Evening journal., 1913-09-22

welfare, but additionally to this fact. / |
am native of the southernmost county |
Of the state. which being of the dry
territory would he banefulr affected
should you gentlemen succeed in accom-
plishing the task your brilliant intel
leets have undertaken for your bellger
ent client OF clients.
This fact and the farther fact that L.
am set to be q moral leader of as wide
influence as may be, with record.
too, of a quarter OF a century of pro-
hibitiOn and total abstinence advo-l
cacy are my reasons for addressing
TO YOU gentlemen this open letter otl
kindly but candid criticism Of youri
above mentioned professional ser-l
vices rendered and to be rendered, as
I understand. until the ultimate ini
litigation is reached for your propos-
ed object.
do not hesitate to ailege that itl
is both surprising and inconsistent,
rertainly to host OF good people Of
Delaware that you two gentlemen do
this, and for the following reasons
1. The excellent personal chafao-
ter of both of you. You have both so
lived in your private and public lives,
Rand much of your careers in this
State have been public-as TO win
fairly, ] believe. very general conf
dence Of your fellow citizens. More
over, there can be no doubt that per-
sonally you both regard the liquor
business as trade, as an unmitiga-
ted evil. and its effects mischievous
and only mischievous to society and
ruiuous to multitude Of its members
Indeed. Il has not been long since r
heard you, Mr.. Hastings, say as much
In the City Court IN an address made
by you before that Court, in the per-
,formance Of your official duty as City
Solicitor.
q Your official and professional ca.
reers, as already intimated, is against
this action. AZ 20 you, Mr. Hastings,
your official position just mentioned Of
prosecuting attorney for the city is in
my thought preclusive Of this other SER
vice in your private practice For in
such off1cs it Is your duty to prosecute
Iviolatore Of the law; and ii IL we'll.
known fact that a large part of liquor
dealers are law violators. II is GER
tainly also true that the liquor busi-
ness and the resulting drink evil are
the fruitful source Of a large part Of
the criminals you are called upon to
prosecute in your official capacity. Why,
then, do that in your private practice
that If successful will result in incfeas-
ing the criminal class in our state for
the State 70 prosecute and punish.
Moreover, ae above implied, I see a
moral significance in the matter that
makes me wonder That you would agree
10 do both at the same time-hold high
official place for the prosecution Of cri.
Tninals and take clients in your private
practice whose business makes cfimi.
mails by the multitude.
I would remind you further ID this
connection Of the honorable and re-
sponsible state oflces you two gentle
men have filled, charged, too, with
The police authority Of the common
wealth, you, MIR. Hastings, have been
Associate Justice and Deputy Attor-
ney General, and you, Mr. Ward, hav-
ing served q term as Attorney Gem
eral. These oflces and honore were
bestowed, bear In mind, upon you by
Ehe people, and in doing this they be.
came not only your benefactors then
but now also, in that there is q GER
tain prestige and influence that re.
main with you therefrom; and Il II
due the people that these shall al.
ways be thrown by you in your pro.
fessional services in the ocale fol-
their highest sell being IN nnorsI and
social order.
And furthermore, as TO you, Mr..
Ward, / am reminded Of very im-
portant occurrence some years ago
with which you and some OF our Pro-
hibition leaders In this city and else
where in the state are familiar II
was the time Of state campaign,
Your party had blindly forced the
nomination Of gentleman for the
ONCE Of AttoSuey General that arous-
ed revolt within the party ranks.
The Democratic party nominated youl
law partner, Andrew c. Gray. ESQ. fol
mat once on Shs Sfgnt Serore our
prohibition convention convened in Do
yer, you came to the State capital To-
interview some Of our party leaders in
behalf OF our endorsing in our State
convention the next day Mr.. Gay's'
candidacy I was present with the
other gentlemen in that interview I
had 3 correspondence with you regard-l
ing the matter, having, think, your
letters on fle in my study at this mo-
ment. In that interview and correspon-
dence you assured us that your law
partner and friend, Mr.. Gray, If elected,
would faithfully prosecute violators of
the law, including those Of our dry"
law in the two lower counties Indeed,
you seemed as much enlisted then for
that desirable result as you were for
Mr. Grays successful candidacy. In
view Of this record Of yours. how can
you lend your great skill even as an
employed attorney for business that,
If you gentlemen eucceed, will turn the
Intoxicating swill OF this city and OF
points outside the State into the dry
territory for blight upon those people,
as well as tend to overthrow their ex-
pressed will recorded in the recent local
option contest, for freedom not only
from the saloons presence there but
what they meant and have q right IA
expect, freedom from the saloons
liquid FIRE legally brought in for beve
rage purposes from outside their Dor.
ders.
3. You gentlemen, have felt
pleased to know. are fellow Metho-
dists. members, and II DO not err,
officials OF our largest local church
organization in this city
The Methodist Episcopal Church has
consistent and honorable history
from the beginning of vigorous hostil-
ity to the liquor traffic and OF persis-
tent teaching Of total abstinence for
the individual. Our church has q
right to expect of her members. and
certainly her members who have the
equipment to be leaders in society,
10 take her teachings and be loyal "a
her attitude on this, the greatest and
most controlling moral issue of the
age.