The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-10-24

Secretary Of State Says Dry
Amendment Would Bring
Dives into the State.

PARKERsBURG, Oct. 16.-Reiter-
ating the statement from time to time
that the passage of the prohibition
amendment at the next election would
mean more drug stores in which liq-
uor would be sold; more drunkenness
than under local regulation; more
clubs and dives where young boys as
well as men would be able to get
liquor and become drunk; and en-
phasizing the statement that the only
way to handle the liquor traffic was
by having the saloon properly regu-
lated, Hon. Cyrus W. Davis, secretary
of the state of Maine, held an au-
dience of about 600 people for two
hours at the Camden theater last
night. 1t was representative an
dience, not composed entirely OF
soloon-keepers and bartenders, but
there was large sprinkling OF bust
ness and professional men as we'll as
"a number Of ladies present.
Secretary Davis's talk was that Of
plain business man and without
frills. He told of the conditions
that have obtained in Maine for the
last twenty-eight years since the
prohibition amendment was first
passed, calling attention to the facts
which have been given out by others
in telling Of the increase in drunken
mes among the people, young and old,
of the increase in the amount of liq-
uors of all kinds consumed in the
cities, villages and country sections
of the state, and laying particular
stress upon the fact that while West
Virginia had increased in population
almost half a million in the last de-
cade Maine had only about 100000
more people than when the census
had been taken before.
Secretary Davis prefaced his re-
marks by calling attention to the
statement made by Judge Dayton in
his address of last Sunday in which
the judge said that in Maine there
were farms which a West Virginia
farmer would not sneeze at as com
pared with those in this state, yet in
Maine the farmers and people gener-
ally were more prosperous under pro-
hibition and had more money per cap
tia than West Virginians, Mr.. Davis
took issue with. this statement and
said Judge Dayton had been misin-
formed or wilfully misrepresented the
matter in his statements. He pointed
out that in one county alone in Maine
this year there had been raised forty
two million bushels of,potatoes. which
he considered an excellent crop, show
ing there were some very fine farms
there.
by passing the amendment in your
state you will set back the cause of
temperance twenty-five, years. 1t
will bring about worse conditions
than you now have under local reg
ulation, The bootleggers and dive
keepers will flourish in the city, town,
village and country districts. Con-
stitutlonal prohibition does not pro-
kbit; does not keep the liquor out
Of the state; but does bring about the
peddling of the goods; brings forth
the dives and the clubs and other
places where the vile stuff can be
sold. On the other hand the saloon
is regulated by the state and federal
governments and is not so injurious
he continued.
Mr.. Davis made many comparisons
of conditions in cities in his state I'M
der prohibition, regarding arrests for
drunkenness, showing there had been
an increase of many hundred per
cent. He also showed that the con
sumption Of liquors had increased as
the drunkenness had increased. He
made pfea for safe and sane consid-
Grafton of the proposition in this state
and, closed by saying that he had sew
en- reasons why the amendment
should be voted against.