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November iof 1909. THI
Temperance j
THE "BLIND TIGER" AND LICENSED
TERRITORY.
The old argument to the effect that
the blind tiger always takes the place
of the saloon in dry territory, along with
other stock arguments of our friends, the
liquorites, has about had its day. This
argument, used to the limit as it has been
in local option elections throughout the
country, has often been responsible for
retaining the saloons in communities
where, in reality, the majority of the people
were opposed to these institutions.
Recent investigations, however, in a number
of states have not only shown that
the argument itself is false, but have also
disclosed a condition of affairs not heretofore
suspected by many of the temperance
people. In the State of Ohio, for instance.
the last renort of the dairv and
food commissioners shows beyond the
question of a doubt that the blind tiger
flourishes much better in license communities
than in communities where the saloons
have been abolished. The law of
the State of Ohio makes it the duty "of
the dairy and food commissioner, through
his detective force, to ferret out all places
in the State where intoxicating liquors
are sold without State license, and to
place the proprietors of such establishments
on the liquor tax duplicate. The
latest report of the commissioner shows
that the largest number of blind tigers
has been found in the county which has
the largest number of saloons; that the
second largest number of blind tigers has
been found in the county which has the
second largest number of saloons, and
that the fewest blind tigers have been
found in counties of that State where
the saloons have been abolished by the
vote of the people.?Exchange.
United States census returns show that
drunkenness figured as a direct and contributing
cause in 19 per cent, of all divorces
from 1887 to 1906 in the United
Staes. According to the census figures.
liquor was the sole cause of divorce in
13,616 cases, and the cause in combination
with some other in 17,765 cases. In
addition to this, there were 130,287 in
which drunkenness was an indirect or
contributory cause.
Let it be set down as an undeniable
fact that there is less violation of the
liquor laws in dry territory than in wet.
The fewer saloonkeepers and the fewer
saloons the fewer violations will there
be. for there will be fewer onnortunities.
The way to put a stop to gambling is to
shut up the gambling dens. It would be
a great impediment to the sale of dry
goods if the dry goods stores should all
be closed by law. We would consider it
a great blow to popular education should
the schoolhouses all be destroyed. If we
wish to stop drunkeness, carousing and
the demoralization of the young and the
ignorant lei us snui up tne saloons, and
keep them shut.?Herald Presbyter.
? PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU'
WHAT IS HE WORTH?
What is your boy worth, any way?
Would you give up your old party for all
time to come for his security? That is a
foolish question and yet your democratic
and republican ballots may be the ruin
of him. If your ballot doesn't ruin your
own noy it may help to send some other
father's boy to perdition. If you be a
man, and you are, stop it before it is too
late.
PROHIBITION AND PROPERTY.
It is now a year and a half since the
sale of liquor was prohibited in Georgia.
Liquor men prophesied financial injury.
The report of the assessors for the year
1909 show$ that the taxable property in
the State is $725,867,000. This is an increase
over the previous year of $20,242,000.
A FEW RESULTS OF PROHIBITION IN
DANVILLE, VA.
The proprietor of a clothing store was
asked what effect is prohibition having
on your business? He replied: "I sell a
great many cheap suits to negroes at from
$10 to $12. They usually paid $1 at a
time and generally took about one year
to pay for a suit. Now they pay cash
for a suit, and some buy two suits a year,
instead of one."
A grocer asked the same question, replied:
"A man living here, has his family
working in a cotton factory. He draws
their weekly wages. Before prohibition,
his habit was to give a small coin to each
of his children, spend a dollar and a half
in groceries and use the balance for his
own purposes. He came in recently,
bought three barrels of flour and paid
cash for them."
A collector on his rounds, stopped at
a dwelling. The mistress of the house
came 10 me aoor witn a sealed envelope
in her hand, broke it open, took out $10
and handed it to him, saying: "This is my
husband's pay envelope; it is the first
time it has ever reached me unopened.
Heretofore it has gone first to the liquor
seller; after his bill was paid I got what
was left."
A DIME.
During a meeting at Columbus, Ga., a
man told this story: "I used to be a
drunkard; but I haven't touched liquor
for years. As 1 started into a saloon to
buy a drink of liquor with my last dime, a
poor, pale, drunkard's child, standing at
the door, begged me for help. Having
onlv the one dime, and thp pmoi onno?uo
for drink calling, I turned my back on
the pale face and dropped my dime on
the saloon counter and asked for a drink,
but I could not keep the little pale face
out of my mind. When the drink was
poured out, I said to the saloon-keeper:
'I have decided not to take it. I will give
this dime to the poor little girl at the
door.' I went back to find her, and she
was gone. The thought of my own little
girl, with her drunken father, came to
me, ana 1 said: 'I will spend this dime
for her.' I went out on the street and
spent the dime for candy and apples, and
went home sober. As my children gath*
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ered about my knee, happy over the little
present I had brought them, the tears
started down my cheeks. My wife, rejoicing
in the fact that I had come home
sober, came up and said: 'Dave, what
are you crying about? The rest of us are
very happy.' I said: 'I was just thinking
how happy the price of one drink of liquor
could make my whole family, and
how many dimes I have spent.' I then
and there promised my wife and children
never to touch another drop, and to bring
the dimes home to make them happy."
Liquor men say they are opposed to
prohibition because it does not prohibit.
That is, they insist, the law will not be
obeyed. Who will break it? Not temperance
people; not Christian people; not
law-abiding people. Wherever it is broken
it will be by the liquor men and their
victims. Wherever it is broken it will
be becaube some liquor dealer sells contrary
to law. Because they are anarchists
and criminals in heart and life, they demand
that the law shall be such as suits
them. It is better to make good laws and
then enforce them against criminals and
anarchists, and this is our policy today:?
Herald Presbyter.
HOW OLD MUST 1 BE?
"Mother," a little child once said, "how
old must I be before I can be a Chris
tian"?
The wise mother answered: "How old
will you have to be, darling, before you
can love me"?
"Why, mother, I always loved you; I
do now( and I always shall. But you
have not told me how old I shall have to
be."
The mother replied: "How old must
you be before you can trust yourself
wholly to me and my care"?
"I always did," she answered "but tell
me what I want to kno*v," and she put
her arms about her mother's neck.
The mother asked again: "How old
will you have to be be'cre you can do
what I want you to do"?
Then the child whispered, half guessing
what her mother meant: "I can
now, without growing older."
Her mother said: "You can be a
Christian now, darling, without waiting
to be older. Don't you want to begin
now" ?
The child whispered: "Yes." Theo
they both knelt down and In her prayer
the mother gave to Christ her little one
who wanted to be his ?Exchange.