Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-14


10 the Editor of the Dispatch:
Does any reading and sensible, think
ing man, "wet" or dry" believe
that, should the local-option law 60 into
effect, those who want stimnlant would
have to 60 without it. Any one who
thinks so makes the wish the father Of
the thought. l have careSAly read all
that our papers have had TO say on the
subject, and conclude the 1" dry" men
have not an inch Of ground to stand on.
Now, my fellow-citizens, who are so
anxiously asking US to vote "dry,"
have you for moment considered what
you are doing: Suppose, for instance,
you carry your point. What will you
accomplish? Nothing but closing out
all respectable men in the business, and
continuing it in the hands of unprinci-
pied ones. To be sure, the poor man
will not be able to obtain his "cool
glass of lager" but will have to
resort to whiskey. This ques-
ton, when subjected to the micro
scope, comes down to this: How we
shall vote and what law we shall make
to keep the poor workingman from
drinking, and by this one, the worst we
can accomplish is to reduce him to
"whiskey straight" and that Of the
meanest kind. No one pretends to say
that the well-to-do or moderate-means
man cannot keep his sideboard well
supplied from Baltimore and other
points by simply ordering c. o. D..
package but this law is peculiarly
adapted to cut off the poor man from
the only luxury he has, and though he
may toll day in and day out in damp,
unwholesome cellars, or sit on hack
all day in the rain aud cold, not one
drop is he to have to cheer him up; suf-
fer deprivatioDs Of all kinds and yet not
one drop. Think Of it, all We poor work
iDgmen, all other classes in our city
" voting dry" are not voting to say what
they and you must do, but simply what
you must do, and its name is local option.
The well-to-do man arrayed against the
workingman, telling him what he must
drink. How many of you intelligent
"dry men" raised up your hands in
holy horror against the " boycott =" and
in the same breath advocate a measure
more direful in its workings? Boy
colt" at its worst might in time break
business up, but you propose break
ing up at four days notice large
business interest, which would be ruin
Gus to some Of our most worthy and
respected citizens. Call VOC this doing
unto others as you would taey should
do unto you? "Oh, judgment, thou
hast fled to british beasts, and men have
lost their reason, bear with me" Why,
all the temperance articles written aud
speeches made are only reflections on
the poor laboring-man that he is weak
minded, has no control Of himself, aud
that we want some law to keep him
from drink. Our wealthiest and most
respected citizens Of to-day were
once IN the ranks of these
poor men, and without local-option Ia W
accumulated wealth. Well, to return
to the subject: Do you dry people be-
lieve you will carry Richmond, Man
chester, and all the suburban magiste-
rial districts in Henrico, &C.? If you
do, l am sorry for you. l have read the
Manchester circular, and cannot but be-
lieve that the man voting "dry" there
is traitor to his city. And then, on
the other hand, what is to be thought
of the man voting dry" here? Why,
to be plain. if he has any sense he
knows he will accomplish nothing, re-
form no one, and jeopardize all our bust
ness-interests- our prosperity-for q lit
tie self church notoriety. Why, such
man ought not to be allowed to live
amongst US, and il he strikes q dry
spot-all dry-short Of the next world,
] would like him to let me know it.
Stop its sale here and have it sold within
q mile from any point in our city. Why,
you are only inviting your laboring-
men to be away from home more than
ever before, and giving your drunken
son little further to walk. which be
won't object to, for in doing SO be will
get further away from the point Of OBJ
servstion. Think well what you are
about. s. S. s.