The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-15
WIN BIG VICTORY
N west VIRGINIA
PROHIBITION AMENDMENT CAR
RIED IN STATEWIDE FIGHT
nj NEARLY $1,000 MAJORITY.
NINE STATES NOW DRY
GROWING SENTIMENT THROUGH
OUT THE COUNTY IN FAVOR
OF CLOSING THE
SALOON.
NINE STATES NOW DRY

Accurate returns regarding the vote
on the prohibition amendment In. West
Virginia In the election on the 5th in
slant. like those in the presidential
election. have been somewhat slow in
coming in. However, information
comes from State Superintendent
Hare of West Virginia Anti-saloon
league, that the majority in favor Of
the amendment, so far recorded, -
$4,000 1t will likely go to figure
between $4,000 and $4,000. Every
county in the State, according to a
tabuiated report in the Sistersville
Daily Review, has gone dry except
Ohio and Mcdowell There are fifty-
six counties in West Virginia. The
dry" majority ranged from $50 In
Pendleton to 6.a17 In Harrison. Fay
cite, one of the liquor strongholds.
gave 1000 majority; Summers. with
Hinton, the county seat. a champion
"wet" town. gave 1900 majority for
the amendment Hinton Itself went
SOC dry"
This Is an unprecedented victory
for the temperance forces of that
state, and in the light 81 ma orftiss
of $4,000 or $4,000 for State and ma
tional officers, one can readily see
what the West Virginia people think
of the liquor traffic. The amendment
provides that the liquor traffic shall
srAxe business in w est Virginia JI,ly
1. 1914, thus giving the men in that
business ample time to close up their
affairs. Provision Is made for the
sale of liquor for medical. sacrament
tai and mechanical purposes The
manufacture as well as the sale OF IN
taxicating liquors Ia prohibited AFTER
the date mentioned.
This the Ninth State.
With this victory Statewide prohi-
bition now obtains in nine States,
namely: Maine. Worth Dakota Kan
sas. Tennessee. Oklahoma. North Caro-
,inalsna, Georgia. Mississippi and " est
Virginia. Alabama was in the State
wide column until unusual political
conditions were. taken advantage ol
by the liquor interests TO estaelisn
local option for the largest chies, eut
In a number of places many people
are dissatisfied with the re-establish-
ment of the saloon. and 1t Is believed
tina. in due time Alabama VIII wheel
back intn the prohibition column
before West Virginia voted on No.
.xernbcr 5th, I,7ae of the 1882 coun-
ties of the United States had gone
.dry.'; West Virginia now adds hfy-
Elk. W..
For a number of years the Yves.
Virginia temperance FORCES woIAsa
without success to procure % 49,.
legislature the right to vote upon
rtafe-wids prohibition. The last SEES
sion however. submitted the amend
mant lust voted upon with such UNI
us,,al results. The legislature prior
10 that defeated the proposition oy
ons vote In the senate. ana AT one
time the legislature, through its COM
msstee, had strong reason 10 suspee-
though they could not absolutely Prov
II that a great deal OF money naa
been used by the liquor interests ~
defeat the efforts OF the people 20 Pr
cure a right to vote upon STATEWIDE
prohibition.
The victory in West Virginia Is N
dicfa,,ye Of the genera pfogrss
which Is being made by the Ahu-
saloon league forces. the w. Il v.
ana other orga nizatfons asss'nsS ths
uauer traffic everywhere, ana .he
workers N Virginia are much Srat.ieo
and encouraged over the west
rfnfa result Although they nave oecn
defeated temporarily IN their eno1.s
q "A DYDCuTG- u ADLG -nt sksx Qs1fS-....
the question OF license or no license
A. Virginia, they are not at all oe-
frrred and indicate their purpose
nress ON moro vigorously thaH crrr
Tar tina attainment OF, their object. IN
4ha West Virginia fight, progress was
gradually made in legislative contes1s
until Il was exceedingly dinicuit TOT
any man who was esen suspected OF
being q liquor man to be elected 20 inc
legislature. This has been the history
a. the mo yement everywhere. ana
su.tth the Increased sentiment In Vir-
vtnia and the reasonable demands OF
fhe temperance forces led by the Anti
saloon league for vote upon State-
xr,ia prohibition. II Is believed that the
next legislature will be unwilling TO
refuse such right
Employed Nsw Taaetles.
n, tho West Virginia fight the
liuuor men followed their more re-
r.ant effective tactics OF sending men
!, Into the state in the guise OF rave
4, ) statesmen. agents for oil and min
inc lands. ct cetera. and thus to reach
the people indirectly In behalf OF the
iIu,for trafflc II ID char ged that suca
mAfhods have already been used In
ioxal option lights IN Virginia. It Was
ss,own IN the contest that while the
fiuucr traffic paid about $4,000 rev
enue TINT crime alone COST tne Sa.s
s7sl. 900. but the appeal tnat cnaeny
.rrri r,ith the voters Of West Vir-
rinis was the value Of their boys AMI
girls, homes. churches and other con
structive institutions az against the
admttted destruction by the saloon q
every real value. 1t Was primarily
.rrcar victory OF mainly the highest
fyl,es 81 citizenship constituting the
xraat moral forces OF the Common
wealth
f6urtha dry, 66 Of the loo coun-
fies an dry. So are without saloons:
ofs TIE no towns l60S are dry Of the
20 cities one~half arc dry ana
9,45n,00O people OF the 2,O60.0O0 1.-Two
where there are no saloons. The vote
ia the iaat Legislature revealed tho
fact that Sc delegat4s and ~ senators. I
making 50 OUT Of 40 total votes.
tr1 II, favof az the enabling act. II
ay3pears 10 81 erid4iat that there IL
tor ma T1ikNt 10. vote IN