The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-09-15
!. ]. A. bAYL0R'S
STRONG ADDRESS

Bristol, Va. Tenn. Sept l4.-Dr.
A. Baylor, pastor of the leading
khodist church in this city. preach
to large audience on Statewide
htbitIon. DIR. Baylor said:
IN delivering this series of sermons
(ant II understood that ! am speak
against the saloon as an insd-
lon. / have no personal ami
stty against any saloon man, how
Pr bad an opinion l have of his
biness / believe that it Is the
BON as an institution that Is on
hi before the people Of Virginia.
D Of tho whole United States for
II matter.
am to speak tonight on THE sa-
IN and Crime" And in the outset
ay down the proposition that fully
zee -fourths of the crime In the
kited States can be traced directly
the saloon That is Il strong state
Int, but there Is good ground for
liking It, / have talked with a
mber of judges on the bench. and
lowest estimate any OF them
er made as TO the criminal cases
ming before taeir courts directly
ributabIe 20 liquor. was GO per cent.
a some. have gone as far as 20 per
1t.
Why IL 1T that as soon as the
oons close In a tawn, the number
arrests automatically fall off? Why
1t that when there il a strike. or =
= that the saloons are always Or
red 10 close ? Why Is it that when
murderer or criminal Is being
ught for. the police immediately
gin 10 watch the saloons Why is
. that nearly all The murders that
read Of take place. IN the vicinity
saloonsf
lin the old fashioned deer hunting
VS. the hunter always took stand.
knew rflat there were certain we'll
Sown paths along which the deer
puid pass when pursued by the
Sunds. So the authorities know that
saloon is the runway OF the crimi-
| element, and they seldom fail 20
Ia them there.
hi is estimated that the cost OF the
Ime. sdiocy. pauperism caused by
kuor. paid for by direct taxation
the United States annually. Is 81
10, 600 200. 1t has been estimated
balm that each saloon in the United
|ates causes the death OF three men
r Il
|e insurance companies show that
o out Of every 1000 deaths are due
drink, and large percentages or
|eSe are of violent ratuso.
THE report of the Virginia State
bard Of charities and corrections
lows that for the year ending Sep
kmbsr 80, 1912, there were confined
al NJ f;ttfftnna
lie State 21,376 persons, or out OF a
btaI population Of 2.oSo,elz, one
krson In each ninety-six. There
ere seventy-nine dry counties, ana
these there were only one out OF
hundred and nineteen. in the wet
bunties one out Of every two hundred
hd sixteen. In the wet cities or
|rginia. the commitments to Jail are
be out OF each twenty-nine; in the
Nv cities. one out Of each one hum
red and sixteen. What makes the
Inference?
But to me the most striking demon
ration Of the fact that the saloon Is
breeder OF crime and disorder, Is to
obtained right here in the Twin
Ety have been at some pains
gather information about Bristol,
nd will say that the result has
rem a surprise In that 1t went be-
pnd my expectation In the way OF
,nfirming previous opinion. ] wish
say. too, that in this investigation
have had the most courteous treat
lent from the officials OF both Bris-
Il, va, and Bristol, Tenn W HI
~ further that IL license, and strict
OF law. could accomplish
10 reform in the liquor traffic that
any claim, I believe we would see
lat reform here in Bristol. The fact
lat the evil effects are SO patent.
spite faithful officials, and vigilant
ncers, simply shows that regulation
, a means Of dealing with the liquor
Is a failure.
1t might seem to some that prohi-
tion In Bristol, Tenn. would not
.ean much, with Bristol. Va, wet.
,me have even argued that Bristol,
enn., might as we'll have saloons.
nee 1t suffers as much as II that was
10 case. Let no one argue that way
gain. From the figures obtained
ON the chiefs OF police or the two
ties we learn that in one year. end
g with July /. 1914. there were In
ristol. Tenn. total number Of ar
SITS Of 456: during the same period
. Bristol, Va, there were 1866 ar
SITS. and two were for the terrible
ime OF murder. In other words.
Bristol, Tenn. there was one ar
81 for every fifteen OF population.
1t In Bristol. Va, one arrest for
cry four Of population. 1t should
} remembered. also, that Bristol.
snn.. has, according to the last con-
y ona thousand more population
~ Bristol Va ss
A1a IfxiSIr tlDeso nenfes llttle. ~
n 4 " N Nd ~ mn IS ~