The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-06
Letters From
The ! J
i.dltor 81 The times. Dispatch:

Halls sermon on prOnloltlOn IN Dun.
ellie. IN this sermon Or. Hall said that
the prohibition law "encouraged law
pocrisy,'' and he (Dr. tlall) was con-
virced that. morally sr.,aklng, prohibit
ton had beet, failure. Or. Hall did
not advocate the open saloon, but de.
nounced II In eloquent words, as him
drar1ce TO the material and moral vel.
faro OF the community. tle made a
strong appe,l to the people to see to 1t
that they make use OF every legitimate
means TO break Up the social clubs and
gambling dens that young men had
formed In secret, and to destroy their
demorai' slng influences. But Dr.. Hail
was bold enough 10 say that II tn, people,
and the or'cers Of the law could not
make prohibition prohibit. then make
the sale Of lntoxcants legal and thus
7 PLACE Il under surveillance and control
expressed hne,lr as being In favor OF
prohibition that will prohibit. But ne
was frank enough ARD brave enough to
say that he preferred the legal sale OF
intoxicants to the illegal sale. He pr,-
ferred the old condition IN Danv.lle to
tie new. because tn" tprohlhftton NV had
proven to be more demorallzing than the
trn nc" Tho above, then isGa correct
statement Of Dr.. tI,ii's position. because
the editor had read the sermon In full.
and carefully, and then wrote the synop-I
els from which the above Is taken.
am surprised that a man who has
been orda!r % IN pr.a ci1 the gospel. md
was carefully educa'ed for that purpose.
does not understand. or Al least does
not teach. even the rud.nents Of the
gospel. Nowhere .nd under no circum.
stances do the principles Of the gospel
reroerize. encourage or Kermit COM
rron,'se with evil. Nowtore doea the
Bible say or intimate that Christian
can under any circumstances choose be-
tween two wrorss The Bible t.'nchea
to do right because right will prohibit
wrnnsdoing. not hec1 use wholesome
ard u-ora- law dos rot prohibits as tn-4
terd.1. Brt dn riert because He who
is the standard NJ right says that right
= rirht and VIII finally triumph over
;lawlessness. irnmnralitv. dehaucfery and
avil OF every kind. The law does not
rronose to prohibit. The foundat!onH
principle If law IS to establish the right
md purish the wrong. Whenever la "
. ha ,aw. heco uae law Is founded on tnhe-
rent right ana cannot recngnize wrong
e~~nnt 10 ~u>,t sh ire evt' doer.
But lew never has nd = ever will n~e-
vent the Incorporation OF wrong The
law says: 'Tho,, 5shelt not XIII vet there
heve been murders and mnrd"-e~s ever
since Cain sl.w his h-other Abel. The
low says: Thou shelf not steal" yet
there are thieves and lsleptnna niaca and
sHn,ho continues to visit hen houses af-
tor dark. The law saws: Thou shalt not
commit adultery vet libert'nes md har-3
lots are uno-e numerous. tha n when the
IL " was written by the finger NJ !, God.
amid the thunders of Cinai hove quoted
divine Ia w:tbut human l-w.ti founded on.
divine. The; aims are the same. l Ike
| principles are involved. e FIowev.r. Or.
ceuse a law enect.dFt to Sproh'r,t the sale
IL intoxico nts. does not 5nreh,hit. there
/ fore he favo~r the re.tora tlo1 IT the open
! saloon. which he, acknowledges Is y
evil In itself and "A wong n"rpetrated
iupon business and rol'ty.s That Is. OF
two evils. he advoca ties :legal'z',s the
che he thinks the lesser. He would hive
the State Of Virginia. oornn~omse with
an evil thing which Is contrary. TO all.
3nrincpla. of riget and subvr,rs!nn Of Law
and order and Il universal Nv nr"cticed
would destroy morality a~d religion and
h-ing to p.ss anerchy md ruin, Because
an act Of hai1,egsl"ture ri Virginia pass
ed IN the Interest Of cord oder and NOR
atty has failed in one year or less to
nccomols~h the intent ~ the law. min
irter OF the roenel is bold enough to stand
up In his pulpit and decla that the omen
saloon Ia preferable to the prohibition
Inv. hecaure In spite OF the low. young
men have orga nlzed social "llba where
they assemble to d-,nk wf,iskey2 and play
pO,ka and because hid men nurchnse in-
ttxicants in foreign market and retail
]. It In the d ,rkne.s and on the sly. He had
AZ well say that hecaure the Dec"lok,,e
has failed to make the human family
rnorni and religious. therefore, It would
a. Wall s@v $a AZ I'M ~ H.
ltys including the whole criminal list SC
thpt these things my have the sur
vellance of law and Re res,l't ted nv Of
f,tial supervision. IT en- cco~d'ng to Dr..
Hell, the pro1-ess OF the world iowa IDS
goodness would DO with greater celebrity
and force.
An editorial In The Times Dsnatch OF
the 2sth quoting DR.. Hall. says: In
other words. your law does not prohibit
tbs purchase N lntoxic-nts.'' The edi-
!. tor then argues that this IL the drf"ct
N prohibition laws He says the courts
have never decldrd and never will de-
eide that no man hrs a right TO phrchNs Sc
sad drink Intoxicating LIQUORS, ~ THAT
tits Is matter Of personal privilege.
..That to buy and drink irtcXcnnts Is
not a crime. and cannot be mnde 80 oy
law" Cant All this to be true, which
Do not, the law with proper ofHcia la can
where young men and sometimes youns
women assemble to drink of mellowed
wh,steys and Sparkling wines and to
sounnder money ard debaueh character
at the gambling tables. Pernnps no law
can prevent a MN when he chooses 10
purchase In a foreign market by the
luz or kcg. and deposit y under hls own
roof, and drink as he Wills to excess Or
otherwise, But law can say q that man
you shall not debauch your n~ishho"",,
MOI s BY calling them 70 your fsstal bna ,re
and holding to their lbs Tint which
steals away their brains. The law
can say. you shall not work injury 70
YOUR neighbor. nor carry evil Into his
/, house,
The use and abuse Of intoytcant' ls ac-
:. knowledged by judges and Common.
wealth's attorneys to be the oause OF
two,th,rds OF ali the crimes comm !t'ed
tn tie world For this reason, II no
othor the law can make It. crime to
purchase as we'll as sell intox'cants as
a beverage, because as beverage no
man, woman or child has any need Tor
i personal privilege q 9 ths Ss
Of two,thirds OF the criminal offenses OF