The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-06-22

Aicxandria saloons and ..Pcrsonad Liberty
Editor Of The Richmond yirginian:
Sir,-For pome time have been leaving
the Alexandria union station on my trips south
ward in Virginia four or i've times q month.
The courtesles extended to me by the gentle-
manly agent and his essociates have been
highly appreciated, but there are some condi-
tons about the station which feel should be
made known to the public not now aware of
them. and to enter formal protest against
them.
On Saturday afternoons more than at any
Saturday afternoon there have been men In
various stages of intoxication waiting for
trains From the half-siliy, braggadocio young
man to the one more schooIcd in drunkenness,
they have been there I have witnessed some
conduct by drunken men which cannot put
into print. do not intend to exaggerate the
found, as rule. more drunken men waiting
for trains and many times behaving In very
objectionable manner, than in the Alexandria
union station. Last Saturday afternoon one
drunken man was handled. thought, rather
too roughly by the man who calls the trains.
but certainly there are many occasions for
the evaporation of one who has to contend
with the regular Saturday afternoon DRINKS
turned out by the Alexandra saloons. Both
whites and negroes are among those who are
drunk. Not only have seen men drunk and
acting objectionably, but In the lavatory have
seen drinking and the division OF bottles of
whskey evidently brought IN suit cases from
Alexandria, close by. 1t is to be remembered
that the union station is fully half mile from
the business section OF the city. ! ara sure
that any regular traveller leaving AteSAnura
Saturday afternoons would testify to the sa,ne
conditions which ] have tried fairly TO de-
scribe.
50 far as have seer, the gentlemen In charge
OF tine stat rI aprere to do all Their ewer
to better conditions, but how can few men who
have the various duties of handling the
travelling public act body of police for the
DRINKS turned out on the comparatively help
less public by the saloons OF Alexandria? The
liquor people pirate about their personal
liberty and that of the drinking men, but In
the name of justice, decency and common sense
wish to know where the personal liberty"
OF long suffering travelling public comes IN
when SO regularly annoyed by the product Of the
Alexandria saloons? Is 1t fair for the saloons
to have legal privilege of turning out men
in various stages OF drunkenness to make 1t
disaEreeable, and times practically
safe. for the travelling public-~men, women
and children? For one. utter protest against
such conditions as not only unfair to the peo-
pie annoyed by such conduct, but would pro-
test to the people Of Alexandria, who have
remedy conditions which their institutions pro
duce. It Is. moreover unfair to the railroads
and their employees to have to be subjected to
handling this class OF passengers and be called
upon sometimes to have considerable trouble
with the DRINKS of Alexandria saloons. or,
the other hand, submit to much that is dis
agreeable in order to save row.
/ would say in conclusion that I have re-
Gently been to such dry towns as SUFFOLK Win
chester. Charlottesville. Luray. Cupeper, etc.
and in all these places have not seen sim
gle drunken man upon the streets nor at the
railway stations will put any dry town
or city in the State of Virginia against any
wet town or city for freedom from drunken
ness and disorder. either the streets at
the railway stations. 1t is to be hoped that
the time will when the people OF
Virginia will realize that Ex-Governor Glenn,
| cf North Carolina Is right when he says that
1.-THE worst dry town In the country is better
than the best wet town.
~ ED. T. RICHARDSON.
Falls Church, Va. June 40 1912