The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-08
I WAITER nDlvArD HARRIS.

WASHINGTON, y. c.. July 7.--Ono
OF the most Interesting phases of pub
lie sentiment IN recent years Is the
growth Of temperance. especially rs 1t
mnnifests itself In Legislation. 1t is
a subject to which few judicially-
minded writer's have devoted Them
selves. 1t has been left to partisnns,
either of tho temperance side or OF the
liquor SIDE to discuss, and tho great
mass of the people hayo been loft In
more or less Ignorance as to tho real
status of tho temperance cause.
When Henry Wntterson announced
that he would go on the lecture plat
form and talk to the public on Money
and Morals" some Of his friends asked
him why he had chosen that subject.
His reply was that as he had never
possessed either, he felt thoroughly
competent to discuss both from an In
dependent standpoint Tho writer
never imbibes from tho cup that cheers
and also inebrlates; neither Is he a
soldier in the army Of temperance, as
the white ribbon advocates arc wont
to dcnominate crusaders. But he has
been for years greatly Interested in
! the phenomena presented by the
growth OF tho temperance sentiment,
and has spent much time collecting
from the CHEF executives Of the va
| rious States information relative to
Temperance conditions in their Com
monwealths.
Below is presented digest OF this
information, Which, In addition to pre-
senting an accurate view of conditions
| affecting temperance In the States Of
the Union, is full of interest to all
1 who like to study current popular
movements, which, by tho way, is much
more difficult than the study of a
subject after those who made it live
one are dead and gone. aud n sum
ming up Is to be made from docu-
mentary records.
| Very Dry In VIrginln.
| Virginia has a law prohibiting the
sale OF liquor In rural communities
| where there is not police protection,
| leaving only the principal cities and
towns wet. There are only four mu-
inequalities in Tennessee In which IL
/ quor is sold. Even Kentucky, with It's
ancient reputation as maker, puryeyor
/ and drlnker Of the cup that cheers
has stopped Its sale in all but % coun-
/ ties out of no.
| It was such facts as these that led
me to ask the Governors of the various
j States to furnish information or to
designate some one we'll fitted to do
SO. Thus unbiased information has
4 been secured. These replies show a
4 growth of tho temperance movement
/ beyond whit most people believe there
1 mas been. In most OF the States prohi-
bitlon prevails in many of tho coun-
ties and partial prohibition In others
Ihe local option idea Is perhaps the
most important development in the
temperance crusade, and majority
OF the States now have general 10
cal option law. This gives the people
or any given city, county, town or
q nj hnE ri To Iatn
or LIQUOR shall be sold within It's
boundaries or not. Only a little while
ago Charlottesville, the home OF the
University of Virginia, went dry, upon
a local option vote.
The temperance movement Is strong.
er In agricultural communities thar
anywhere else, and is most active fir
Virginia. West Virginia, North Caro-.
ma, south Carolina. Georgia, Florida
tennessee, Utah, North Dakota, Mis-.
souri, and Maine than elsewhere.
arkansas has become a prohibition
state The sale OF liquor 10 now pro.
. hibited In fifty-eight of the seventy.
five counties In the State. Nearly al
OF these counties have gone dry il
the past seven years. Even where tn.
SAFE OF liquor Is authorized under til,
general local option law OF the State
L
!; Iimilesttof any church or school.
I. Governor Buchtcrs Views,
Governor Buchtel. of Colorado write
with reference to Colorado's law:
IL we have recently past a very fin,
q local option law. which makes 1t pos
sible for us to creete anti-saloon terri
tory. With this law we shall be abb,
to make all our agricultural countie
4 absolutely dry. We have many town
: whers liquor Is not sold except as /
: is sold surrepttiorsly- OF course Their
has been a continual growth Of tenn
perance sentiment, as there is In ever,
State"
Local option prevails in Georgia, witt
high license where liquor is sold /!
two counties the license is placed a
a 0,GOO, which means that they ar
dry. No liSslor Is sold In 125 of tn
1877 counties of the State. Governo
!, Terrell writes that the decreased sal
OF liquor has not decreased the reve
nues, but has preceptibly improved tn
moral tone Of the prohibition territory
!. What Governor Cummings Says.
j, Governor Cummings, the always In
g teresting Governor of Iowa, writes:
Our regulation is known as tn
, mulct law, which, while not licensin
the sale of liquor. bars prosecutio
!. provided tho TAX Is PAID ana INC LAY
carried out. This law allows tho Cit
j, zeus Of community to decide whetha
: liquor shall be sold, requiring the sig
4 nature of n certain number of voter!
which varies according to whether III
y consent is sought In city or count.
The plan is practically prohibition an
: high license combined. Prohibition eS
s lists, I believe in fifty-hve of the nine
. ty-n1ne counties In the State. be
= lieve that there Is a continual growt
of temperance sentiment, and also thf
the less liquor sold the better tn
+ morals"
Governor IIoch Praises Kansas.
Governor Hoch, of Kansas. write
cntertainingly and instructivcly abol
temperance In Kansas. He says:
1.-THE State was never so free fro
y. saloons and joints as it is to-day
was never so prosperous as it is nov
!, materially and financially, and (
not believe that there are anywhei
on earth sixteen hundred thousan
~ peopie maintaining a higher standn'
of morals than the sixteen hundre
thousand people who constitute II
. II Il r =,