The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-14

with the cost OF the liquor that was raoniraa ~
make them drunkards. would make an asset
wen worth looking after. even II there was no
moral value involved.
hr Harnsbsrxer says in substance that many
people have acquired a predspositon for strong
uIlhh and drugs After more or less use o
u,ese systematic poisons the victim loses his
WI power The notion that he stop drink
ii'g III he wants to 1t not a fact. On this basis
he argues that the State should care for these
untortnnates. because their unmakng Il in no
small measure due to the States graspng after
revenue Then he quotes from the committee
appointed by the mayor OF Boston saying:
That the habitual MISUNDERSTANDING and
morally dehauched~is the product Of the exist
ing system, He represents the closing act in
moral tragedy. In which society plays the
william in the guise OF justice and law" Then
ne shows that the habitual drunkard Is the
cause of the largest single item of expenditure
or pt lice courts. jnils and workhouses Now
II II y true that men are predsposed to strong
drink, and there seems to be doubt about
IT, then the State that furnishes the dramshop
predestines these unfortunate ones to the gutter,
the jail and the workhouse. And the $500
chronic drunkards which | have mentioned, are
living proofs of what | saying. Now when
a man Is predispossd to strong drink and the
State gets revenue, and the liquor dealer gets
rich. by furnishing the liquor for his undoing.
II Is perfectly clear that they are under OBJ
legation to for him In his helpless state,
the product OF a system from which they get
the benefit And 1t is also clear, that our in
stitution at the present time should have
capacity for 5000 mon, with separate depart
ment for women. Now If these $500 pfedis-
posed must Of necessity be sent through
this process In order Cor the liquor men to get
rich. and the State to get little revenue. and
there is no other course to pursue, but to make
these unfortunates into drunkards and then pos
sihly restore them to health again by means OF
tn institution, white e#F citizens pay -the-ea-
| pense OF police departments police courts 1ails
and warehouses; and must now assume the new
burden Of n large institution If this Is the only
way to do II, and there is no remedy for It. then
the doctor Is arguing In the right direction
'and asking that which could reasonably be ex-
! peeted from the State, But If these unfortu-
mates have the right to expect anything at the
/ hands Of the respectable citizens of State
1t seems that they should rather expect the
State to protect them from the liquor that
works their destruction account of pre-
disposed appetite. which they have little
control. And It is only humane TO do
this, even If 1t costs a large OF money rather
than to have them made into chronic drunkards
no matter how much revenue the State gains
thereby. And it Is indeed strange economy
that allows the liquor men to mass together
the wealth, with which he buys automo bes
and builds splendid mansions. al the expense
of these predisposed unfortunate brothers Of
ours. If these unfortunate weak brethren are
NOT protected al this weak point. what class of
! people and in what particular. have the right
TO claim protection from the strong manhood
Of Virginia, against heartless men and their
selfish interests?
Now the doctor has shown the heartless.-
ness Of the business run by class OF men
who make their fortunes largely by using these
I predisposed unfortunates as their victims and
making them into chronic drunkards the I'm
lshcu prouuct or the system. And then he
comes asking for institution. which will in
some measure alleviate their sufrerings and
seems very much tn doubt about getting II. |
even though this seems to be the least thing he
could have asked on the basis of such an array
of facts. AS matter of fact, however. | shall
not be surprised TO hear Of the liquor interests
favoring this institution this year. and then
next year they will argue that they have the
right to make drunkards. since they pay reve-
hue to care for them after they have been made
They gifted in that of logic
or course the whole trouble lies In the fact,
that the liquor with his drinking gang
around him. holds the balance of political power
in State. which enables him to keep his
iifc legalized' When once he is endowed with
legal authority to make drunkards he makes
them as fast as he can, because he first gets
their money as long as they have any. and when
| they have none. he marches them to the polls
to vote for his business by furnishing them
few drinks Of liquor. So his business makes
drunkards to-day. and they In turn vote for his
business tomorrow. And II Is this way that
the drunkard making saloon goes perpetual
ing itself at the expense, largely, of those who
predisposed to strong drink. And our good
| citizens who also hold the balance of power
indeed we have the majority If they VIII only
wake up their privllege-are standing by
and allowing their unfortunate fellow men thus
to be ruined and then pay the bills for the
support Of talis, almshouses and lunatio asylums
which are natural products of the system that
we allowing to exist IN our State, Kansas
with her empty jails. almost empty lunatic
esylums. and poorhouses rented out for expert
Inent farms for want Of inmates when com
pared with these same institutions hlled to over
flowing in our State, furnishes all the proof
that Is needed to these statements. The only
question Is, how long will 1t take US to wake
up to the fact that the liquor men and their
business is robbing both financially and
morally in their process OF drunkard making
1t is easy that the predisposed man be-
comes first the victim of drink and then the
tool Sof liquor interests voter and the
tax paying public becomes the victim. on ac-
count of having to support the institutions that
our existing system makes necessary Tor the
safety of our women and children. The doctors
!
tn csre for and cure drunkards, but for the
abolition OF the business that makes them. And
there will be no need for institution to cure
drunkards when have abolished the system
that makes them When win we wake up.to
see this?
D. NJ SIMMONS.
Grove Avenue Baptist Church. Petersburg, Va.
Petersburg, Va. Nov s. 1911.