The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-04
STAT >'roN THROUGH THE EYES OF THE



d which it eeeS~ to establish the fact that the
staHut7n people have found the operation of
lo5a option unsatisfactory and that their con
cluson is Of piece with the general tendency
OF tire times The ed1tor suggests that senti-
mcut. sympathy impulse and interest would
align him With the forces OF prohibition, but
thai common sense and cold facts necesstate
his opposition 10 the principle AS usual. he
discusses the question IN fine temper and iii
IKE spirit we seek to reply.
fits assertion that license and strict regu-
lation are the best methods of dealing with
the nquor problem" is little unfortunate in
view Of the failure of license and strict regu-
lation In his own city 1t is now in evidence
that Roanoke reveals In most conspicuous and
seandalous fashion the failure of regulation and
restriction. Every liquor law on the stat3.e
hooks has been VIGOROUSLY. and continuously
violated in the Magic City. and It's own police
department estimates that every day In blind
tiger" and disorderly house quantities of H.
auor have been sold; the Sabbath sales being
much greater than that OF other days II ia
because we have found that license does not
regulate and does not limit the sale of ardent
spirits that the determination to put IL out OF
business az a legalized institution has grown
rapidly and strong In 1910. the liquor
dealers OF San Francisco complained to the
civil authorities that there were three thousand
blind tigers" operating in that city and only
day ago the Baltimore Nsaos calls
editorial attention to the bold defiance of law
and order" upon the part of the liquor in
terests Of Baltimore county. The Louisville
Post in recent Issue has declared that laws
against the sale Of liquor in tho prohibition
states well enforced as the sunday
closing law in Louisville the liquor laws In
Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York or Ohio.
The editor goes 10 say. what Is very true
and what explains much of the present HOSTILE
" to the saloon that the liquor traders re-
sent any intrusion of the Law, any regulation
Of the law" II liz lawless institution II
breaths the spirit of anarchy. 1t never fails
TO violate law, under regulation we'll as
prohibition just far 1t dares. II ceases
only when II IL sure the authorities Intend il
shan cease. And all the violations of the law
In prohibition territory are made by liquor
men who have determined that the will of the
pSDpiS husli UpI Eofelb lHSul, no. BfoiueT
Williams when you count up the failures Of the
law In noa~iieense communities, don't forget
10 count them also in license communities
not committing Roanoke-and remember that
II IN the anarchistic spirit Of the business that
.ssgtsgsl&aa The offenders. against law, aa esdaE
In both communities. You entitled 10 your
opinion but your opinion does not affect the
faet al prohihtfipu inc
AS regulation does regulating
tpon this hypothesia, that the prohibition
iaa had failed. the Times endeavors to explain
the saloon victory in stanton. 1t says: They
had seen the actual operation OF no license
and knew ii from experience. Evidently after
two years Of such experience the no license
advocacy had lost ground aud the license plan
had gained" Now we must go beyond the re-
turns to determine the truth of this az 1t re.
lates to staunton We must analyze the re.
turns themselves IN the light Of what facts
have. Prohibition has not lost ground.
II polled some 80 votes more than in the pre-
vious election. We thfnk no one will question
the fact that IN tie election the large MAORI.
ty OF good citizens the men upon whose
shoulders the burdens Of the citys life and pro.
eress rest IN favor Of local option> There
a wet majority Of 101 The negro vote
about ESQ. nearly alt wet. Add 10 this
number the various elements Of no solidity. of
strength, Of positive worth TO the city,
often liability OF the city life rather than an
asser.e rffe vitIots t7e sena1 the purenaseabie
the criminal The editor is too sane a man
to deny that the saloon absolutely controls
this vote Moreover add the voters who in
fact are residents, but whose temporary
return was secured for the purpose of casting
saloon ballot Add all these to the negro
vote and how large majority OF the repres-
entatives citizenship OF Stanton does II leave
In fayor Of saloon You must deduct the
negro vote plus this uncertain but consider
able element from the total wet vote The
result will you that the dry sentiment
liz in the ascendancy among the substantial
men OF stanton
The election was not lost through any gain
In saloon sentiment. but 1t was lost by gain
in the saloon vote brought about by bringing
many more negroes within the right OF suf-
frage by voting In bulk the saloon controlled
gang and by conveying back TO Stanton from
every direction many men. who had changed