The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-06-23
To the Sober. Minded Voters and
Taxpayers.

Il becomes my DUTY, both ~ city at.
torney and ~ .. citiz n Ia take notice al
An intemperate paper addressed to the
CITY Council adopted 10y "A meeting OF our
citizens at the courthouse Friday night,
and at same time To call the attention
II the tax payers To the experience oil Al
lanta with prohibition. | deem 1t proper
To state at the outset that am not the
paid attorney of the liquor dealers IN
this election. nor could | receive any lee
from them eftrr the Council felt IL to be
its duty To take action In the premises
and claimed my services ~ city attorney
The paper | refer to bears the sigma
lures Of "a committee OF three cliizens,
Messrs Melville. Adams and Sts8fnr, AL
of them amiabe and good tempered gen
tlemen. hut neither oi them was the nu-
thor of this paper, unless the transient
fsuAticirm Of the hour hasentlrely trans
formed their Rindly natures.
The paper hreathes spirit oil bitter-
ness aud yindictiveness that could not
have hren reasonably or justly prov 1ked
hy the recent " i-e aud conservative &c
ton of the Council and II heirays
a fanatical intolerance on the part OF It's
author to any opposition To bis yiews by
more sober minded citizens.
IL fuldl- the only prophecy made 10y
the Council in its statement TO the TAX
pavers. viz, that the hearts oil our peo-
ole would be filled with bitterness and
tuymoil." The Council did not merely
"pronheay," ~ this paper seeks To make
the taN-payers believe, that the rate OF
taxation might be heavily increased on
.Iuly # prohibition was successful, but
IL made the solemn declaration that
.nrh increase would be inevitable.
There was nOgeneral spontaneous de-
mand in this moral and sober communi'
~ for the tlial Of the dangerous expert
ment of prohibition; the straitened con
dition of our finances, the ObviOns Tact
that we were ia the midst OF costly I'M
movements of which We had hal no past
experience. drawing heavily upon our re-
-onrces. should have admOnishfd AL our
people that the present was not al hu'
spiriols time for 40 distressing an aglta-
ton a. has been praciptated upon US.
By whom w8a il inaugurated|
IL took two lOngt d ?rOtracted ,lI0rts
in canyassing our cit, extending through
"A month or more, b. fore enough ol our
citizens could bc persuaded or caloled IN
To signing y PETITION aeking Tor an eiec-
ton. ..,
I'm view Of the chara, er Of that petition,
aud the methods adopted To secure the
reouisite SIGNATURES, the City Council,
moved by a profound conviction Of duty
a. faithful pu he servants, entrusted
with the Difficult. task OF conducting tie
inauces Of the city. made public 10 the
most courteous tsT,"s n truthful state
ment of our financial condition, 40 that
the tax.payefs might vote with their
90. open at the approaching election.
Does any rational taxpayer, VINO eA
nert- To abide here, want To vote IN the
dsrk9
Itnow that iauaticism hat facts,
end feeds on highly colored ana highly
stimulating ictiOn A. its daily bread but
IL seems almost incredible that large
number of oar good citizens should as
samhl,. At the CO. rthOLse' IN popular
meeting. and with apparent enthusiasm,
endoree a paper th & denOunces ana de-
iarres the City Council for etating the
trnth ~ to our finances, aud a. To the
utter failure OF prohibition in the paet TO
pr mote temperance.
II :. ,ms almost Incredible that IN such
meeting both preachers ana Jay men
should unl,, in approving : paper delb-
erately char TX the City Council win
inggliuy with the IT, Tres in relatic to our
. + ,pnces. and of vi lIul ignorance Of or
supnre.sion Of e truth Ia rider to de.
l.. f...n 4
shadow Of foundation or warrant 10 TACT
. for such grave accusation.
IL seems almost incredible that IN .uch
a melting "A paper should be apprC we'd
which charg, the City Council with
lowerire" 1.-THE author nt tie paper
u .ote degrading the important and
~ ,pousihle Office they iii 'i1 making an
Off .ial plea for the maintenance OF tue
liquor traffic.
The Council knew what most other IN
telligent business men new, that the M
nor -afic cannot bssuppress, J, hence tl'
Connect placed u heavy license tax on IL
and only pleads TO lie allowed to co'tc'
Il. instead oibayipg thec city nooded with
eCntraband liquor.
II do..s,em Incredible that in such
meeting paper should be approved W.T..
enthusirsm hat Charges the C0uncil VIII
"promulget'1g the abomhiable th,ory
tiaf citizenship il nothiog more Thai
. c,mn,ercirism and that bodies and soul'
count for nothing when financial inter
ests are coucein d.
Could there be a greater peryersiOh o
. uoth in relation To the artion taken Dl
rho CONNECT than this serious libel n
q wolves?
II med 10 be forgotten in the paper
sllosion TO the great aud good men pro
dured her, that none OF them eve
preached prohibition, and all oil then
would have reject with scolh such
" dangerous ialacy
The Council told the taxpayers upo
u the highest authority that prohlDitio
would not materially decrease the cor
sumption of liquor, but would lncreas
drunkenness aud other deDaucheiJ as
he done ei.ewheTe, aud it urged the taA
payers not to deprive the city oil reVehu
, 40 indispensable at the present lunctur
, in our affairs to me'1ta'1 its credit, an
l. not to iriure the trade aud business
= the CITY by the trial OF an exper' tina
had been extensive ely tri | N other con
munities and BIZ 4 proved sigdel ia"ui
> asa temperauc' me; .ufe.
This paper declares that the argument
y advanced 10y the Council, IN what II ca'
u the Councils plea for the liquor dealer
are found u the publications. OF the : NE
ican Liquor Dealers Association, an
that these have all b n fu''y answered
The Council made no argument,
" merely staI ID fPcts which cannot
, truthiony deD, !, and this paper, wit
- All its reck less and unwarranfed stat
- ments. does not have the temerlty
den, the facts. Those facts were ma
IL ters of public histoij. At leest twen'
10 stats have uiei prohibition and q" 0'
)" about three have repudiaf l II 40
thorough trial, end n those three 1t
a cor iessed far The City Counc' WI
u" IN ne with the best and highest Chri
ten thought Of tuis country 10 the POI
ton IL console ntioOsly took.
u" Bisnop Potr,r, Of New York, NOR
AVID ioi ."ectusl giant ~ the work OF
F,jng Humanity, says n charge 10 I
Episcopal Council OF the LARGEST diocc
We in Niue ,ca, op'y i SEPTEMBER;
"a "The CHI istisn church he 'undounf %
IN a., 4 lmuch euer. and wel' mention
m ;b. stian people a.e st" WI ting mn
activity IN the pursuit. oil methods a.
TO ma mscon n ing the di INK habit, viii
nd n, ca, ned for them the ridicule not
To sentment of req soring and reflect * pc
NJ ole. - You will gather from Il