Washington sentinel., 1901-03-30


poEtunIty tor its Defeat,
The people OF Leesburg, Va,
will take another vote on the local
option question on the 9th OF
April.
Prohibition has proved to be a
failure in that town. What the Ed
itor OF the SENTINEL has on previ-
Gus occasions stated has in this in
stance again come true. Ithas not
stopped the sale or the use OF in
toxicating liquors, but tends to in
crease the use Of strong alcoholic
drinks rather than milder bever-
ages. The oftenses against the law
committed in the Leesburg district
have greatly increased over the
nnmber OF such offenses commit
X ted before loJal option was insti-
ented, as the examination OF the
records will prove. Negroes and
the lower class of whites crowd the
streets in the evenings, especially
On Saturday nights, in an intoxi-
Gated condition and make it unsafe
for wome to go out at nights.
A majority Of this class reap a
regular harvest from the surepti-
tious sale Of liquors, which they
sell to anyone, even to minors, If
they have the price.
Two years ago when the best
element OF the town, with lew ex-
ceptions, attempted to correct this
evil by substituting license and
legalizing the sale OF liquor, nearly
every negro and the class OF whites
engaged in the sale OF liquor voted
with the prohibitionists in favor OF
local option. The prohibition ele-
ment went even So far as to COOP
crate with a distiller, whose place
OF business was just outside the
district, and who supplied the
liquor illegally sold there, to defeat
the advocates of the saloon. This
distilIer furnished the sinews OF
war, because it was to his interest
to monopolize the trade with his
cheap whisky, whereas il the place
had saloons the chances would
have been that the saloon keepers
would have purchased elsewhere
such pure goods as Washington,
Jefferson and other great Virgin
ians were accustomed to drink
when in their days they visited the
old Hallway House in Lees
burg. By the aid Of this unnatural
combination the prohibitionists
won out by the small majority OF
sixteen votes.
The Editor OF the SENTINEL
made trip to Leesburg last week
TO look over the field, and came in
contact vi ith many OF its citizens.
He also attended meeting OF the
temperance element in the Court
House. The meeting was slimly
attended and the speeches, in
spite Of the prayers, had ring OF
iinsincerity about them. Nothing
much was done on this occasion,
except that the president an
.nounced that they were more act
i've and determined than ever to
make the place dry, and they hoped
every Christian in the town would
attend a magnificent performance
OF "Ten Nights in Barroom," to
be given shortly in the Opera
House.
The statements made by the
presiding officer on this occasion
to the effect that no barrooms
should be tolerated in LeesbuTg
because the temptation would be
too great for its citizens, and that
wherever local option was in vogue
crime had decreased, are ridicu-
lous and untrue. The Editor oi
the SENTINEL is also Virginian
and he challenges the first state
ment as an insult to the citizens
of the "Old Historic Common.
wealth." who are as temperate,
and possessed OF as much stability
of character as any men in the
United States, and can be trusted
to be as temperate in the use ol
Intoxicating beverages as the citi-
zens OF New York or any othei
place. 4
The second statement, tina
7gime had decreased in all loca