in authority and responsible for
it are now referred to as ‘'Christian
statesmen,” without a single other vir-
tue to commend them except 'ue one
fact that they are aupporting the pro-
hibition amendment. Men have walk-
ed through fiery furnaces and been
burned at the stake tor conscience
sake, but those who compelled them
to thus suffer In the light of the age*
following have not been regarded as
"Christian statesmen."
elected as he was by the Republicans
and Prohibition Democrats, admitted
In his reply to the Texas editor that
saloons were open and doing busi-
ness in the capital city of Tennessee,,
but promised some action as soon as
the legislature did something. This
Is the admission of a prohibition gov-
ernor in a prohibition State.
Culberson and Bailey on Enforcement.
These facts are cited and their
source given that the unbiased mind
may reflect over them, in a letter
written by Senator Charles A. Cul-
berson and published in Texas on the
morning of April 21st of this year. In
giving his reasons, among other things,
for opposing the adoption of the pro-
hibition amendment to our constitu-
tion, he said:
'It Is naturally to be presumed, how-
ever, that, broadly speaking. It tfas
urged In Its favor ns I do that this
local option provision, while yielding
something to so-called sumptuary leg-
islation, would yet Tetaln the princi-
ple of local self-government on the
subject and thus allow each commun-
ity to control the matter for Itself and
effectively through the law and pub-
lic opinion enforce the will of the
people where local option Is adopted.
In this connection, I have no doubt
that the framers of the constitution
properly gave consideration also to the
fact that some communities have more
efficient police facilities than others
for abating and controlling the evils
which ofien result from the traffic la
liquors. Ro, too, they must have re-
membered, as I have done In reaching
a conclusion on the question, that
many localltle* of our State are In-
habited by a manly, sturdy, Intelligent
and patriotic Tace, whoso habits in
the use of »uch beverages, while tem-
perate, are fixed, and the deprivation*
IjIMbK
n
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Terrell, H. B. The West Weekly News. (West, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 41, Ed. 1 Friday, July 21, 1911, newspaper, July 21, 1911; West, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth588098/m1/2/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting West Public Library.