Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1886-05-01

her appreciation of the Prohibition l;iV
!. by IL majority of 47,00D. "Ci;izcr
would have us believe it is u failure allt
won't work, while the Leading states
,nen and business men of Maine are ties
tifying to the beneiicialres OF prohl
biti0n in That state. Consider tllesefacl'
and ask yollrsrll cs ii "Ctizen" or th".
are worthy to be believed. For reply tt
Ills assertion that prohibition does moi
prohibit, Il few instances out of hundreds
are cited, based upon indisputable testl
nony, where local option laws do prohib.
it to Il great extent. The city Of Vine
land, N. j., with u populationor 10, 600,
by the aid of local option is without /;
grogsllop, her police force consists of one
constable, and lie acts as overseer Of the
poor, and it only costs $75a year to sup
port the poor. The towns of Greeley,
Colorado, and Bavaria. Illinois, can
show about the same record by the bles-
sing OF local option laws.
One hundred and twelve counties in
The state Of Georgia have gone for local
option, and the testimony from all over
the stale is to the effect, that every ma
terial interest has advanced since prohl-
bition has gone into effect. The News,
of Savannah, Ga. says ''There is not a
town or county in Georgia which has
tried it, that does not report increased
prosperity rs the result Of closing the
saloons. In Hamilton county, Ga,
where they used to ply from 81 to $1.5e
the assessment now is SO cents.n
If prohibition will do so much good
in other states, why not in Virginia. If
it decreases taxes in other places, why
not in Virgiliil?
Equally fallacious is the effort ofs'Cit-
izenn to show from tile auditors re-
port. "tllat an increase of taxes Will be
the result, on account of the loss Of the
revenue derived from The liquor license,
and that thereby The public schools must
suffer- 4 sufficient answer to "Citi-
zen" on this point is. that the auditor S
report shows the public schools are pro-
vided for from the capit;,iion, land and
property, and railroad taxes. Again,
s'Citiz IL" tries to show "Lhat the State
is liable for. the entire interest on the
Riddicberger settlement, :" when only \
small percentage OF State indebtedness
has been funded under the Riddleberger
Bill If the State Treasury WAS in such
Il depleted condition, Willy did the au-
thorities buy up several hundred thous-
and dollars of State bonds last year? No,
if every city aud county in Virginia
were to pass prohibitory laws at once,
(which isn't probable,) there would he
no necessity TO increase taxes. If you
will examine the Richmond Dispatch Of
April It'll, it says, There was in tile
Treasury Yesterday. 1886, 900, and this
would be ample TO meet current de
mands. and furnish the required amount
for the purchase of new Is, NIX.
The net amount received for liquor
license in 1855 was S5l5. l66. and a con-
siderable part or this WAS paid in cou-
pons, so you see we would still have a
balance after deducting tile liquor IL
cense.
The liquor dealers say to the voters.
YOU vote down local option and we Will
pay your taxes. Now, let US see how he
does it. Tie peoplcof Virginiaspend over
Sl3, 100000 yearly in the liquor traffic
ard the State receives alittle over $500,
600 for liquor license. Now, the writer
of this does not pre- fess to be an extra
mathcmatic but lie does not sec how
he would ever be able toig,rc out Il pro-
fit for the State of Virginia out of such
problem. 1t call lie seen though, how
easily the tax question. for which the Ii
quor dealers profess so much concern,
could lie solved, if the amount now spent
annually to continue the traffic in liquor
and debaucll the people could be cmptled
INTO our treasury. Is it not truly saving
at the spgot and losing at the bunghole
to pay Sl3. GM 600 TO save $500 .OOe? In
conclusion, Mr.. Editor, appeal 10 The
voters to say what they think of the Ii
quor dealers posing, as many of them do,
as the champions Of law ;uld ORDER
What causes thctl' Secration Of the S:lb-
batlp Why lrc there so many blighted
homes in our land? Why so many wives
MORNING for their husbands? Why so
many parents weeping for their de-
bauched children2 Why SO many chill
tlren in filth AND rags? Why SO many
broken hearted noihrrsp Is there but
one answer, and does it not come to us
in tones of thundcr?-the liquor traffic
more than all other evils combined. 1t
is not my desire in this article to wound
the feelings of those engaged in this
traffic, but it is my carnest desire and
prayers to my God, that they may see
the error OF their ways and join hands
with us in removing the curse. If they
would do so, and ergageinsteadin some
business upon which God s blessings
could he asked, | venture the prophesy
that the material interests IF Virginia
would prosper as they have never done
before. ANOTHER CITIZEN.
Eusfe- Entertainment