The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-04-01
PEOPLES FORUM
THE WHISKEY TRUST IN LYNCHBURC
OF The Virginian


Sir.--The whskey trust seems to have regu-
lated the liquor business to suit the committee
that met in the rooms of the Chamber of Com
merce last week. This, of course had all been
cut and dried beforehand ready to be served
to the committee. / wonde: II the prominent
dry citizens who attended this meeting imagine
they cut any figure in this? Didn't they know
that this matter had been all settled before
the local option election?
No saloons on Fifth. Ninth and Twelfth
Streets. How will this suit the fellows these
streets who have houses to rent? Houses tina.
will bring from forty to fifty dollars per mapth
for saloon purposes, but Will bring twenty
five dollars per month for any other PURPOSES?
Didn't these fellows vote for the return of the
saloons, and didn't they do as much work rs the
big fellows who had already secured houses on
Main Street! Are they not entitled to share
in the spells of victory just much The big
fellows? Is not this class legislation How
Must he be either forced to walk mile or pay
car fare in order to quench his thirst to get
little medicine for a sick child! Suppose he
had been bitten by d snake? Did not this man
vote for the return Of the saloons in order tina.
he might have liquor convenient? What about
the poor thirsty fremen Fifth Street and
wages (Which they haven't gotten) if they voted
wet? Are hey not entitled to have liquor con-
venient? 1t is almost rs bad as having to send
to Roanoke.
Why conine the sale OF liquor the streets
and localities recommended by the committee?
Why not sell II on Fifth, Ninth and Twelfth
Streets? VIII not the prohibition Of It's sale on
-
these streets, where 1t has been sold for hun
dred years. make liars and hypocrites of peo-
pleI Don't you know that II you prohibit the
sale or II on these streets they Will be filled with
blind tigers and boot-leggers. and the city will
be losing revenue9 Why not license the sale
of 1t on all streets, and make nice, law bidinK
citizens OF all the people? Have you already
forgotten that 1859 people In Lynchburg voted
for the return Of the saloon. according to the
election returns, they did not vote for licensing
the saloons upon any such restrictions: there
were no such conditions mentioned in the LIQUOR
platform; the inducement to vote for saloons
was TO make it easy to get liquor and provide
revenue for the city of Lynchburg instead OF
sending to Roanoke. Why restrict the
body have the benefits These restrictions If
approved by the Council would put the liquor
business practically in the control OF about
twenty saloonkeepers which l think would be
the rankest kind OF class legislation.
Make the license low and give all the little
fellows a chance. The more licenses have
the more saloons We have the more liquor will
be drunk. and the more revenue for the city.
Conditions on Ninth Street and the
Of Twelfth and Main Streets disgusting
enough when We had licensed saloons two years
ago: but they were little Sunday schools COM
pared to what Main Street will be when all the
horde OF worthless negroes and barroom loaf
ers from Fifth and Ninth and Twelfth Streets
ara ooasT@sated around eighteen. twenty
drunk factories on Main Street between Fifth
and Thirteenth Streets. Imagine, II you can,
VIII II be safe for the and children to
patronize the moving pictures Saturday even
ing--or any evening? WIN you not have to pro-
hibit the moving picture shows at night and on
Saturdays?
But what difference does Il, make to the sa-
foonkeeper what the conditions are: He real
ICES that two years. at best. all he can hope
for, because by that time We will have State
vide prohibition another local option cleo
ton. and the town will be dry anyway.
Lynchburs Va. SQUARE DEAL