The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-28

eA$A>oA SNPGAAoASy ~ sA-N~.
conclusions are based upon facts;
walton and experience.
Statewide Prohibition Beneficial.
You truly say in your letter:
"Your vote on this most important
question will Of course reflect your
conscientious judgment as to wheth-
er or not the adoption OF Statewide
Prohibition will prove beneficial to
yourself or to the State at large"
Because I know 1t will prove bench
cial both to myself and to the State.
shall vote for Statewide Prohibi-
ton.
believe this because It cannot De
beneficial to an individual or to the
State to have PARTNERSHIP with
evil or evil-doers. At the present
time the State OF Virginia is In part
nership with the saloon. What 1s
the saloon? The dis"rctive charac-
teristic of the saloon, that which dis
tinguishes 1t from a soda fountain.
Is that 1t sells INTOXICATING LII
QUORS for Beverage Purposes. In
toxication Is that condition in which
a man has no control over his body.
mind. or spirit. He becomes silly
or crazy fool. dangerous beast, a
dwelling drunkard. The State Of
virginia, OF which / am a citizen,
grants a license to men to sell that
which Il is understood at the time
the license is granted will result in
paupers, idiots. lunatics. criminals,
drunkards, widows and orphans. The
business is clearly recognized by the
State as a dangerous business, and
the law does not permit police
Judge. or mayor, or town or city
council to grant this license. II Is
too important a matter for any local
authority to grant the license. The
State reserves to herself this right,
and through the circuit or corpora
ton judges elected by the General
Assembly OF Virginia, all liquor H.
ceuses are granted.
The State OF Virginia grants the H.
quor licenses and she IL partner
In the liquor traffic. and I, one of
her citizens, am a partner in the
accursed business, It Is my con
scientious Judgment" that this part
nership is shame and a disgrace
to the State OF Virginia, and that
as one OF her citizens am disgraced
destroy this partnership.
truly consider. therefore. that II
will be exceedingly beneficial to my
self and to the State at large" to
remove this brand of infamy which
rests upon the Commonwealth. by
dissolving forever the partnership OF
the State with the liquor traffic. Tho
State might as we'll grant q license
to gamble and to fallen women. and
to craftsmen and Immoral people OF
all sorts and put that money, the
price OF licensed shame. into her
treasury, as to put therein the price
charged men for the privilege OF SELL
ing intoxicating liquors, with all
that is implied therein. to the young
men and young women OF the State.
IL vou will restrict the license to
soda water. ginger ale. root beer
and grape Juice. I have no objections
to the partnership. but the moment
you add the element Of INTOXICA-
TON 10 the liquors sold. my con
seientious Judgment" condemns the
ioathsome partnership. and insist
that the partnership be dissolved on
September ED, by the adoption OF
Statewide Prohibition.
Home Rule and Local SeIf-Govern-
ment
You urge upon me that I consider
the great principle OF Home Rule
involved" have considered your
declaration. and It is so illogical as
to he absurd The present liquor
license law of Virginia ia not local
law. II is not an ordinance adopted
by n board of supervisors or city
council. but law passed by the Gen.
eraI Assembly OF Virginia. The
license granted Is a State license. A
State law declares that the holder OF
the license shall not sell on Sunday,
even though the holder be a social
club. or on election days. or between
midnight and s A. NJ. or to minors
nr to idiots. or to students, or to
hahitual drunkards.
In short, every saloon in Virginia
exists by the authority Of the State
OF Virginia. and not by any princi-
Pile of Home Rule or Local Self-Gov-
ernment The citizens OF Virginia,
therefore. all Of them. grant to GER
tain persons the privilege to sell in
toxicating liquors.
State Receives license Fees.
And the positive proof OF this part
nership Of the State with the saloon
is found in the fact that the State
OF Virginia requires the person who
applies for license to sell intoxicat-
ing liquors to deposit $3.50 IN ad-
vance before the application IL even
considered by the judges, and II the
license is granted. the $3.50 Is paid
not into the CITY treasury, whore
the saloon is located, but into the
STATE treasury. II this Is purely
a matter OF Local Self-Government.
as your letter to me declares, how
is 1t that the State demands $3.50
for Its treasury? And that you
yourself recognize that this Is not a
local question Is further proven by
the fact that you tell me In this very
same letter that my taxes viii be
increased II Statewide Prohibition
should prevail on September ED.
How will 1t affect the States rev.
enues or the taxes OF citizen In a
dry community like Blackstone. II
- L.