The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-06
The Virginia State Fair and Liquor.

The Virginia State Fair and Liquor.
Commenting upon the State Fair The Rich
mond Vrgtnidn of August 22d says, among
other things:
LAS Mr.. Fairfax says. the State Fair is not
a money making concern. The members of the
association leading business men of Rich
mond and the State of Virginia. They give
their time to the development of the resources
OF the city and &he State There are divi
dends. II there is anything left over at the
close of a Fair, it is spent the following year
in the development of the city and the State.
through the exhibits and the demonstrations
subsequently presented,
I THE State Fair, as has been shown at pre-
vioas esPeatieHs,- IS an illustration Of the-rast
resources of the State. 1t teaches the young
/ farmer and the mechanic too, what there Is
ahead of him. 1t pushes him along to further
endeayor
I'VE agree with President Fairfax. that the
State Fair and the county fair as well tend to
/ the elevation of the farmers boy and girl And
( il Mr. Fairfax and the gentlemen associated
with him in handling the State Fair that
there is nothing permitted on the grounds of
the association which may tend to demoraize
! or degrade, the association will have carried
out the purpose which it is organized TO CON
tsefFe. :.
We would call special attention to the last
I paragraph, and respectfully suggest to the d.
rectors of the State Fair that they refuse to
permit Intoxicating liquors to be sold on or
near the grounds this year.
1t is not only inconsistent with the very pur-
poses of the Fair to have intoxieants sold
dispensed the grounds but for an associ-
alton which last year earned the praise of hav
ing the greatest fair in the State to abet the
debauehery of men Is out Of tune with the real
spirit of the age
No member of the State Fair association
would knowingly permit anything to damage
the livestock of various kinds or unfit them
for the propagation of the best of their re-
spective breeds then why, ask, should the
State Fair association permit to be sold upon
it's premises an article which does mmeasur-
ably depreciate human" livestock to to
speak Are the men of Virginia of less value
than horses cattle sheep. dogs, hogs and
fowsa
Moreover agreeing that The Trginiam's esti-
mate be correct. why should temptation be
placed before the thousands of young men who
come from the rural. and chiefly dry. sections
of the Commonwealth These men are the
very Drawn and blood of the old State, and the
State Fair association should be ashamed to
risk the future of the many of her splendid
sons simply to crafty the appetites of the few
and for patry dollars for liquor privileges
which win perish along with the character of
the victims of the State Fair associations
temptation
the fair ought also TO be considered Naturally
no man wants these associated even remotely
with liquor; logically neither men nor women
and children the better for such ascot
alton. and II the truth were fully known doubt
less many a woman and child have suffered for
protection destroyed by the sale of liquor TO
their friends and relatives the fair grounds
We hope, therefore that the association will
consider these aspects of the case and make at
least trial of no liquor selling on the ground
this year
Very respectfully. gentlemen we beg OF you
to put your fellow yirginians and North Caro-
lima friends high a plane OF protection
| as livestock and machinery