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

y " IN - - y " "a H
being put forward ~ : blind to con-
ceal the real issus,
THE SALOON.
The real issue before the people
OF virginia IL not Local Self-Govern-
ment, but II, ''Shsll Virginia Dis
solve Her Partnership with the Sa-
loon7 Shall she decline to receive
In the future any revenue from the
sale Of intoxicating liquor to her
children? And furthermore, shall
she remove from the seller OF I'm
toxicants the protection OF the law,
and let him stand out as a criminal,
as an enemy to the people of the
State, who for the sake Of greedy
gain Is willing to destroy any or all
of her sons. and daughters.
The Price Of Blood.
But you insist that I shall take
into consideration the price In
the shape Of additional taxes that
you will have to pay to support and
maintain an innovation which has
proven an obstacle to temperance.
has increased lawlessness and dis
order and has failed absolutely to
further the cause OF religion ana
morality. The advocates of State
wide Prohibition cannot truthfully
deny that your taxes will be In
creased II their scheme is adopted"
might simply reply to this that
II the gambling hell at Monte Carlo
should be closed the taxes of the
people of that city would be greatly
increased, for they would have to
pay the expenses OF the government
OF the city, which are now supplied
by the ruin of the gamblers.
might reply that II my decision on
moral questions is to be determined
by its effect upon taxation. should
vote to license the houses OF ill-fame
the saloon. The position that ali
issues are to be decided upon a
money basis is exactly the position
taken by Judas Iscarlot who threw
gratitude. reverence. decency. and
morality to the winds and sold his
Lord for thirty pieces OF silver. 1t
is really an insult to ask men to
consider taxes in relation to a ques-
ton of morals.
Saloons a Heavy Tax.
But inasmuch rs you have raised
the question OF taxation and have
fatty declared that the advocates
of Statewide Prohibition cannot
truthfully deny that your taxes will
be increased II their scheme is
adopted" / as fatty declare that
do deny that Statewide Prohibition
will result in increase of taxes, ant
deny 1t ''truthfully," notwithstand-
ing your declaration to the contrary.
The auditors reports show that
the total receipts from liquor
licenses and dispensaries In 1919
we're S54s,o00. Careful estimates
of the expense of the business Is
over one million. or practically twice
as much: this is to say we pay out
two dollars to care for pauperism.
insanity, crimes. accidents caused by
the saloon for every dollar we get
from Il. One Of the most striking
proofs OF the horrible partnership
OF the State with the saloon Is found
In the fact that the State has to take
care Of the products OF the business.
THE State grants the saloon the
privilege, upon Its payment of $3.50
per year. to change her sons into
paupcrs. lunatics. criminals and
drunkards. and then after the sa-
loon has ruined them, has destroyed
tributable to the fact that Missis-
their ability to care for themselves.
and has made some of them danger
Gus to society, the state relieves the
saloon OF any further care concern
ing them, and puts them In poor
houses, luantic asylums, jails, chain
gangs. penitentiaries, and electric
chairs. and furnishes to the saloon
another army OF her sons to be
ruined. Who pays the bill? Do the
saloon keepers ever offer to do it?
Do we ever send them a statement
and ask them to care for the wrecks
they have made7 Do they care for
the orphans and the widows. Some
persons have actually had the au-
dacity to suggest that saloon-keep-
ers should be compensated for their
loss. when they are voted out OF
business. Have these same persons
ever proposed that the saloons COM
pensate mothers and fathers. wives
and children for the destruction of
the support OF the bread-winner OF
the family? How estimate that
loss
Who pays these bills? The State
pays them. The State builds insane
asylums and pays criminal expenses.
The State loses the labor OF a valu-
able citizen who should support a
family and accumulate property to
be taxed. ard receives IN return a
bum. and drunkard. who must be
supported, and whose family must
often be supported.
What wise craftsmanship It Is.
To give strong, healthy, bright
young men and receive back dead
beats, crazy fools, dwelling drunk
ards, debauched criminals. and then
appropriate large sums Of money to
care for the pecessary foreseen pro-
! ducts OF the business. 1t seems to
he a Statewide matter when the
money is to be appropriated to care
for the horrible products OF the busi.
ness. We have not heard that Rich
mond and Norfolk and Alexandria
and other s'wet" towns have insisted
that they should pay ont OF their
IL Il