The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-31
Drive Out the Caaise.

Sir-AIow me to commend your splendid
! editorial in today's issue, BE Not Deceived"
II brings out clearly. and with great force, the
issue. which alone is before people, viz:
License or license: saloons saloons. In
all the articles | have written, and IN the ad-
dresses I have made, I have tried 10 impress
this fact upon oil,
l. like others, have been receiving some litera-
ure from the Local Self Government League
Of your city. Yesterday. there To hand
quite handsome volume. Religion and Drink
by the Rev. w. f. Wasson, Phi. u. the rector
Of St Stephens Episcopal church. Newark,
n J. haye carefully read the preface looked
over the contents, and looked through certain
chapters
/ wondering IL the author Is the clergy
man employed by the saloon men in their local
option contest in Staunton several years since
II he is ! tell him that he struck religion
severe blow the saloons arc doing And
tell him in all kindness that he brought SUI
preme contempt upon the ministerial office In
the minds OF many.
Mr.. Editor, l find 1t difficult 10 write with
moderation when discussing the action Of a min
ister who would seek to justify saloons by the
Word OF God, We are not. Won justly say.
fighting anything now but the saloon. an insti-
tuition condemned by the Supreme Court Of the
United States. by many lower courts and by
every religious body in the State.
When persons undertake to defend the aloou
on the ground that Lord made into
wine at marriage feast and that St Paul ad-
total abStafuer.
take little wine for medicinal purposes. their
arguments impress me as little short Of bias
phemy.
] defy the reverend doctor OF philosophy to
find any parallel between the modern saloon
and any wine dispensing place spoken of in the
scripture. Apart from the ntoxlcants dispensed
IN most sa looms they the breeding places
of almost every form of evil.
/ should like to ask the distinguished doctor
Of medicine, whose address has been widely cir
NAT ha 1aritv
OF men. or even small proportion of them.
go to saloons for wine, beer and whisley'' ..
tbecause they fnd) their moderate and judi
clous is often benefcial9 ."
Again ask him. if they do 20 FOR that pur-
pose. and that alone. would not saloon be
ohnndantly sufficient for the whole city Of
Richmond?
Oace more. does he not know that the saloons
would go out of business IL they only supplied
those who patronize them because they are
moderate and judcious' in drinking? Is the
average sa1oonkeeper careful 10 see that drinks
are sold only to the moderate and judcious'
drinker?
Allow me to comment on one other state
ment of the distinguished doctor, viz. If /
believed that Statewide prohibition would pro-
hbt then ] would he for prohibition" That
being his conviction, he must concede that we
who firmly believe that prohibition does pro-
hbt fully justified in advocating Statewide
am firmly convinced that Statewide does eff
fectually close every "legalized' saloon in the
State. 1t does not entirely stop all sale or IN
toxieants any more than X entirely stops the
sale OF dangerous drugs, the CARRYING of con
eealed weapons, and many other things pro-
htbted. We fighting for the abolition of
the saloon, and when that is accomplished as
II will be September 20, we shall have more
time devote to Illegal sales
we drove the saloon from Charlottesville, and
hanished the greater portion or drunkenness
! from the community. Our faithful officials are
making things lively for Illicit sellers and are
successful In large measure in their efforts to
correct the evil. am sure your city authorities
Will be equally faithful and dilligent in the dis
charge of their sworn duty. Let me urge upon
the good people Of Richmond "a place. barring
her saloons, Paradise as can be found
/ in the world) to try prohibition a while and
demonstrate to the State as we have done that
she has officers honest and courageous enough