The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-04-28


the world for a person to visit this
city, II he made no investigation as
to conditions and report that prohib-
ition is surely a success.
Il had n conversation with a post
Office clerk, who is a teetotaler and
prohibitionist, hence he would natur
ally be biased in favor of the law. He
made the following statements which
found, upon further investigation,
to be expressive of the general SEN
timent Of the people. He said. The
present conditions are some improve
ment on the surface over the open
saloon traffic but the actual condit-
ions are not much improved Any
body can get liquor who wants it,
save the negroes They are cut out.
One of the worst features of the
blind tiger business is the private
house saloons in residence sections
Of the city. When we had saloons
proper lney were generally restricted
to the business portion of the town,
but now they are everywhere.
AS a corrective agency prohib-
ition in cities is failure. All it
does is to close up one avenue and
open another.
There is move now on to repeal
or to modify the present law in some
way as to deal with the city problem
in a different manner. Limit the
number of saloons and put them UNI
der high license and strict regulation.
That seems to be the only way of
dealing with the city problem, with
any degree of success.
Il called upon the internal revenue
agent and learned that 1887 federal
| tax receipts have been issued this
year in a city of about $4,000 popula-
| ton. This one fact is sufficient to
show the conditions prevailing in this
city. That number is largely in ex-
cess of the licenses issued under the
saloon regime so instead of prohibit
ion reducing the number of places
where liquor can be procured it has
increased them. Further comment
as to the non effectiveness Of the law
in Birmingham is unnecessary.
Il arrived in Nashville at o.
clock Saturday night. After locating
In the Tulane hotel took In as much
of the town as ] could up to a late
hour.
"A person walking the streets of
Nashville would never suspect that
the city officials, saloon keepers and
citizens at large had even so much
as heard the word prohibition The
word is evidently not found in the
city dictionary | have studied the
saloon problem in a large number Of
cities and ! do not recall one where
there are so many high toned drink
emporiums in ratio to the number, as
found In this city What, such
saloons in a prohibition town? Yes.
and running wide open. without let
or hindrance. Well they sell only
soft drinks? Perhaps. Those | Wis
tied we're selling some kind OF liquid
that was certainly not soft, II color
and odor can be relied upon as cir
cumstantia evidence The saloons
in prohibition Nashville are selling
the genuine article. In violation OF
the state wide prohibitory law? Yes
and they are treating the law with
utter contempt. The saloon keepers
are not the only ones who are thus
ignoring the law. The city officials
are making no attempt to enforce the
law and the citizens back of the Off
GERS are Indifferent TO II and are not
demanding its enforcement Why?
Because the majority of'the people OF
the city are opposed to the law. A
law cannot. or at least, will not be
enforced II II does not receive the
support of public sentiment Under
the saloon regime, saloons were cen.
tralized In the business part OF the
town, as in Birmingham, but now
they are scattered all over the city
There is a larger number now than
formerly, with an increased amount
OF drunkenness.
Rev. Doctor Lotion, pastor OF
Central Baptist church, in his ser
mon Sunday night said Do you
know that people are mourning all
over this town over the prostitution
OF law? There is mourning all over
! Nashville tonight because young men
are walking the streets drunk. I
have never seen as many men drunk
in the twenty-five years | have been
In Nashville as ! have seen the past
six months
1T Is not necessary to multiply
words In reference to the operation
OF the law in Nashville. II Is not
only a dead letter and failure but
II is being treated with dlsdain The
people will suffer this condition to ex-
list for a time then they will cast II
on. and with the repeal OF the law
will go what good has come to the
small towns and rural sections. BY
seeking too much that is more than
can be successfully worked, there
is grave danger OF losing all.
1T is generally recognized that the
auti-prohibition sentiment is lncreas-
ing throughout the state, caused by
the failure OF the law In cities.
Among the large number OF peo-
pie with whom ! talked in all three
OF the cities, including ministers,
business and professional men, there
was not one who did not express him.
self as being very doubtful about a
prohibitory law being made success
In our centers OF population. They
are giving the law trial. and Il is
failing to make good
Il met travelling man In pensaco.
Ia. Fla, who lives in Ohio and who
makes twenty-five states In his
rounds. He is an Anti-Saloon man.
and said he would vote dry II the