The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-12

cet,t, OF entire number" .i
}Es,,'Mr. Iawioss, produced figures 70 show
that Is per cent. Of tho prisoners were
moderate drinkers and 50 per cent. ln- .
temperate" h,
itnony Of Judges and Commemorative At
tornays shows 275 per cent. OF ell crltnt.
nails 10 d be swhlskey drinkers.
while this question Of the licensed sa-
iooni s agitating the whole state let me
call tho attention OF the meinbers OF the
General Assembly e these {ns paragraphs ;t,lEi
Minor, Ii, 1863, TO the people Of Virginia
on ,Reasons for A5olishlng tbs Liquor
Traffic"
Accurate statistics leave hardly q doubt.
that In Virginia the hduor traffic through
It's offspring and agent strong drink &C! 90
/ Fifteen hundred deaths IN every
:. The direct annua expedition Of nve
million dollars. & 4
3. rho loss OF as much more By bad
bargains, acknowledgement, time wasted
and unnunbered nainelsss forms Of Ill Y.
thrift.
4. More than two hundred declared
6. The cost Of above 10000 In taxes
annually to support these paupers. I'm
e.SgA countless multitude Of inpoverish-
ed men. women and children, who are not
nvowed paupers. .s III Ejl}#
7.6.At least four-hfths OF all the muir
dcrs. thefts robberies. breeches OF the
peace and other crimes and mtsdemeanors
that engage your courts
8 8. "A heavy addition to your taxes by
the Acknowledged legal costs OF criminal
prosecution, besides for heavier expenses
Ito parties. witnesses and 1urors) OF at
tending courts, and Of tme lost from
their proper employ mel,ts v
occasional dr,inkards. afl
Around every one OF these crimes and
misderneanors. around n each Of these
deaths. around each instance Of pauper-
ism ana improvement, nay, around each
single act Of drunkenness, there cluster
isuci, a throng Of sorrows. not only to tho
wrctched inebrate, but to relatives and
friends. that for every draught OF his
from the socalled ''cup OF kindness 1t \
may be truly said. some human heart
has felt q pang. And for the most MT
merous and most torturing Of those pangs
have wrung female hearts, the hearts OF
sisters, mothers. daughters or wives;
$pangs OF shame and grief or OF terror
for brother. @ son, q father or hus-
bands disgrace or danger, outrage ruin
or death.
1 Search your memories, all who are at
all observant Of human life. and say, II
a vast majority Of all the vices and
crimes OF every age. that have occurred
within your view, are not directly or In
directly traceabla to tho liquor tranic7
II the doer, the sprovoker3 or the sufferer
was not at tho time under the spell OF
caught In the snare Of him,
who, for gain .'putteth the bottle to his
.neighbor' mouth to make him drunken?"'
Or. II the previous arts Bof those en-
.snarers, inducingSa long previous career
OF intemperance had not led to the GRIM
inal act? Especially. recur to the in
stances you may have known OF tunklnd-
ness or brutality In husbands towards
them did not originate in strong drink?
! have been concerned as lawyer. in
}mole than twelve cases OF appeals made
by wives to public Justice, for protection
against the personal violence OF their
husbands, In all Of which, save one. the
violence was proved to have occurred
only when the husbands were drunk. On
monwealth's Attorney. ss5g \
h "A venerable gentleman In Hanover
county, who filled for several years, the
place Of storekeeper for the penitentiary
Of Virginia. testifles that when the dis
charged convicts cana to him as they
regularly did, to get their outfits n OF
clothes and money to so home. he par.
tlcularly enquired OF them the chief
cause Of their crime. And at least nine
itenths Of them answered hlskey.'5
Were II rich I would have one million
copies Of Mr.. Minors address published
and circulate It all over the State For
iincisive logic. and glowing rhetoric and
convincing facts, and startling figures
and touching pathos, 1t has no superior
In human literature. I commend It to the
special consideration Of the advocates
of the liquor traffic.
Il A CUTLER.
K II xo,,isa Va. -, l<eA. {f