The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-31
PROHIBITION DON'T PROHIBIT -

"PROHTBTTTON DON'T PROHIBIT"
Nobody ever said II did and nobody with clear
vision expects It to--absoluteIy representa-
tive Of the Eoentng yoarndI travelled to Durham
10 get the information that 900 gallons Of llquor
are shipped into are manufactured in the city
OF Durham every day. This is seemingly a large
amount OF liquor. The same representative also
stated that Durham is "a city Of 10000 popua-
ton. 1t In also the distributing point for all
Durham county. including East and West Dur
ham Tho Of 900 multiplied by 365 is
1o9.60o gallons per year, which r. some liquor
This amount divided by 10000 gi@es IS gallons
rs the yearly per capita consumption of liquor
IN Durham, taking the figures Of tho Journal
writer. and allowing all possible Ieeway The
average per capita consumption OF the United
States. as shown by Official figures is something
orer % ooIlons Thus Durham. under Statewide
prohibition. prohibits /, gallons per capita CON
sumption yearly which is some prohibiting
The Neaes fqdcr Is concerned over its ability
a. buy Hqaor IN Georgia It contends that the
Law Is violated which no one win deny The
point is If fails to state by whom the law IL
Violated Every reasonable man must admit
tlat the prohibition law is violated as is any
,sN bat taa prohibition people are net the ones
who breas u. # Is broken by the lawless
elements # the community. by those who violate
nj 9Piien and high ;icense regulations just
readily as thcy violate the Statewide law
There is aosalag peculiar about the fact that
taere are men who viii break law. for every law
e broken usere OF less
3ht 'it36atan does not hesitate to say thar
tae la8.s af Chs city are broken Just AS much
IS arr tbe prohibition laws of Georgia There
IS law prohibiting the red light district, but
.t>is no; enforced, as everybody knows The fact
sbou law violations is that certain elements of
every community win violate every law they are
rHle tie but tFat IS no reason for the decent law
a;ding citizens TO repeal the law or fail to enact
coe because come people break It Shall the
community b ruled by the most awless people
In it or shall ii be governed in accordance with
ire awakened public conscience OF the State?
LIN is t." expression of the public conscience
regarding certain actions. Shall the law be es-
tablished the basis Of the conscience of the
hahitual lawhreaker or Of the average citizen, AZ
expressed In his vote
The Ne1es Leader makes much of the fact and
seems greatly elated that there is q liquor house
ia Georsta with which ii can do business There
s. also Leo Frank in Georgia, and another
unknown murderer in the State for whom the
police arc snow in search but should the yir-
sinia Law prohibiting murder be repealed be
cause II Is broken? Is there law on the statute
books that has not been broken?
No, prohibition doesn't prohibit better than
some other law bu, for all that it is violated only
By the vicious, the criminal, and the. man who
would break the law anyhow
The Times Dispatch is also concerned lest the
prohibition law Shall be- violated and illegal
whiskey sold, but will the lawbreaker be any
the less affected by whether the sale Of liquor
violates the Statewide prohibition law. which the
Times Dispatch opposes than If such sale violated
local option law by which his acts are Illegal
and which the TImes-DispatcA favors as the
method of dealing with the liquor traffic? Law
breakers are such inherently and regardless Of
low the law they break is passed If they will
violate the Statewide prohibition law they win
violate tha local ca prohibition law. How
many criminals 81 III how the law they
break was made? Times Diepatch attempts
II show that the Statewide law viii undermine
lie popular respect for Jaw because it will be
broken but fails 10 bring forth any evidence
tlat there is any peculiarly about the State
wide prohjbitory law Of liquor tHat will be any
more destructive to lawaaiding nora.s than local