Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-11


one Of them reported Is Howard, 577), |
Chief-Justice fancy said: eff any
StaA deems the retail and internal traf-
&c in ardent spirits injurious to its citi-
Gems, and calculated to produce idle
ness, vice, or debauchery, see nothing |
in the Constitution Of the United States
70 prevent IL from regulating or re-
strsining the traffic, or from prohibiting
it altogether, il it thinks proper"
So much for sumptuary laws. The
ignorance OF xxx rs to their history
is indeed "an unknown quantity" 1t
passes knowledge.
Next, he finds fault with my state
ment that in Virginia reliable facts
make it quite certain that as much as
seventeen millions Of dollars are spent
J early in the purchase of Intoxicating
LIQUORS." But how does he attempt
TO meet it and contradict it? BY no
adverse and conflicting facts, but merely
by obtruding upon US more unknown
quantities. He tells US there were
only 2,7s3 retail liquor-dealers in Viz
ginia last year. But he does not tell
us how many saloons and bar-rooms
and dram.shops and cross.road and by
road liquor-dens there were in our
State; and he does not tell us how
much liquor was sold in the State by
the wholesale dealers who sell dis
TILED spirits and fermented Ii
quors by the hogshead and pioe
and quarter-cask and barrel. These
are the unknown quantities." to
which be ventured not TO approach.
As to the fact Of the seventeen millions.
let me say at once that it is not my
estimate, but the estimate made several
years ago by an eminent official per-
sonage of our State in comparing the
relative amounts expended for intoxi'
eating liquors and for public education
in the State; and that it is reasonable
and moderate estimate, and probably
below the reality, will appear from the
following facts and differences: The
amount of intoxicating liquors an
nually paid for in the United States
and Territories is 5000, 100000 T.
This is a fact too dismal and too
plainly proved to be doubted. See
American Almanac 1884, p. 70-72,
United States internal revenue reports,
as to spirits and fermented liquors.
Now, by the last census the population
of the whole United States and Terrific
ries was in round numbers $4,000, 900,
of which Virginia had 800, O00-that
is, 3 per cent. Of the whole. Does
any obseryant man doubt that the drink
ing population of Virginia consumed
their full average of the whole quantity
Of spirits and fermented liquors? Ifso.
then 3 per cent. Of 5000 100000
would give her So, 900, 900, instead Of
100000. So xxx and his I'M
known quantities :" are again tloored.
Next, he attempts to negative my
statements as to Maine and the effects
of her prohibition law. And he rene vs.
this attempt by his misleading statis-
tics in his article which appeared in
your issue Of April 18th. Ga these
points | might safely turn him over to
the tender mercies of Professor w. W.
Smith and Friend John Il. Crenshaw.
But wish to guard our people against
false lights. Let it be remembered
that in a State like Maine, consisting
almost entirely of white people who
can read and write, such crimes as
forgery, embezzlement, obtaining money
by false pretences and fraud are more
common than In Virginia. And be it
also observed that since the prohibit
ton laws all criminal laws have been
far more rigidly and punctually
enforced in Maine than with us.
How many convictions have we had in
Virginia under the laws against gam
bling and betting and railing, which
have been in force for years past? Few
indeed, How many convictions have
taken place in Richmond under the
ordinance forbidding the opening of sa-
looms and drinking-houseS on Sunday
Few indeed, But all such laws gre
enforced in Maine; hence the number
of convictions for crime in that State
paraded by XXX.
Nv assertion was that since prohi
bition was adopted in Maine crime anC
the consequences Of crime had Ito
large extent" been prevented in tina
4 State. And this assertion is full.
borne out by the following evidences
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Reports, 1874
"Ever since the enactment Of tn
liquor law the faithful manner in whicl
it has been executed has rendered tn
county of Androscoggin not only al
expensive field for the rumseller to pl,
his trade in, but dangerous one so ia
as his personal liberty is concerned
There is not an open bar for the sale o
Intoxicating liquors in operation. 1t /
not, as has been declared, an impossi
bility TO effectually suppress drinking
houses and ,ippling-shops."
Governor Chamberlain's Message
1870: The laws against intoxicating
liquors are as well executed and obeyeC
as the laws against profanity, unchas
tity, and murder"
Governor Nelson Dingley, Jr., 1874
1.-The city of Lewiston, with apopulatiol
Of 10000, has not an open dram-shop
Secret drinking has not taken the plac'
of open drinking"
In 1882 Ex-Governor Dingley de
livered an address in Washington, ID
c., in which he showed by distinct evi
dences that crime had largely dimin
ished in Maine under prohibition tina
Of the minor crimes Maine had only on,
criminal in l,G00 Of population, while
Massachusetts, had one in 500, Califor
MIA one in $50, and New York one il
600; and of the higher crimes Maine
had only one criminal in $40, Will
California had one in 1000, and New
York one in $500.
So my assertion is substantial,
proved, and the unknown quantities
of "XXX" are again found wanting
as evidence.
In closing, XXX INDUCES himself il
some attempts at rhetoric, and quotes
most inoppOrtunely for his cause the CRY
of Demetrius and his mob, Great i
Diana of the Ephesians." His liquor
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