Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-12-02
DANYILLE AND PROHIBITION.

\ couple of weeks ago. Rev. j.
Cleveland Hall, rector of the Epis-
copal Church in Danville, preached
a sermon on temperance, and took
occasion to make some very point
ed remarks about the effects of
local option in Danville. About
six months ago Danville voted
dry. " DIR. Hall is not an obscure
and unknown minister, but, on the
other hand lis one of the best-known
divines in the State today. and !.
personally wcll-known TO number
of people in Berryville. We are
not going into a long discussion O
this subject, but we are simply
making statement of facts as we
have seen them, and as we have
the best authority for stating. and
let everyone take his own view OF
the case. As we have repeatedly
stated, we are not in favor of pro-
hlbltion, as we do not believe tina,
1t fills the part claimed for it. But
we are very strongly on the side
OF temperance. Temperance is a
good thing for anyone at any time
and place. Reverend Hall admit
ted that the law had not injured
the city commercially, but he de-
clared that from a moral point of
view it was a dismal failure, and
worse than a failure, the demorali-
cation of prohibition being, in this
opinion, greater than the democrat
ization of the saloon. He said
that many men who voted for pro-
hibitiOn kept spirituous liquors in
their homes, and that the fact that
the railroads and express compan-
les are handling a smaller number
of packages and way bills for
Danville residences, but argues
that the stuff can be obtained near
er home.
The habit of drinking secret
ly," he proceeded what men have
been prohibited from taking OPEN
ly, has inspired the young men
with a sense of combativeness and |
the banding together of these
young men in cliques in each |
others rooms at night when the |
wine in the glass is red and the |
cards are on the table, does not
argue well for the destiny of the
city when the present generation
shall have passed away and the
relgns of local government have
been placed into other hands,"
In short, he charged that the pro-
hibitiOn law had not decreased the
consumption of spirituous liquors,
but had had the effect to encourage
men TO drink IN secret and had en-
couraged others to sell it in def
ance of the law, and, in conclusion.
he urged his hearers to study the
conditions for themselves, and if
they found that prohibition did not
prohibit, as the first six months of
the new regime had demonstrated
to repeal the law at the polls and
let the open saloon come back. so
that the homes of the young men
might be protected, and the traffic
of whiSkey be legalized and re-
stricted, to the end that the incu-
bus of perjury and hypocrisy
might be shaken from the should
ers of the young men and boys"
We might in the same manner
state that none of the larger cities
of the country have voted in favor
of local option. The reason of this
rs because a majority of the people {
are not ia favor of it. Tennessee
recently voted IN favor of a restric-
ton of liquor licenses to towns and
cities over 5000 IN population.
This simply throws all Of tiae yes-
enue to the large towns. And the
money is taken away from the
smaller ones. That is what we
have persistently contended would
happen if Berryville voted for
ocal option. The legitimate trade /
would go 10 Winchester and other
'earby towns. The ilIegitimate