West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1882-03-15


law. To do SO strictly would ruin
the traffic. Why? Because the
law only allows sales to be made on
week days, to good, sober men that
never get drunk. That is the ex-
PLANTATION of the failure Of the H.
cense law in nutshell.
I have long since abandoned the
hope that the traffic will ever be
controlled under license laws.
America has tried the law for over
two hundred and forty years, and
England for over five hundred
years, and neither have ever con-
trolled it. Nor will they ever con-
troll it with anything less than to-
tai and perfect prohibitory laws.
The system is a sham to cover up
all species of crimes and debauche-
ry. This is christian nation, and
the christian religion recognizes
the fact that the gigantic traffic
lies square across the broad road of
advancing civilization and chris
tianity, and it must be removed.
1t is a struggle between right and
wrong, but truth and right are
mighty, and in Gods own good
time, will rise and assert their
rightful claims over human affairs.
This State is full of so-called
drug-stores, where intoxicating liq
uors are sold, where the vicious and
dangerous elements of society con-
gregate for the purpose of drinking,
and gambling, and that more fire.
quently on the Sabbath than on
any other day; where can be seen
the boy of ten or twelve years, up
to the old gray-headed man totter-
ing on the brink of the grave, who
can buy as much Of the poisoned
drug as they want. And often the
young man who has been taught
to lisp the child's prayer at his
mothers bedside, is lured into these
drinking, gambling hells, and for
ever ruined. No station of life is
proof against these unholy dens of
vice. They are the preparatory
schools of crime, debauchery, pau
perism, and every thing that is
low and debasing. And our State
is not free from this curse. AS
proof of what I say [ will invite
the attention of Senators to the re-
port Of the Superintendent of our
Penitentiary for the years 1880 and
1881. II these two years there were
sent to that institution 1870 con-
victs, 124 Of whom were sent from
II counties with population of
230,700. These counties have al
ways granted liquor license, except
perhaps two or three of them have
refused since May last.
These counties are Berkeley, Ca
bell, Harrison, Lewis, Mason, Ma
rion, Monroe, Ohio, Putnam, Sum-
mers, Kanawha and Wood. The
other Sc convicts came from "a
counties that grant no license. All
these, or nearly all these counties
have the sham drug stores, where
the traffic is carried on in clan
destine way, but not so bad as in
the counties where license is
granted. These counties have a
population of 22S,00O-very nearly
that of the II counties above nam
ed
There are Is counties in the
State that have sent no convicts to
the Penitentiary in 1880 or 1881,
with population of 161, 900. But
it is to be regretted that ardent
spirits are sold to some extent in
nearly all of these counties, and in
two or three the traffic is carried on
to such an extent as to be disgrace
to the officers of the law in these
counties.
(The superintendent report
was circulated among the Senators
on the floor, and examined by
many Of them, and many questions
being asked, were quickly answer
ed by the speaker.)
This report shows very conclu-
sively what whisky is doing for
our State prison. Let Us divide
our population into three classes.
First, u counties with a popula-
ton of230,700 have 124 convicts, or
one for every 1860 inhabitants.
SaoOnd 81 counties with a r,on,1la-