Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-10

been before the Mayors Court charged
with drunkenness. The records 10 inc
Superior Court Of this county, also OF
the City Court, a. we'll IS the Mayors
Court, show tina, crime and disorder 70.
least that species connected with aoo
attendant upon drunkenness) Is CREAMY
on the decrease. =,
The merchants and businessmen OF
Athens have recently been intersic"ea
by one Of our city editors as to the 81
feet prohibition was having on tne'r
material interests. With one or Two
exceptions no one claims to be nur',
MANY say that their business IS Is good
as ever. while some say that there mas
been great improvement In theirs.
The testimony, upon the whole, as 70
the material interest Of our town, Is
very favorable to the cause OF prohioi'
ton.
Since the law went into effect two
new manufactures have been estao-
lished in our midst. A street railway
has been built, and is now being sue
cessfully and proftably operated. A
system OF public schools has been or,
ganized, lands have been purchased, ana
the buildings are now about 10 DO
erected thereon. New buildings are
constantly going up in the town, and
real estate is daily appreciatipg in value.
The colleges, of which there are two
male and female-are better attended
now than for years past. 1t IS not
claimed that prohibition has accom-
plished all this. 1t is not necessary to
claim it. 1t is sufficient to show that
the present improved moral and mate
rial status Of affairs exists under "pro-
hibitory" Jaw. Men Of convictions
upon the subject Of morals and bust
ness are immensely pleased with pro-
bibition as it works here.
Prohibition does not prohibit"
The argument based on this is really
nothing more than q sophism, or, to
say tho least Of it, is good for nothing
proves nothing so fully as that parties
using it need better one. In the first
place, let us grant that prohibition does
not prohibit. What Of it? There is
in Virginia a law prohibiting murder,
but is not murder committed some
times? Yes. What do you do about
it? Abolish the law? While law
does not totally blot out crime 1t
greatly lessons it.
A man caught furious bull by the
tail as he ran down the street, where
upon some one called to him to turn
him loose. saying, You can't stop
him." The reply was, Il know it,
but can make him go SLOW" That
'sllow was philosopher.
CJobibirion may not break up the in-
on;, SGs whiskey traffic, but it can
toal e progress-it can make the
," .; ga SLOW" In contest be.
ween proh sitisnists and antl-prohibi-
- much "Gne writing" can be
,ona hv the Ia tef in favor of moral
'uas;on and arains.' Snmptuary legisla-
ion. &c. Ignorance Is capable of do
ng some wonderful TIL. NSS--'s can per
vert truth. The devil CO transform
himself into an angel Of lie us' 'u' ne
is the devil nevertheless.
Moral suasion is forcefnl, and Somp'
tuary legislation ought to be oppo. eo
through both these, though, one can s'~
clearly how to vote the prohibition
ticket without doing violence to his con-
science.
Fight it out. "Let it be war to the
knife, and the knife to the hilt." A
modern war critic says that the Duke
of Wellington was whipped at the battle
of Waterloo three times, but was too
ignorant to recognize the fact.
Now, if you are downed " in the
contest, be ignorant-practically do not
find it out. Renew the battle at the
first opportunity and victory will come
in the end. 1t will come because the
cause of prohibition is the cause Of hui
manity. It's Coz cause and mist win.
Very truly yours,
III. X. BERNARD,