The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-03
Voice Of the People.
The Saloon Question.
I nf Thc TImcs. Dlapntch.

Editor of The Timcs.Dlspntch.
the north sids ,' Of Broad street sf,bmIt
to the depreciation of their property
values by the brothels and rum Shops?
Prices on the south side have Increased
enormously in ten years, and 1t is now
almost impossible to buy or rent IL
store. Yet the north side Is very de-
sirhbc for business PURPOSES , II the sa-
closed. From october to May, during
the best season of the year for busi-
ness, the north side has the sunlight
ana Is drier warner and nu niho more
strong. united protest would remove
the chief difficulty In tho way of the
development of this side of the street.
and open 1t for much more extensive
Again, why do the manufacturers
and large business corporations or
Richmond permit their business to be
hindered nv the saloon influence upon
their employees?
Manufacturers, printing Offices. ma
chine shops. transportation companies,
are all suffering from the effects of the
rum shops upon their empoyes when
two-thirds or three fourths of 1T can be
prevented by concerted action. Drunk
enness among operatives Is n very com
mon thing. 1t comes at the most criti-
cal times, and renders the employer
helpless when the demand on him is
great. But it is not necessary evil.
With all the agencies at work to save
men from drink, why can we not remc-
dy the conditions? One reason is that
we permit LOCALIZED antagonistic agen-
ces all over the, city, to tempt men
and to educate and hold them in drunk
enness. This Is not business sense or
common sense. Besides this the very
laws that permit and protect such agen.
our Government. Neither lottery nor
q prize flight can be licensed because OF
its evil nature. and yet these. two com.
bined are not to be compared with the
tl,N y,I lei
the hundreds.
The Supreme Court of the United
States will, at no distant day. declare
that any law licensing such an evil Is
The reason is obvious The saloon
business is against all other Legitimate
business. 1t destroys other industries
by stealing away the time. the health,
All other branches of industry do some
thing for the public welfare. They
build, but the saloon destroys. The
and self Indulgence, jails and asylums.
1t dimnishes all other values about it.
There is an cutlery against the rail-
thousands OF men every year. But the
saloon destroys four times as many
men as all tho railroads In the co
try, and is responsible for mar
the deaths caused by the railroads.
The saloon begins the work OF de-
stroying the man when he Is n boy. 1t
seizes him and teaches him how to
drink 1t helps him to create an APP
petite. The saloon would soon go out
of business unless our boys learned to
drink And here we are, sober. sem
sible, law-nbiding citizens. establishing
by law schools in which the boys may
learn drunkenness The tremendous
growth of the saloon In the past thirty
years means that our boys are learn
Ing in this school of hell. The trade
in intoXicants succeeds only as 1T en-
cCurages an abnormal and enslaving
appetite
ant question before the good people of
Richmond and Norfolk than this one
of the saloon. And the first step Is
simple one and easily within their
power, viz: Abolish it by law. This
is being done and done successfully
and satisfactorily all over the country,
in town. city and rural districts. The
movement has been followed invariably
by improved conditions, better business.
better morals and better conditions
poor man is dependent on the saloon
for so much that makes life attractive
TO him. Other less dangerous attrac-
tions are offered him abundantly, and
his wife will tell you that the less he
has to do with the saloon the better
The saloon Is really his enemy. II
puts him at disadvantage in his
struggle for just share of the profits
of industry. 1t helps to make
him poor and keep him poor. IT often
dren to labor at an age when to labor
destroys life. 1t condemns the little
ones to ignorance. hardship and pow
erty. 1t makes them orphans While the
father Is living. Sixty per cent of the
child labor. against which we are fight
Ing In the Legislatures Is forced by the
saloon. THOMAS SEAIaIES
Richmond. Va.