Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-05-29

The department of agriculture is
making an analysis of the "beer" that
IS being sold in the dry" section of
Virginia.
RECENT GREAT TEMPERANCE VICTORIES
IN VIRGINIA.
Steadily and VIGOROUSLY the temper
ance cause moves on in Virginia. The
greatest forward movement which the
Anti-Saloon League forces have con-
Quoted in our State since the Mann law
several years ago practically elimi-
mating the saloon from the country dis
tricts. closing about 700 saloons
at one blow was the passage by
the last Legislature of the inn
proved Byrd-Marn Law, which per-
feeted and made more stringent the
laws already existing, among other
good things eliminating the small dis
tillery, which has been the saloon under
another name, and making possibly the
destruction of the ''blind tiger. Since
the close of the recent Legislature
the Anti-SalOon League of Virginia,
strengthened by the improved legal
machinery. has held twelve elections in
the State and has won eleven of the
twelve. Within the last sixty days the
following cities and towns have abol-
ished the saloon.
Cities-Danville, Winchester, Freder-
icksburg.
Towns-Smithfeld, Manassas, Gull
pepper, and one Magisteria District
each in the counties of Shenandoah and
Nelson. The liquor men called cleo
lions in the town of Basic and also the
towns of New Market and Edinburg.
The temperance people were victorious
In each of these places named. In the
last two months these elections closed
AZ saloons. Nine saloons have been
closed in GOrdonsville and Orange by the
order of the court. By the city council
limiting the number of saloons and -by
the contesting of the issuing Of licenses
on May the LIST. 1908.
There were closed in Norfolk city
seventy saloons, Norfolk county sixty,
portsmouth ten, Newport News twenty.
Richmond eighty-three, making a total
OF 294 saloons closed in the last sixtv
days. In the same time thirty-fiye dis
tilleries have been refused licenses and
fifty social clubs have been driven out
OF business, making grand total of
S79 drinking places, under one name or
another, which have been abolished in
our State during the last two months.
This is splendid progress. We most
heartily rejoice. This will show the
Christian people of Virginia whether it
Is worth while to cooperate with the
Anti-SaIoOn League. During the past
twelve months the League has distrib-
uted free one million and a half pages
of literature and our speakers have de-
iivered about 2, 400 addresses in all por-
lions of the State. If the CHRISTIAN
people of Virginia will only give us
more and more of their support. as
they are doing, the time is not far dis
tant when the saloon will no longer
exist in our commonwealth. There are
several elections Of great size coming
on in Virginia before long. This will
mean heavy expenses to the State
League. The saloon is a costly insti-
tuition and warfare against it is expen-
sive. We shall need more help than
ever in the next few months for liter
allure, clerk hire, and other legitimate
expenses.
We urge every Christian citizen and
every lover of his kind in our State to |
rally for the last campaign against the |
enemy in his entrenched stronghold in /
the few remaining cities and towns in |
where the unspeakable saloon
still bites, withers and curses humanity.
Supt., r. II. BENNETT,
Anti-Saloon League of Virginia.