Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-13
The Cold. Water Tidal Wave.

The Cold water ItdaI- wave.
To The Editor of the Dispatch:
As you are publishing both sides Of
the question that is being agitated by
the public mind, beg leave Of you to
grant me little Of your valuable space
for my side.
There seems to be a great tidal-wave
of cold-water men in our midst at pre-
sent, likely to do the same good that
the genuine one did few days ago.
The effect OF dry city on commerce,
to every intelligent mind, will simply
be paralyzing. When we take into con-
sideration the hundreds of good and re-
liable men it will throw out of employ
ment, men that have been engaged in
the liquor traffic all their lives, and at
the same time Just as moral as great
many Of those that condemn it, | ask.
Is there any justice in this: Then the
locsl-option claim, that the legitimate
article Of commerce is an outrage to
society-seemingly forgetting, because
it is for sale, they are not compelled to
partake thereof. But no; they are not
satisfied. They want to make the pre-
sent crisis worse they are after in
creasing the vast army Of unemployed
labor which threatens to shake this
mighty republic from stem to stern.
Provided the city of Richmond goes
dry, it will increase this army, now
numbering one million, some four or
five hundred.
Probbitionists say that the revenue
derived from the sale Of alcoholic stimu-
lants will not any more than pay the
salaries of the officers Of the law that
have to be employed on account of the
sale Of liquor.
Now, any man that has any know
ledge at all knows that if anything ever
was farce in this world, such talk Is
nonsense. Such argument as this is. too
shallow. and should be properly termed
a cold-water bubble. At the same time
they say that the men engaged in this
business are merely tax.gathererS and
not taxpayers. They will find out that
more officers than bar-keepers will have
to be employed to collect the same
ratio Of taxes, unless they increase taxa
ton, or put revenue tax on some
staple article which will eventually have
to he done in case the country goes dry.
Then, if such should be be case, it will
bear heavier on our people than any
LIQUOR system Of taxation ever has. For
instance they should put it on flour ;
then it would affect those that never
used alcoholic stimulant; then when
man wanted to buy barrel Of flour and
had to pay sl.75 for the revenue
stamp, it would seem hard. 1t
looks like it would be unjust.
Now, such things are possible, although
they may sound preposterous. Prohi-
bitionists may boot at such ideas, but
they are sober facts il they are expressed
in an Intoxicating cause. That this
country derives large revenues from the
sale Of liquor no one denies, and in case
the country cannot get it from liquor
another lamb must necessarily be led to
the slaughter. | do not pretend to say
that our adversaries are not cOnscien-
tious in what they are trying to do.
They think to stop the sale of whiskey
will be all, and then we can all sit down
without anything to do and look with
eyes Of thankfulness at the work OF the
temperance phlanthropists. Surely
they have not thought of the after-cilect
of their struggle in case they should be
victorious.
The farmers will feel the commercial
shock those that have grain to dispose
Of. Their grain will depreciate in value
as sure as such measure should sue
coed. They get little enough as it is
for what they have to dispose Of, but
when the amount that is distilled in
liquor annually is subtracted from the
bulk OF demands it will weaken them
25 per cent, Has this been thought Of
by our local-option men and women
think not. If they have thought of
these facts or should think Of them, if
they have the welfare Of the people at
heart, surely they will vote for the in
terest of themselves and the people in
general. But should they ignore these
facts, that are plain and practical to
every intelligent mind, by voting against
the sale of liquor, | think from my
standpoint and the standpoint of great
mand others that they will vote against
their own interest as well as the
public's interest. We hear people
say stop the sale of whiskey
and everything will be prosperous.
We will admit that some lines Of busi-
ness may improve. For instance The
drug business may improve. Doctors
may find occasion to write more pre-
scriptions than they have for some time.
Men will have it some way. If they
can't buy it by the drink here at home
they can send away and buy it by the
gallon. If they can't get it in Virginia
they can get it in Maryland, at the
same time paying the amount of revenue
in Maryland that rightly belongs to
Virginia. The writer has on several
occasions been in local-option counties
in Virginia, where it has been on trial
long enough for people to see what it
is-Psge and King George-and | found
it very easy to get whiskey. 1t will be
the same case in Richmond, provided
the dry ticket goes through. Our people
will get it somewhere. There will be
a great many illegitimate places here in
our city. We read the testimonials of
a great many men who speak in the
highest terms Of prohibition, for the
simple reason they championed the
cause and now do not want to 90 back
on what they have said and done. What
will cure Georgian might kill Vir-
ginian. CITIZEN.