Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1909-03-05

In the March American MHEaIiHs,
William Allen White, writing 81 yarl-
Gus reforms Of the past few years, sums
up the progress made by the temper
ance movement as follows:
SIN spite Of the Fourt enth Amend
mens TO the constitution Of the United
states, persons and corporations hav-
ing millions of dollars, invested in
many of the states, are being deprived
of their property without due process
of law The closing Of the race tracks
in Missouri and New York, which has
been followed by slump IN race-traek
gamb bling all over The country, has de-
priyed thousands Of people Of property
which they considered just as lacred
az do the railroad holders Of coal mines
Pennsylvania, and probably with
about as much equity. And when one
estimates the amount Of properly de-
stroyed by the growing sentiment
against gambling in every American
state during the ten years now pass
ing, it is hard 10 realize that the Four
tenth Amendment should stand idly
by and see all this wrong done, while
il is SO active in behalf of the public
service corporations! But the greatest
destruction Of property in the country
without due process OF law has been
done 10 the brewery and saloon bust
mess.
1.-THE anti-saloon sentiment Of the
nation seenas to have gone to work
about ten years age, and worked with
out much result for half decade. But
since 1904 results have been coming
regularly Statewide prohibition now
prevails in Alabama, Georgia, issIss-
ippi, North Carolina, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, Kansas adopted prohibit
ton in 1880 but did not enforce it rig
idly in the larger cities until 1906, and
Maine has galvanized her old law ilto
new efficiency. Prohibition now has
abolished the saloon in a majority of
the counties in Arkansas, Missouri,
Texas Connecticut, Delawafe,S Florida,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky,
Louisiana Nebraska, New Ham pshire,
Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennes-
see, Virginia and West Virginia. And
in every one of these states excepting
New Hampshire and Iowa, where pro-
hlbitery laws were repealed in 1903,
There is strong movement for state
wide prohibition, endorsed more or
less definitely by one Of the two ruling
parties. In the election of 1908 the
anti-saloon league made gains in New
York, Illinois, South Carolina, Wa h.
ington, idaho and Ohio. The move
ment is strong IN Southern California,
and is meying rapidly up the coast
In Colorado the saloon has been abol-
ished from 90 towns within the past
two years. In Massachusetts il. five
years there has been a gain of | 10 towns
for the anti-saloon territory, ard Wor-
cester is said to be the largest, prehi-
gan there are now II prohibition ceun-
ties and 100 prohibition towns, as
against counties and 400 towns five
years ago. In Minnesota five years
have seen the p.ohibitlon towns from
400 to 1,6ll. In New Jersey, where
there has been warm contest for four
years, temperance people have secured
Sunday sclosng. And statewide
campaign for county rohibitien is
waging in Pennsylvania.
"The movement against the sa,oen
ID gaining Roadway in every Ameri-
car state. And sentiment now differs
from sentiment thirty years ago; there
is little emotionalism in this move
msnt. 1t is subject to no reactions. The
people seem to feel that the saloon is
law breaker; that is a business ex-
travagasce, and that it corrapts poll
tics, and Keeps the people from accom-
plishing their ends. Hence capital i'd
vested in the liqusr business is not re-
stricted, as capital invested in public
service corporations, not divided as all
capital is divided through the tax-laws
of the state, but destroyed without due
process of law, and without recourse
or damages from the state.n