Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-03-03
Local Option.

read with much interest your article
on Local Option. You seem to be of
about the same opinion as myself, that is.
you don't know just what to think of it.
Now I am not member of any temper
ance order, nor have I been brought
up teetetalre. l have often seen
wine on my fathers table and
twenty years ago used it on my own
occasionally. I have kept whiskey in my
house for years and keep it now though
only for sickness. But have some boys
growing up. tolerably promising boys, and
soon they must go out into the world and
be exposed to the temptations of the city.
I do not know how much more able to
withstand temptation they may be than
other boys have been, brought up under
similar circumstances, who have fallen IN
to drinking habits. In this connection l
have thoughtra great deal about this Lo-
cal Option business, and my wife and l
have often talked 1t oyer. l have heard
| Prohibition had proved a failure wherever
| it had been tried, and I have been endeav-
oring to find out the facts of the case. l
| had sent me few days ago an address OF
| Gov. st. John of Kansas, delivered at a
great temperance meeting in Brooklyn, N.
Y, aud want to send you few extracts
from it.
III 1880, an amendment to the State
Constitution, prohibiting forever the man
ufacture and sale of Intoxicating liquors
as a beverage within the borders of the
State was submitted to the people, and re-
ceived 5000 majority.
When the Legislative body came togeth-
er the following January, tue laws for its
enforcement were passed in the Senate by
v,,te of 80 COT. and in the House it re
ceived 100, to % against. It was opposed
by the organized liquor dealers in the
State, because they knew $50 they said,)
it would increase the manufacture and
sale of Intoxicating liquors in Kansas -
Now for results. The assessment roll of
1881, under Prohibition, showed that the
valuation of personal property alone, was
$40 ,243 600, greater than it was in 1880 be-
fore prohibition, and little over $4,000
600 greater increase than any previous year
in the history of Kansas.
AS to the effect upor emigration and
railroads, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe Railway Company showed the earnings
for that road for 1880 under the old license
system, amounted to 81 millions dollars.
In 1881, II millions dollars was the sum
earned by that road AS to the assertion
that 10000 citizens had left Kansas and
settled in Southwestern Missouri since
this prohibitory law took effect, Gov. st.
John says there is not a word of truth in
it, hut that during the past Is months the
population of Kansas has increased 900
and that increase is made I'D of the very
best citizens that ever came into the State.
The foreign vote, in Mcpherson county
with population of nearly 20. 900, with |
the greatest percentage of foreign popula-
ton of any in the State, gave l ,220 major |
ity for prohibition, the entire American
vote but little exceeding 1,220. Of the six
townships in that county having the |
greatest foreign vote, all six gave
the greatest majority for prohibition.
When Gov. st. John was nominated year
ago the people upon the first ballot in
convention gave him more than two votes
to one for the opposition, out-spoken as he
was in favor of prohibition, and his ma
jority at the election was $500.
During the LIST II months of 80 before
prohibition went into effect) there were
sent to the Kansas penitentiary 2s6 con-
victs, against IT'S in the 1st II months I'M
der prohibition. The Gov. further says in
at least three-fourths of the State prohibit
ton is as absolute, and as honestly obeyed
ana enforced as any other law in the stat
ute book prohibiting crime.
These Messrs. Editors are interesting
facts and I wish any of your readers who
can do so would give us any facts bearing
on the other side of the question: as l, like
many others, wish to form an unbiased
opinion and fair judgment on this impor-
tant question.
INQUIRER.
A107fetn (IO Feb 27th