The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-20

that 1T would be unfair and tyrannical
10 pass Il Statewide prohibitory liquor
law or course, there is no logic in
suoh an argument: but what awaits
ros.o as against the clamor OF covetous-
ness and appetite to be- allowed to over
rue tho best and highest interests OF
INC state? Were 1t TO be admitted for
me sake of argument that Radford has
no right to prohibit the sale Of liquor
IN Roanoke, is it not obliged to be true
,i Noahoke has no right to ship
hquor TO Radford contrary to tho
wishes of the people of Radford?
IL Is clearly evident. therefore, that
we manufacture and sale of intoxi-
San.s III any part of the State is n
.uatter OF concern 10 every other part
vi Tue state, and there il nothing on
prcssive or tyrannicaI in the passage
OF Il Statewide law abntinr forever
inc greatest public nuisance the world
mas ever known: namely, the licensed
saloon.
The statement that il is an infringe
mont upon the personal libert, Of the
ihdlNiuual to prohibit the sale OF in
toN'cants is rapidly giving away before
the spread OF the doctrine OF the right
OF the government to do anything that
VIII nc for the upbulding of the in
uNlouni. and To forbid anything which
Is detrimental to tho general welfare
which means simply the welfare of a
multitude OF Individuals
l'erhaps there has been no more
STRIKING Illustration of this principle
OIL the inter-relationship of various
communities than the recent sweepinr
orders issued by the United States
government forbidding the use of the
common drinking cup on all railroad
trains and in all railroad stations used
IN interstate commerce.. 1t does not
matter what may be the opinion of the
majority of the people of Roanoke. or
OF richmond or indeed OF the state
OF virginia on this question. Much
discussion, adverse comment and com
paint has resulted. but the interests
and views of tho whole country sten
i'll and determine the personal n, hits
81 the citizens Of widely separated
states on so distinctly n personal mat
ter rs the method of drinking water
AS an evidence OF the growth of this
sentiment VIC quote from the editorial
which appeared in the columns of The
konnoke Times OF date December 81,
entitled, The Right to Get Drunk
rms leading editorial just before the
christmas holidays asked as the lead
ing question: "IIas a man a constitu
tional and inalicnablc right to pet
drunk?" Hear the answer: "Theoreti-
caliN and legally he has Practically
he has not" And what argument is
advanced in support of this position?
Hear the statement
The constantly increasing depend
most powerful influence of the world
toward temperance and abstinence. In
former times. when each man lived
comparatively to himself and was his
own man. there was little general re-
sponsibiiity man could do about
as he pleased ana while he kent with
in tho letter OF the law nobody else
was concerned especially. Now no man
is ms own man. Our mutual rcspon-
sibillty to and for each other increases
as we become more civilized, as our
relations with each other become more
complex as we touch each other at
moro points. The laws recoynize This
IN the matter of drunkenness or in
temperance, man may be in nosition
where his bad habits injure nobody
,' himseif and his own family. Yet
the law theories that even if he he
harmless and orderly, an habitual
urnnkard is nuisance and to be dealt
Win ana punished as such: that the
man VINO has Il family has the re-
spohsiollity OF maintaining it; that the
state or community has the right to
forbid him from such conauct and
course OF life as tend TO make his fam
ny public charges. Therefore. society
ana the law join with the corpora tons
ana other employing powers in regu-
lating the personal habits and conduct
OF the citizen. The right to get drunk
IKE the right TO strike in anger. to
ucnounce ones ncighbors TO pasture
at large, to beat ones wife TO keen
ones own premises and property re-
CARELESS Of sanitation. TO allow ones
children TO grow up in ignorance. must
be surrendered in the interest of the
pubhc peace and general welfare
therefore, we have an ever-increa sing
tendency TO deal with unkenness as
1t legal commercial and social offensc
ana Win the drunkard. habtual or
periodical. as an offender The use
OF the probation officer and of the sus
pended sentence increase constantly"
ms is the position which has been
taken by this committee in its reports
since me organization OF the league
we nave declared time and again that
the personal liberty" of ono indiyid
ual is always limited by the personal
rights of the other individual one
mans right to exercise his personal lib
ertE TO drink liquor to his comfort ia
limited, is restrained, ave. absolutely
ceases, when the exercise of that right
infringes upon tho comfort, the safety.
the happiness of his ncighbor And
we have declared and reiterated time
ana again that the drinking man Is a
pubilc nuisance and that he must be
treated as such. Up TO this Doint tho
Roanoke editor is AT one with ne we
are agreed that the drunkard must he
recognized as a menace TO society. wa
arc agreed that earnest, strenuous.
persistent effort must be made to reach
we iHul'luuai ana TO prevent the for
NATION OF the drink habit Tic tenn
pcrancc workers have not failed at
ms point. Not only does the pulpit
sound out its warnings and cntrca-
ties: not only has the International
School Committee inserted a
special temperance lesson in the sun
day school lesson course every three
months but the temperance workers.
led by the Wonlan's Christian TEMPER
ance Union, have secured the introduce
tlon into the textbooks of tho school
OF lessons upon the effects of alcohol
upon the body, including the brain.
And the Anti Saloon League has or
gained pledge signing campaign.
under the name of the I.ee-Lincoln Lc-
gion, which is being pressed with vigor.
This committee favors any form of
legislation which will magnify the sin,
the crime. Of drunkenness. which is n
crime not only against the drunkard
himself but against his family, his
friends and society at large. or. as we
term IL. the State.