The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-05-22
To th4s letter DR. Cannon replied as follows
Dr. Cannou's Reply to Mr.. Wise.


Dear sir,--Your letter of April 22d, ad-
dressed to me at Richmond Va was , 1ors
cen travelling continuously the past nontn
| that have had opportunity to do any extra
writing.
Your letter contains a criticism OF sentence
in my article concerning wet cities, and a
challenge TO me to take certain acton al the
n citing Of the approaching Democrats con-
venton.
/ stated in my article that ut is character
istlc Of communities under the domination OF
thu saloon to have gambling hells and red
light districts and ballot-box stuiing and fraud
ulent registration. These are the natural. the
necessary. the ever-present products Of the
saloon.
This given reason Nhy there need
be no surprise that the senators from the wet
cities opposed the moral legislation passed by
the house. including the anti gambling BILL the
anti-treating bill. the registration biil and the
o4ar claim that Newport News has had no
fraudulent registration or haio-box stuf1ng
does not really affect that statement. for You
yourself declare further on in your letter that
| Newport News is the only place in the state.
so far l know, where fraudulent egfstration
and ballot-box stufting have no place This
single exception. should it indeed prove to be
an exception, certainly does not disprove my
general statement But Newport News has not
yet had the supreme test. Wherever there has
been local optios election In any city of Vir-
gipia whose officials have been under the DOM
natien OF the Hauor interests, there have been
fraudulent registration and fraudulent voting.
You may think otherwise. but We're local OPP
should feel safe in predicting that the liquor
interests would make great effort to pad the
registration books with venal and illiterate vot-
crs. Men who will make living by the ruin
of other men and their families will not stop
at little thing like fraudulent registration
and voting.
When I was pastor in Newport News
found the liquor sellers there 10 be selfish
and their business to be damning in Its
effects as have ever found IL to be elsewhere.
One Of the most shocking experiences of my
ministry occurred there. An infant child of
drinking man died. and had to secure cloth
ing and coffin for the decent burial of the ba by.
When l came to the house the next morning to
conduct the funeral services. the clothes and
shoes which had furnished had been stripped
from the little body by the father and had
been exchanged by him for drink. and he was
lying in the corner in drunken stupor while
we endeavored to again prepare the body for
burial and while the services were being con-
Quoted. Such incidents have given To me horA
rible evidence of what effect dram drinking and
dram selling will have upon the conscences and
conduct of men who practice either. My expe-
rience has bean that a community which will
tolerate the presence of these licensed pits Of
hell will tolerate fraudulent registration at the
behest of the keepers OF the pits In order that
the license may be continued and covetousness
and appetite still be gratihed.
You may think you right, but am salts
fed that you mistaken In your sweeping as
sertion that Newport News is the only place
in the State where fraudulent registration and
ballot-box stuffing have place" 1t is true
You qualify this assertion by the clause, $50 far
as know. but It does not annear to be exactly