The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-03

but that IT would not favor any law that would
have that effect
We have received a lengthy letter from T. NJ.
Gilmore president OF the Model License league.
in which he takes exception to the Herald-Cou-
rier's views regarding his organization and its
purposes and work Among other things he
says:
II would like to call your attention to the fact
that while the adoption of q strict and enforce-'
able license law might not necessarily reduce the
consumption of liquors 1t would tend TO dis
courage the Incorporate eof liquors and 1t
certainly would have the effect of putting law
breakers out Of the liquor business 1t would
seem that strict regulation, which would do these
things would be much better than prohibition
which has had the effect OF increasing the use OF
alcoholic beverages and increasing the number
of lawbreakers engaged In the sale of liquors.
/ II would be interesting to know how strict
and enforceable license law would tend to dis
courage the Incorporate of liquors and yet
might not necessarily reduce the consumption
or liquors" Mr.. Gilmore surely does rot expect
an Intelligent public to believe that the con-
sumption of liquors would not be reduced II the
millions OF men who drink liquor to excess would
drink less OF it. Yet that is what he says-and
tho proposition IS about as logical as most of the
arguments advanced by the Model License
league.
As to Mr.. Gtlmore's further proposition that
a strict and enforceable license law certainly
would have the effect OF putting lawbreakers
out of the liquor business" men who are less in
terested In the Of the liquor business are
not so sure. The attention of the Model License
league and its president Is called to the situa-
ton now existing In Ohio. Ohio has new liquor
license law based the proposition of one sa-
loon to every five hundred population. All fair
minded men must admit that this new law, which
went into effect Thanksgiving day, ~ entirely
reasonable Y ct hundreds OF saloonists scat
tered throughout the cities of Ohio refused to
heed the law and reopened their places in def
ance OF it. The State liquor license commission
will be forced to proceed against these men and
test cases Will Of course be brought in the courts
to determine the constitutionality of the COM
missions action
( That Is how the liquor dealers of Ohio respect
and obey a fair and reasonable license law. And
here is opportunity for Mr., Gilmore and his
Model License league to give the public an
earnest Of their sincerity, but it Is much to be
feared that the opportunity will be overlooked
While the Model License league pirates sophs-
ucally OF enforceable license laws. the whskey
dealers of Ohio affected by the new law in that
State have demonstrated that they have no res
pect for any law designed to regulate the liquor
traffic. and that they will obey only such laws
as they are forced to obey. u might be added that
whskey dealers who defy the law have no diff
Guilty In procuring supplies for their Illegal trade
and these supplies come from the brewers and
distllers and wholesale dealers who are CON
nected with or contributed to the support of the
Model License league.
Not long ago Tennessee newspaper, which
favors the open saloon, advised the whiske,
people to drop the talk about prohibition in
creasing the consumption of whiskey. because
, everybody knew II to be untrue, but Mr.. Gilmor'
does not disposed to follow the advice
He tells us his letter that prohibition has ha'
g the effect of increasing the use of alcoholic bev
erages" The National Model License leagu
itself Is convincing refutation of that famiLa
i fallacy. It costs thousands of dollars a year {
run that organization, and the whiskey interest
would not spend this money in resisting move
ment that was increasing the consumption o
whiskey and thereby increasing their business
And the money spent for the maintenance of tn
Model License league Is not drop In the buckle
g compared with the amount spent in fighting pro
g hlbitlon in other ways.--Brstol Herald Courier