The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-24
CURRENTCOMMENT'


The scandal and shame of most of our great
cities Is the fact that tho dominating force in
their political life is the saloon. Richmond
venture to assert is not altogether free from
TINS influence. But greater shame is that
citizens in their Indifference and inactivity
will permit the lowest elements OF the city's
life to show their hands in the determination
OF municipal policies and the control of NUM-
cipal government Richmond Virginian
There is much of melancholy truth in the
above to furnish the prohibitionists with
one of their most effective appeals for abolition
or the licensed bar room. We do not believe
that in any popuous citt of the United States
a law forbidding the traffic in spiritious IL
Quors mas ever found enforcement sufficiently
elhclent TO materially affect the local consump-
loh OF into&lcants. This is the lesson of
perience whether the outlawry OF the liquor
business has been essayed under State wide or
municipal enactment. Conditions In the larger
urban communities Of Maine, Massachuset
Kansas. Georgia and Alabama have during nifty
years of experiment furnished cumulative ana
still accommodating evidence that, a measure
Oh temperance reform, in such centres OF popu
lauon, prohibition is failure. And notably
where the system Of license and regulation has
been replaced by imperative statutes or ordi-
nances of prescription, the Illicit traders have
closely organized their clientele in political
PhaianX in order TO elect TO public Offices
subservlent of their interests, who may be re-
ned ON not to interfere with the surreptitious
business which is far profitable To the
operators than the highly taxed and strictly
regulated saloon would be. Also the elements
conuouable BY the secret dives and spcakeasys
are, as a whole. Of lower character than the
body OF the patrons of the open saloon and
more amenable to tho influence of the men who
supply their la~less appetites; and the officials
chosen lay these elements under direction Of
the purveyors Of contrahand goods must be an
sef4pGlo0s in superlative degree else they
could not perform the service expected of them
thai OF shielding from detection and punish
neht class of persons living in habitual CON
I i
Mobile and Bangor than in wet" PHILADELPHIA
Richmond and Norfolk do the political ma
chInes rely on the places where liquor is sold
bF the drink. whether in defiance or by coun-
tenanee Of the law, to furnish the bulk Of their
reliable voting force election day.
Is the case then hopeless BY no means 1t
Is only because the vast majority of the repu-
table citizens of any community fail of their
civic duty If they are politically dominated hv
a single interest which has neither the entitle-
ments nor the qualifications 10 leadership in
puphc analrs. 1t makes no difference whether
the orders debating party nominations Issue
from the snug parlor In the rear of a licensed
ana elided saloon, or from the subterranean
cave or the double panelled hole In the wall
where smnggled ~hiskey IS dispensed by com
Founders or poison to compounders OF lawless-
ness, there was never time In any citv when
the intelligent and orderly and law-abiding peo-
PIE could not have brought 10 naught all such
star chamber conspractes by simply coming to
the front and backing their natural right 10
rule by the might OF their numbers ana the
weight OF their moral influence, The caba
which has governed Norfolk for years has
maintained IFS supremaey only because 1hs
CLASSES outside or it have tamelv conceded The
bottom rail- the privilege of climbing to the
top of the fence, The "pul of the liquor in
terests represented BY the saloons r1ays
secondary part in the tragical farce Nor are
the members Of the directorate principally to
Hlaine that they use In behalf of themselves
alu ltiehas the powers SO cheaply acquired
put rather the men Of different mould and bet
yer knowledge who crawl 10 them hat In hand
promising exemplary obedience If granted en-
dorsement for this that place of State ~
municipal preferment, The shame" of the sit
uaton is not so much that 1t exists as In the
Pilot