The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-29
eakers Present Arguments on Enabling Act to Committee

virginia will improve moral coadt-
tons In Virginia The use OF intoxi.
cants as q beverage In menace TO the
public welfare always and everywhere.
The dry Districts Of Virginia have ban
ished the saloon because II was an
ever-present source OF decentralization
and crime. The people did not want
II to be possible that liquor should
be distributed indiscrlminately In
| their midst. but the wet cities Of vir-
ginia have utterly ignored thu Wishes
Of the majority Of the citf1en1 In the
dry territory and have done every
thing possible to sell intoxicating II
| quors by bottle and by jug to
everybody. including negroes ana
boys. in the dry sections Of
the State, and the wet cities have alb
! solutoiy refused to consider the pas
sage OF an anti-jug law at the request
OF the temperance people Of tho State.
! The people of Richmond and Pc.
tersburg cry let us alone. Why do not
Richmond and Petersburg let the dry
| territory alone? Why not agree to O
restricted liquor license restricting
| their sales to Richmond and Peters
burg? This very Mr. Kelly who has
spoken tonight appeared Just few
| days ago before Committee OF tho
House Of Delegates and opposed the
passage OF . restricted license law.
we are inconsistent because
we aeek protection OF State
wide law. They declare that It is
! not right TO deprive tho wet cities OF
| Virginia Of the privilege OF selling in
toxicating liquors. In the dry territory
30 long an any body will buy. But the
I, State conferred upon the people in
| the dry territory the right to pro-
hibit the gale Of liquor In their own
territory. provided a majority 10 de-
! sired. and the wet cities are allowed
to do in dry territory the very thing
the residents Of dry territory are
themselves not allowed TO do.
1T IL asserted that TO destroy the
shipping trade In the cities OF Virginia
! will only remove 1t across the State
! line, and that no ultimate good win
result. But this In utterly In defiance
| of the facts. Judge Martin Williams
declared In my hearing that when the
sale Of liquor was abolished In the
/ city OF Radford the receipts at the ex.
I preas office at Pearisuurg, In Giles
| county. decreased SO per cent. al
though liquor can be bought and ship
| ped In just across the line from West
| Virginia. And every man knows that
this Is true. that the more inconven-
lent and the more expensive It IL
made to secure liquor the less Of It
there will be bought.
North Carolina Situation.
| ! have been a great portion OF my
time for the last year In the neighbor.
! Ing State of North Carolina, and |
have talked with leading citizens in
t nearly every city In that State, ana
they are honorable Christian geat,e-
men, and ! declare on their testimony
! that the statement made by Mr..
Blake before this COMMITTEES on Mon
d." night cannot be substantiated by
the facts. Moreover, | submit to the
committee statements from the Green's
boro Record and the Charlotte News,
both declaring that the prohibitcry
law has greatly reduced the consump-
ton OF liquor and evils attendant
thereupon in those cities.
Mr.. Barrett. the president OF the
Farmers unIon, declared that condi-
ttons had greatly improved In Geor-
stA since tho Statewide law was
passed.
Sir. Blake also declared that a
drunken man could not be seen on
the streets of Richmond unless he had
come in from the country out OF the
dry territory. AS matter of fact, /
i have, personally seen numbers Of
drunken men. especially on Saturday
nl"ht in various parts of Richmond
during the past two years, and the
Official report of the Chief Of Ponce
declares that In the year 1910 there
were 1916 arrests for drunk and dis
orderly condu"' in the city of Rich
mond l37 of which were females. and
! that in the year 1911 there were 1915
arrests for drunk and disorderiy con-
duct In the city Of Richmond, and
| since January !, 1919. there have beer
! 1877 arrests for drunk and disorderiy
conduct In the city Of Richmond. MIR.
! Blake may not consider these figures
to be very large. but to me II Is a
horrible thing that hundreds Of per-
sons should be arrested and locked up
for drunkenness in this beautiful city,
to say nothing Of the many hundreds
! who never fall into the hands OF tho
! police.
! shall not read any statistics to-
! night to this committee. According
!, to MIR. Kelly. strong drink 10 no ,on-
i ger the cause Of poverty and crinls.
ana the Bible In wrong when II de-
! clares Woe unto him that putteth
tho bottle to his neighbours lip
/ Take Out Of Politics.
Another most Important result is
that the passage OF this bill will take
! the liquor question out Of politics.
+ Statewide prohibltory law by legisla-
tive enactment. Because II such a
law Is passed by the Legislature, the
4 issue will be brought UP At every elcc-
ton by members OF the General As
t sen,hly. In an effort to repeat the