The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-18
PEOPLES FORUM
As Accurate ~ Usual

Editor Of The Nirginian.
S'is~-The Alabama Christian Advocate has
an interesting article on Interviews with rra&-
ehns Men on the Liquor Question" AS this ar
ttcte mas to do with the city OF Richmond I
MINK that ~ might be of interest 10 the read
ers Of The Nirginian. I am not liz ar
dudiHtfa with tha party mentioned In this ar
hcle nor do know anything about the accu-
r"cS OF the report In the Montgomery Adver~
user, 1t may have msrepresented the Rich
mona travelling man. bot at any rate it is a
sample or the sort of stuff that Is printed in
~ me wet newspapers II is similar to the
interviews which The Times Dispatch the great
champion OF the saloons gives to It's readers as
accurate statements OF conditions in other
southern States. An experience of nearly TWEEN
y-hve years has taught the writer that any
statement made by any advocate of the saloon
can We'll be doubted until absolute proof is
given. In only two or three instances in my
experience have the liquor people proven 10
ire correct The clipping from the Alabama
lChristian Advocate follows:
JAMES CANNON
Waynes'ine. y. c. July IA, 1911
iNlEI.XlEWs WITH TRAVELLING MfN-f,x
THE LIQUOR QUESTION.
ne Advertiser and the Age Herald have re-
.s s% interviewed quite a number of travelling
'u9H On 'he liquor question. The people inter
Nr"ed represent themselves as not specially
utffftsied but for many reasons are all against
prohibition and for high license and M, VII
l. "suiated saloon. They make many statements
dcfos#tory 10 prohibition statements which
N''auSe or their general nature 1t would re-
q ,,r cons'derahie space and research 10 dis
prove and which because of their plausbity
/ are apt 10 deceive the casua! reader
b1t recently one of these gentry neglected.
| the precautions usually taken by his co-senti-
merit creators and made direct and positive
statement, the correctness of which could easily
| be- tested The following liz taken from an in
! teTFieW that appeared in the Advertiser of NAV
%
While haven't been in Virginia since Feb
r"afH" said Mr.. l. r Campbell Richmond
travelling man, who Is stopping at the Impe-
/ RAJ Judging from the situation as j saw it
last and from what have read since leav-
/ ing, inc anti saloon forces are weakening.
understand they are not nearly so strong as
I they were two or three. years ago.
"A large per cent of the smaller counties
are dry under local option, system with which
Virginia seems we'll satisfied Rlchmond,s rave.
nue. from the saloons is tremendous and this
would cut some figure. Last year Richmond
vas enabled TO erect 100000 high school
building, the largest and finest or its kind
/ in the entire South. This money was deducted
! from the revenue procured from the saloons"
Passing over that part oftthe Interview which
! refers to the weakening Of the Anti-Saloo
League and which was merely the opinion of
the author we were impressed with his state
ment regarding the million dollar high ~schoo1
building, ard ies peing bjiit from funds Npro-
cured from saloon licenses, and We decided ~
do a little investigating for ourselves. We
wrote to Il reliable party for information Here
Iit is over the signature Of the CLERK of the
lnance committee of the city council of Rich
mond.
Richmond received for 1910 from retail IL
fquor Iicenses--15o at $500. $4,000; wholesa lie
I LIQUOR lcenses--l4 al $500, $1,000.
This does not include State license which
is $3.50 each. and paid to the State, and a
further scaled for brewers. etc
The new Richmond high school cost, in
4citicatag site and equipment s6Ts, n4o- and was
paid for by proceeds of bonds and current reve-
nues
CF Nm