The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-11
PEOPLES FORUM
Richinond's Disgrace.

6ultor OF Inc N1rglnian:
Sir,--After five years absence, / visited
Richmond on Saturday, October 12th. During
these hve years / have wandered around in the
slums of many foreign cities, such as Liverpool,
London. Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam, Paris.
Berlin Milan, Rome and Maple, and | think
that am somewhat hardened to municipal Ills
and evils But wish the local readers Of this
paper to know that nowhere have seen as
pulsive and disgraceful sight the So called
wrong side" of Broad street, Richmond.
know something, too, of municipal conditions
in the big American cities, such Boston, New
York. Cincinnati, Chicago and Milwaukee. but
nowhere else have l been so repealed by the
aspect of the north side Of Broad street, Rich
mond.
Chicago. with It's huge foreign population and
all Of its factory employees, has single street
to compare with the wrong side" of Broad
street West Madison street. North Clark street
and South State street in Chicago terrible,
yet give the north side OF Broad street, Rich
mond credit for being the most dsgraceful sight
in any American city. did not count the IL
quor houses Broad street. bat it seemed to
me that between Elba station and Capitol square
they averaged about three to the block. Their
very number along the main shopping street Of
the State capital is objectionable. The good
women OF Virginia are compelled to walk along
the opposite side of the street. in full sight of
all these liquor houses In Chicago will
find few, IL any. liquor houses In the shopping
district. on State street. between Jackson boue-
ward and Lake street But In Richmond. the
famed capital OF the State of our pride, there
are scores of them along the main shopping
street,
Richmond liquor house. Long rows Of bottles
stand shelves in front of huge glass win
dows In many cases the brand and the price
are labeled each bottle. The commercial
aspect Of the whole thing is revolving. Whis-
kies. brandes and wines fouted in ones
face as respectable articles of commerce. when
anyone, not in the liquor business nor tied to
his jug, knows that this Is not true
In some Of the saloons in other cities, such
as Chicago, bottles. brands and prices are thus
displayed but in most cases the saloons even
al Chicago. here
s each corner, are conspicuous only
by advertising signs and heavy plate glass win
dows or screens. They places where fool
ish men, who know beforehand what they want
gathes to talk and drink. They not places
for some young boy or young man to stand out
side and learn the price Of some brand of wine.
whiskey or brandy, and then sneak in and buy
a bottle
These liquor houses along Broad street. Rich
mond. positive disgrace to the city and
State. Their number and prosperity are ac-
counted for, ! told, by the amount OF busi-
ness coming from dry counties in Virginia and
from the dry State Of North Carolina. Some
people, it is said have made fortunes I'M the
liquor mail order business In the last few years.
Whether this be true or not. am not GER
tain, but II makes no difference. The point is
that the number character and location Of these
liquor houses cry out shame upon Richmond.
Something ought to be done Cannot their
number be greatly limited? Cannot their ef-
frontry be toned down? Can they not be COM
PEELED to move away from the main shopping
section of the city and locate elsewhere?
Wnere are the ciersyihch OF hicHiHohu, anu
what are they doing to remedy this state OF
affairs? Where are the church members OF
Richmond. and what are they doing? What
are the big commercial men of Richmond do
ing especially those In the mercantile busi-
ness on the south side OF Broad street? Rich
rnond people are spoken OF in terms of warm
est praise by all people who have met them
elsewhere. It Is positive pleasure TO Viz
ginian to hear the frequent remarks of this
nature hope none OF these people who have
such a high opinion of Richmond people will
visit the city before the Richmond people have
done something to remedy their city's disgrace.
ALFRED p. JAMES.
tMr, James took the Virginia Rhodes scholar
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