The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-26
FURoRE, But NO FACTS OR FIGURES.

A correspondent writing the initials L.
C @. In the Times Dispatch, whose record as
the willing dissemnator OF anti prohibition
literature Is well known roundly berates pro-
hibition He is very clever With words and con-
jures up many alleged evils OF prohibition, but
like those who rush to the defense Of the legaliz
ed saloon. he is rather shy on facts. He is long
on assertion but short on proof.
To those who have followed the results of pro-
hibi,ion as contrasted with the notorious results
al the license system his charges provoke
laughter Mediate upon his rhetorical gems and
over against them set the rayages Of the saloon
and one will at once understand how impotent
mere notification is in the presence of undisput-
able fact
prohibition levies blackmail and relying
upon the spy system. has everywhere substituted
corrupt Indulgence for honest taxation"
Prohibition has adulterated drink Git
the whiskey trust that fought the pure food law
and there is commodity upon the market
nagrantly adulterated as the liquor sold in the
license saloon1 has extinguished revenue tthe
crime poverty and economic waste occasioned
BY the saloon has exhausted revenue). has foster
et smuggling therefore the customs house and
import duties of the government should be re-
moved) and by prostitutng law brought II
into contempt thence all law should be revoked.
especially the criminal law for the violations or
which the United States is conspicuous and the
majority of which violations directly trace
able to the open saloon) and last but not least
prohibition does not prohibit and has nowhere
expelled drink sensbly reduced intemperance
Neither for that matter. have the ten command
ments abolished orenses against God or man.
There is lot Of this like the above which
we have been moved to casually comment upon
Al we have reproduced it. but nowhere Ia asser-
ton fortified with fact that convinces the rea-
son, and the whole TRADE breaths forth the
spirit OF personal opposition rather than the re-
suit Of mature and intelligent Judgment,
In reply to this utter the same challenge
that we have sounded more than once before Let
us 70 to the records of any city or State that
has adopted the policy of prohibition. II the
statistics of police. of the social and chari-
table organizations and of the institutions that
/ stand for commercial and moral progress do not
demonstrate that prohibition has improved con
ditions we will acknowledge its failure wherever
il has failed Even where enforcement ls not
vigorously demanded. assert that prohibition
] has been followed by great Improvement in
criminal and social records.
II we had the space and the time we could
produce as we are constantly producing. the
testimony of innential and prominent citizens or
communities where the policy of prohibition has
been tried that its adoption has demonstrated
It's value and the results have been encourag-
ing even where proper enforcement has not been
demanded by incompetent officials.
Facts are needed. not rhetoric nor dogmatie as
serton, TO demonstrate the value OF prohibition
and IL is because the facts justify prohibition that
thoughtful men everywhere have allied them
selves and are constantly doing so with those
whose slogan is The Saloon must GO. And
IL In because of the increasing public sentiment
against an institution whose whole record has
heen one OF corruption and destruction that the
political parties have at last been literally
forced to declare against its ravage and havoc.
A. WORD OF SYMPATHY.