The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-03
Saturday,
Fourth of July,
Store Closes All Day.
Fourqurean, Temple & co.

yesterday during the trial. and piad for
It. and repeated the performance to-day
Tho boys say they will have game OF
poker tonight
The tone OF both articles would lead
the readers to believe that there was
very large lawless element in Blackstone,
and number who openly defed the law.
including the children. Certainly. tho
head-liner OF The Times Dispatch saw
that in the article. for he headed the re-
port Blackstone 1ncurable." Drinking
and Gambling are Still INDUCED In" lie
was Justified In his headline from the
report, but as one OF the citizens OF
Blackstone I wish to say that do not
believe that the facts justify tho impress
sion made by this report. The facts as
understand them are these:
The town OF Blackstone In the election
hold March 9th declared by n large ma
jorlty against the licensed saloon. Since
May LIST there have been no legal liquor
shops hero. On Juno 9th a mayor and
Town Council were elected for a term OF
two years. and tho town again voted
dry by larger majority than before.
Tho Mayor elected was already Mayor.
and he and the recently elected Council
are dry" in sentiment. Ono Of the great
objections urged by the wet men Is
that prohibition does not prohibit" that
there will be "blind tigers" The Mayor
OF Blackstone determined that the laws
Of the State should not be violated during
his administration without punishment
following. Finding It very dfflcult to
catch the aw-breakers through the local
officers. he employed a detective from
Baldwin's agency, OF Roanoke. and three
persons were detected violating the liquor
laws and a dozen or more were caught
gambling. have not heard that THE
children ten or twelve years old" were
discovered by the officers ito be using It
freely" as the correspondent says. Tho
persons were caught who were thought
to be violating the law, and 1t is unjust
TO our community to have such damaging
reports about us to 90 abroad. We have
persons here. as they have elsewhere,
who break the laws Not only are the
liquor laws and the gambling law vio-
lated, but other laws also. a great
difference Is that there are men who VIII
not report the violation of the liquor law
and the gambling law. but II man stole
or assaulted another they would tell
Your correspondent says that "a man told
him that he had bought liquor and would
do 1t again." but he did not report the
man to the Mayor and have him sum-
moned to report the violation OF tho law.
Had the man told him he had seen man
steal from another no would have In
sisted on his reporting that fact. that the
man might be punished for violating the
law. Your correspondent evidently be-
longs to those who think 1t Is all right to
employ detectives to catch men who vio-
late the laws against stealing and muir
der but that 1t Is not right to employ
detective to catch men who violate the
liquor and the gambling law. Several
years ago number OF stores were rob-
bed, ana the robber could not be caught
by the local officers. and the present
Mayor was one Of the sufferers. He en-
ploycd n detective and caught the thieves
and they were punished. He was APP
plHuded for his action by some OF tho
very men who are now criticising him
for his action as Mayor. II 1t Is right In
tho ono case. 1t Is right In the other.
Liquor selling and gambling are the
source of most OF the stealing and murder
in this country, and for that reason tho
law is becoming more and more strin-
gent on the subject.
The children Of Blackstone are not
using liquor freely, nor are many OF the
men violating the law on gambling. The
community Is as free from these vices as
any average community In the State The
fact that these persons have been caught
does not imply that the abolition OF the
licensed saloon has done no good II
simply means that tho Mayor OF Black
STONE Is determined that the laws OF tho
State shall not be violated. whether the
violation be stealing, gambling, disorder
or illegal liquor selling. 1t is taken for
granted that other violations of the law
will be punished. md no comment Is
mado as to the value OF tho law. But
when men are punished for Illegal liquor
selling 1t Is said that the law should be
repealed because 1t Is violated. 1t Is
hard to please some people. They do not
want the saloon closed. because "prohi-
bition does not prohibit" and there will
be blind tigers" but when the officers
show that the law must be observed, they
do not like the way violators are caught,
and say the regular officers should do
the work.
| The present administration In Black
stone is determined to punish the law
breakers. and has done so as reported In
your columns. but many citizens object
to the impression made by your CORE
spondent. that the general morals of our
town are SO very bad. because those who
break the law are caught and p1nIshed.
II all our dry" communities will enforce
the law the good effect OF no saloon Will
soon be admitted. Law Is necessary. but
after law let US have law enforcement.
Break up the "blind tigers by fining the
keeper; and II that is not enough, by
putting them In cage. No law will ex-
ecute itself, The officers must execute
| It, am glad to have 1t known all over
| the State that the dry people OF Black
stone propose to have the law enforced
| and the Mayor of Blackstone. Mr.. George
| p Adams will certainly uphold the law
JAMES CANNON, JR.
Blackstone. Va. July 2. 1903.