Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-08-28
bOrOs'

STAUNToN, VA. August 24th, 1883.
At the request of the Ladies Of the Woman,s
Christian Temperance Union" letter was ad-
dressed to Mr.. George A. Bruce, of WayEes-
boro', in which the following statement was
made, viz: "The opponents of Local OPP
been asserting that it is a failure in Waynes-
boro'. and that as much. if not more, liquor, Is
sold there now than formerly" TO Whlch Mr..
II undertake to say that it is not true that as
much or more whiskey is sold here tnan was
before the passage of the law.
On the contrary, assert from careIul Opser-
walton that there was more than ten times the
amount of drunkenness in Waynesboro' De-
fore the passage of the law or before II went
into operation than there has been since. That
you may better understand me. L say That
there was more than ten times the drunken
ness here in the same length OF time before this
law went into operation than there has been In
the fifteen months that have passed since tne
law went into effect.
That whiskey is drunk here there Is no doubt,
but little or none Of it is bought IN Waynes-
boro'. doubt not that some whiskey. under
one disguise or another. is sold here. puI tnat
as much or more Is sold Is utterly untrue'
And defy any one to prove it..
No friend of the measure could hope or ex-
Pect 70 than he coud EXPECT to prevent
the violation of the various laws TO prevent all
other kinds of crime.
We have laws in our statute books to pre-
vent feloniess and misdemeanors of various
grades and yet they are violated. But this Is
no argument to prove that they ought not to
De6n
I have heard the same story before. and 1t
caused me to take some pains to enquire into
the truth of 1T. I have, In many ways, en-
quired of our citizens, that thought would be
most likely to know tie fact. If any was sold
at all, and yet have the hrst one TO nnd VINO
knows the fact, or that any has been sold.
have gone to the depot, where the whlskey-
and beer-sellers got 1t by the barrel end kegs by
the dozen before the law was in force. and the
through the depot now is nothing In COM
parison. Some parties here, as l understood,
Il was not one of them sent to Richmond and
got detective, who, after four or five days in
Vestigation, could only make out one single
case and that was half-witted negro, who. he
said, had sold some one half gallon of whis-
KEY In written report he stated that one or
two other negroes, and one white man, were
reported to be selling, but he could gather no
evidence of the fact. In view OF these rumors,
the Council appointed me to investigate these
reports, similar to those you have heard, and
gave a months attention to it without any IA
been put in Gil culation by those who are op-
posed to the law. and most everything else that
is good.
bred dollars who could prove the assertion to
the satisfaction of our Council; and the "whis.
key ring'' in Staunton, to which you refer, can
make the same mentioned amount of me, if
they will prove to the grand jury of our coun-
ty that half the amount is sold now that was
sold before.
merchants in Waynesboro' said that the Local
Option" law had greatly injured the business
a0o prosperity OF our IOWH. nave KNOWN
this place for over forty three years, and l as
sert without the least fear of successful con
tradiction, that at no time in all these years
has the town been more prosperous than it has
been for the past fifteen months; and it is only
necessary for you or any one else who has
known the place for any length of time to
come here and see the truth OF this assertion.
But to establish the truth of what have said,
l went to several of the leading merchants,
mechanics, and business men, and they fully
confirm my statement.
You are at liberty to use this letter in any
way you think proper.
Very Respectfully, 6. A. BRUCE.
We submit the foregoing for the careful con-
sideration of all those who doubt the good OF
the law referred to.
Just received at B. NJ. Jamison's beautiful
styles of Wall Papers at 121l and Is cents per
roll of 8 yds, Send for samples. It,