Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-07-13
FROM BRISTOL.


Dear Sir:-I am enclosing in this an
official statement concerning the cleo
lion in Bristol, which | will thank you
TO publish in your columns.
Yours sincerely,
JAMES CANNON, Jr.,
Supt. Va. Anti-Saloon League.
400 UNPURCHAsABLE VOTES
The 400 men of the city of Bristol,
Va, who voted the "dry' ticket on
Thursday deserve the praise and the
sympathy of the temperance people of
the Nation in this, their hour of trial.
They made glorious fight, They were
confronted with conditions such as have
rarely confronted the voters in any
city. Every voter in the city was tempt
ed by direct or indirect brides of one
kind or another. 1t was known that
if the city voted "wet" it would be
made distributing point for an inn
menss Southern territory. This would
bring large number of shipping
houses to the city, which would bring
a great sum into the city treasury, far
more than the usual license receipts.
An option had been taken by the Ii
quOr people on every available build
ing at very high rate of rent, which
was bride to the owners of said build
ings. The opening of these houses
would bring many men with large
means to the city, and would give en-
ployment to a great many people.
These were all indirect brides. And
in addition to these things, every man
who would sell his vote could get more
hard cash for it than in any election
every held in Virginia.
The liquor interests had representa-
tives from various cities who had at
their command all the money that they
could use. "Money" is the word that
explains the result in Bristol. The
city is disgraced that it yielded to the
brides, and sold itself to become dis
tributing center, not of learning, light,
and life, but of drunkenness, insanity,
murder and damnation. But it has in
1t 400 men, who cannot be brought, and
like the men of Danville, they will not
rest till Bristol is once more redeemed.
The election had absolutely no polit-
ical significance. 1t is probable that
it will greatly hasten the demand in
Southwest Virginia for vote on State
wide Prohibition.
JAMES CANNON, JR.,
Suot. Va. Anti-Saloon League.
The above letter has been sent out by
the Rev. James Cannon to all the
newspapers in the State. In this way
it has reached us. He asks us to pub
fish it, and we do so with pleasure.
We knew instinctively that we would
soon hear dire reports from Bristol, we
said as much when we heard the city
had voted for license, but we had not
expected 400 or more citizens who vot-
ed for license to be classed quite as they
are here classed in this letter. Mr..
Cannon says: "EvERY VOTER IN THE
CITY WAS TEMPTED BY DIRECT OR IN
DIRECT BRIDES" This includes Mr.
Cannon's 400. Isn't that going little
fast? when he says ''every voter. :"
Isn't that little too strong? What
were the ministers confronted with in
the way of brides, direct or indirect ?
How were they approached ? How
many citizens own available build
ings" who gave options ? Where they
very many? Suppose those who gave
options ''to the liquor people" had
called the options off, and taken OPP
lions from the other side NOT to allow
liquor to be sold therein, would that
have been a bride to vote Dry? Is
bribery right on one side and wrong
on the other? Mr.. Cannon further
says: 'THE OPENING OF THESE
HOUSES WOULD BRING MANY MEN
WITH LARGE MEANS TOTHE CITY AND
WOULD GIVE EMPLOYMENT TO A
GREAT MANY PEOPLE," Is the bring
ing of great many men with large
means, and giving employment to a
great many people bribery? We fear
under prohibition for two years Bristol
needed somebody in its business houses
and employment for its people. Again
he says: "EvERY MAN WHO WOULD
SELL HIS VOTE COULD GET MORE HARD
CASH FOR IT THAN IN ANY ELECTION
EVER HELD IN VIRGINIA" This
statement strikes us, also, as wild and
very vague, and difficult one even for
Mr.. Cannon to make good on. Is
Mr.. Cannon so familiar with amounts
paid heretofore in Virginia elections,
that he is able to make this statement
upon knowledge? If not, he is writing
severe indictment of Virginia voters
without just warrant. We venture
that Mr.. Cannon, if brought face to
face with a Grand Jury, could not say
that he knew single voter in the Bris-
tol election who had sold his vote for
money, and in addition if he knew any
such he could not say that the sum
paid was MORE or LESS than paid else
where. Again, he says: 1.-THE LIQUOR
FROM VARIOUS CITIES WHO HAD AT
THEIR COMMAND ALL THE MONEY
THEY COULD USE" Did those who
thought" with Mr.. Cannon have rep
reSentatlveS 'frOm various citieSn If
SO, honors are easy. Did those who
"fought" with Mr.. Cannon have any
MONEY paid for their service? If SO
then honors are nearly easy on that
score. If he had said that those on the
other side spent the money they had,
freely, whilst those who worked with
him put theirs in their pockets, we
feel sure he would not have said vain
thing. Money" says Mr.. Cannon, sis
the word, ''and in this he speaks words
of Soberness or words of drunkenness,
as he may choose to term them. But
remove money, as bad as it is, and MI.
Cannon and his co-workers would, we
feel sure, move their belongings at the
same time. Everybody says Mr.. Can
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