The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-25
Report on Temperance
Adopted by Mcthodists

personal liberty, and declare that
every man has a right to sell liquor
for profit. and right to drink liquor
to his comfort.
Covetousness--ths greed for gain
and appetite--the indulgence OF sense
are both Unsuitable. The dram seller
covets house, wife. man-servant.
matd-servant. OK and ass. and every
thing tina, Is his neighbours. and the
dram -drinker Will surrender home.
wife, man-servant, maid-servant. OK
and ass and everything that he has.
for the Indulgence of appetite When
man threatens the safety OF our
property by building a frame house.
we invoke the protection OF the law;
when he threatens our health BY
carrying around the germs OF con-
tagious diseases we shut him up apart
from others. and when he imperils the
present and the eternal welfare Of
our sons by the open saloon. the false
advertisement. and the pernictous
jug" trade and cries out Great Ii
personal liberty" every father. every
mother. every teacher. every pastor.
every lover OF decency. OF sobriety, Of
Intelligence, of free government. OF
happy homes, OF the kingdosh OF God
must join together In a holy league
and declaring that our sons and
daughters are worth more than all
material things. hurl themselves with
irresistible force against the selfish
host of appetite and covetousness. and
destroy forever the iegalized liquor
traffic In our great country.
For the strength or the liquor fraf-
nc today is in the law OF the land.
1t is protected by State and especially
by national legislation. The condi-
lions OF our warfare have greatly
changed. Only fhort time ago. and
each Nefghorhood. town or county
fought its battle with the dram-seli-
ers and dram drinkers Of the local
community II was q nefghbcrhood
fight. and district after district. town
after town, county after county, were
rid OF the legaiixed traffic. But to-
day the liquor traffic 10 organised.
The National Liquor Dealers Asao-
citation. composed OF the men who are
engaged In the manufacture and sale
of intoxicants has its annual convens
ton, its attorneys. Its editorial corps.
its LOBBYISTS, and its enormous cam
paign funds. and In waginG An az
gressive constituencies warfare. mol
only TO prevent the spread OF prohi-
bition. but to wipe all the present
prohibitory laws or the statue oooks
ana to restore 1Ao Shiocu 2Ao - -
tsndant horrors to every town ana
crossroads IN the land. To accom-
plish this purnose the trade II ready
to spend practically unlimited
amount of money. The great aim
at present is to produce the impres-
sion on the public mind. that the ef'
fort to prohibit the sale and use OF
iintaxicants Is a failure, that the DRAM
seller will not obey the law. that the
Illegal sale is 10 prevalent and is
productive OF so much evil. that II
is better 10 have II sold legally under
strict regulation. and finally that the
Jug trade is worse than the licensed
saloon.
In this warfare the most potent
ally ofthe traffic are the wet
newspapers. The papers in thefi
news and editorial columns minimize
the evils OF the saloon, and empha-
size the violation of law In dry
territory, not to insist upon the pun
ishsnent of the offenders. but to pur-
suade tho people that It IS folly to
expect the liquor traffic to keep tht
law, and therefore II should be given
, license to net traps for our children
land accomplish their ruin. In their
advertising columns they print fake
statements concerning the helpfull y
effects obtained by tina use OF certain
brands OF intoxicants. ana sell their
space TO circulate statements which