The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-04-15
For the vIRaINIAN.]
Does Prohib ition Prohibit?

l
Having become greatly interested in
getting at the facts in relation to this great
question, | will give your intelligent read
ers the benefit OF my Investigations for
their earnest consideration, as calmly and
dispassionately as possible. / shall not in
dulge in any abuse or vituperation of those
who do not agree with me on the question
of the prohibition of the liquor traffic.
The day of gush and sentiment has gone
| by. The time has arrived in the temper
ance agitation when the facts must be
given to the people. So the questions are
asked, Does the prohi law prohibit !?
| Is drunkenness diminished sensibly in the
communities where the law prevails :?
Has crime been lessened? Have the Grim
nal dOcketS of the courts dwindled Are
so? Have taxes been materially decreased :?
In word, have the blessings which have
been predicted as the result of prohibition,
| actually come upon the people in the coun-
ties and States where the law has been in
operation ?
! do not intend to go SO far from home
| for proofs as to make it difficult OF even
lnconvenient to inquire into their genuine
| ness. | shall take our sister State of Mary
| land and come closer and closer home as |
proceed, giving facts that have occurred
and the evidences of witnesses that may
surprise some of you, but whose testimony
none will doubt, coming from counties
where prohibition has been in operation,
and have not been hunted out from dark
corners and obscure places, but are of the
most public character.
The denton Union, one Of the prin-
oipal journals of Caroline county, Md,
said January Sd "When we abolished
whiskey, we abolished the tramp, and since
that time they have given us no trouble.
Our Jail is an institution of but little i'm
portance and is very seldom occupied by
prisoners. Our almshOuse has fewer in
mates than eyer before known in the his
tory of the county. We have fewer poor
people to provide for by private charity.
The criminal records of our Court never
before came so near running below Zero
Our people are generally
prosperous, happy and contented. We
have none of the great upheavalS in So
ciety, of strife. contentious and brawls,
which formerly prevailed when Alcohol
ruled as king over law and order. Our
people are freer of debt perhaps than any
other county in the State. Our laws, with
but very few exceptions, are respected and
obeyed."
The American" of the 18th, says His
Honor, Judge Stump, in delivering the
charge to the Grand Jury last Monday in
Denton, congratulated the jurors on the
fact, that there was not a single prisoner
in Jail. He said, in his opinion, there was
not another county in the State where the
criminal code was so seldom vic lated as in
Caroline. +"
The following extract taken from a letter
of the Hon. Daniel r. Magruder, of Cal
vert county, Md, and Judge of the 7th
Judicial Circuit says: = : 1.-The
Local Option law IS, in fine, in Calvert,
more a success than any effort at reform l
have heard of anywhere. Our jail has not
a prisoner, and has not had since May"
The following from the Baltimore San:
Talbot county, there were II persons in
jail, and in IS months afterwards there
was not one. and the sheriff said he could
now go and afford to live on his farm, as
there was nothing to do about the jail, and
that this was the result Of local option y
In Dorchester county, Md, the ''Dem-
ocrat and News, a prominent Democratic
journal, says Local option is no longer
a disputed benefit to our town."
The clerk of the court of the same coun.
ty says: Local option has had not only a
good moral effect on the people, but since
its enforcement the expenses of the Court |
have been reduced to about one half.'
John Fl. Emerson, Esq, editor and pro-
prietor of the Denton Union, y says Elm
answer to your first enquiry, have to say
our prohibitory law continues to work well |
and / hear of no complaints from any |
quarter, except with some of our drug
gists who, because of the liberal interpre- /
cation given by the judges of our Courts, |
are allowed to sell it for medicinal pur-
poses when prescribed by a physician.
Some of our druggists abuse the courtesy
Of the Court and sell it under prescriptions
given by whiskey drinking physicians
We are more prosperous people
The religious and moral element of society
Is strengthened, and the social tone and
feeling is stronger to-day for local option
than it was five years ago, when the law
went into effect.''
E. R. Janvier, ESQ.,, Of Kent county,
Md, says: Whenever you hear any one
Jay that local option is failure in Kent
county, you may set that man down as
wing under mistake Our Jail is empty
ind the jailor told me that he would have
o go back on his farm. for he could not
i've, as he only got fifty cents for each
,Tisoner.n
Extract from letter Of Basil Duke
Bend. an old and very estimable resident
If Calvert county, Md: II have nothing
,ut good to report as to the condition of
Deal option sentiment in Calvert. The
aN is admitted on all hands to have done
ID immensely of good among us. It has
escued many poor drunkards of my ac-
uaintanee from the temptation which SO
asily beset them plucked them as brands
osthe position which God intended them
4