The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-02-06
Mills ALLKS
About Big Fight on at Char
lesion Over the Liquor
Question in the State.

Hon. Edward W. Mills. state or
sanizer of the Prohibition party, Is
IL the city from Charleston. where
he has been looking after the inter-
ests of his party He comes here to
arrange for and attend meetings to
be held at the court house tomorrow
afternoon at 2:30 O'Clock and at the
Central Christian church tomorrow
night beginning At 1880 o'clock. at
which oliver w. Stewart, the promI-
nent temperance orator, Will speak.
From this point Mr.. Nils will 20 to
various towns and cities in the state
both dry" and wet, to exert eff
forts to keep the dry towns dry
and TO make the wet towns
dry Mr.. Stewart will also work
and speak in several! towns In the
stafe after trip to his home.
Asked as to the prohibition move
inent, Mr.. Mills said:
The liquor men have large and
wealthy lobby on hand at the cap
ital, working like Trojans against
the submission OF the proposed
amendment to the State constitution
toprohibit the manufacture and sale
81 intoxicating beverages. Among
The prominent ones are Mayor
Schmidt, of Wheeling, Lawrence
Reymann, also of Wheeling, who is
looking after the Reymann Brewing
company's interests, and many 9TH
ers.
1T Is understood on the part o.
leaders on both sides of this contro-
yefsy that while the liquor men
generally oppose local option, they
Moald be willing to- accept the most
Stringent local option law rather
than have the prohibition amend
mcnt submitted to the vote of the
people,
Mr. Mills claims that the argu-
r1ents of the liquor men have been
thoroughly answered and nothing
/ that is now presented by the advo-
Gates OF the dlstilllng and brewing
interests Is new, but. on the other
hand, all the objections urged
against prohibition have been thor
oughly answered and proved by the
advocates of the prohibition move
ment.
IN conversation with Senator
zilliken Of the northern panhandle,
the 1oint was raised that there is
vast difference between the good
saloon and the bad saloon. the sen
ator claiming that there are good
ministers and bad ministers. good sa-
loon keepers and bad saloon keep
ers, but the prohibitionists have not
yet learned that fact. By way or
rehuttal, Mr.. Mills said. The Pro-
hibitlonists are not fighting the sa-
loon keepers. but are determined to
fight their business until it is thor
oushly destroyed. A so-called good
man IN the liquor business may ba
Just as dangerous as the bad man,
because 1t is after all not so much
the character or standing of the
man behind the bar but the commo-
dity he sells that iniures the COM
munity. Beer. whiskey and other in
toxicants as sold in the bar rooms
today injure the minds and bodies OF
men and 1t makes ro difference
when the last analysis is made
whether the bar keeper is consider
ed a clean. respectable man or a
bum or a tough. The alcohol he
sells viii have the same effect upon
the nerves and brains and bodies of
his customers.
Another argument that seems
fallacious 10 the Prohihitionists is
the one that is constantly made by
the liquor men to the effect that the
State could not get along without
the revenue from the LIQUOR traffic.
It is perfectly safe to say that thrsa
Of the largest cities OF West Virginia
Wheeling. Huntington and Charles
ton, waste more money in thei. sa.
looms than the entire state receives
In revenues from the liuuor traffic
and when we realize the fact that
this money is absolutely squandered
the waste is simply colossal. The
theory advanced by the liquor men
practically amounts 10 this-the rot
ting OF manhood is the means b,
which revenue must he raised.
The Prohibitionists claim that
sober citizenship can easily rails,
revenue 70 meet the needs and =
dairements of the. government. 10
cal, state and national.
Harry Thompson. OF Salem, speu
Saturday m the cffv