The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-07-22
REGULATION BY STRICT LAWS
And Not cold BrIok PROHIBITION

4NOb Sh0S AOCS e@~~
prohibit, but sensible and striot
regulation lie the solution of the
licensed saloon problem, declared
Col. I. M. Gilmore. of Louisville,
KY, president and founder of the
National Model License League,
in an interesting address to the
public in the grand opera house
Monday evening.
Dol, Gilmore was introduced by
Harvey F. Smith, who said that
before any proposition before the
people is passed upon it ought to
be carefully weighed and both
sides fully considered and go we
must do in regard to the saloon
license business.
Col. said, in part:
ITO begin with we must realize
that prohibition has two sides to
It. The whole theory Of prohibit
ton, as offered by the Anti.Ssloon
League people have added no new
feature to it, If the people Of
West Virginia would enact law
prohibiting the manufacture and
sale of cigars but not the use of
them it would be a Ridiculous
piece of legislation as every cigar
smoker would continue to ismoke
cigars the came as before. So it
is the consumption Of alcaholic
beverages,
prohibition is like a wave of
some disease epidemic suoh as
scarlet fever. Several years ago
wave of prohibition swept over
several of the states, led by the
Anti.Saloon League people, laws
were enacted and constitutional
amendments added, but all of the
states with the exception of Maine,
where they say prohibition now
is an utter failure, have either re.
pealed those ensotments or enacted
muck laws.
1.-THE Anti.:Saloon League is a
remarkable organization, strong,
complete, we'll directed by we'll
paid, b1ainy workers. 1 do not
know how those officers are elected.
No one voted for them. Nor do l
know who pays them, but they get
big salaries. They keep up oon-
tinuous campaign and spend mil.
lions of dollars directing 1t.
II believe the rank and file, and
the women, of that organization
are conscientious in their efforts
and believe the movement is right
But I believe it is purely politi,
GAL organization.
"The National Model License
League will endeavor to add to
any constitutional amendment in
this state. one prohibiting the pur.
chase and use of aloot olio bever
ages. If the voter is asked to de-
stroy the property of our trade we
will ask that these men be DOM.
pensated and also to amend that
by asking him to vote to destroy
hie own individual right to pur-
chase and use these liquors
I am opposed to prohibition if
for no other reason than it asks
the people to vote for it with the
deliberate intention of violating it.
"The reason some people want
prohibition is because they oan
buy their liquor by mail and have
it shipped to them and it costs
them less than 10 oents a drink,
"Regardless of prohibition not
prohibiting. 1 say the question
goes back beyond the days of Mag.
ma Charta and Thomas Jefferson.
Involved in it is the question of
human sovereignty which no gov.
eminent should interfere with. 1t
is small matter to undertake the
destruction of several million dol
lars worth of property. but 1t is a
much bigger proposition to under.
take to tell the individual what he
shall eat, drink or wear.
"This movement has been made
quasi religious movement. Bib.
cal standpoint are taken. There
10 nothing in the Bible opposing
the sale and manufacture of aloo.
holio beverages. but there is much
in regard to the abuse of them.
There are thirty-eight places in
the Old Testament where the AL.
mighty either recommends or DOM.
mends the use of alcoholic bever-
ages. In the New Testament, CON.
tanning that most heantiful of all