Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-09-11
A Letter

Among Cne many leCGelS iecoi'eu
by the Local Self-Government"
contingent of the liquor forces at
Richmond, the following was not
published, as thu" reasons" assigned
do not tend to promote the lille OF
the saloon. 1t is published here by
request of number of temperance
people. The letter is from W. Il,
Steele of Concord, Va. an is
written to Judge Christians as
ISOLATION the "Inestimable Aid, "
as the Brewers, Wine and Spirits
Merchants call it-and is as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Ben P. Owen,
Dear Sir,-I received your letter
of the Both asking me to cooperate
with your organization on high
moral ground in defense of the
great principle of local self-govern-
ment" and enclosing a speech by
Mr.. Royal E. Cabell, in defense of
the liquor trade.
1t is evident from Mr., Cabell's
speech that the "defence of the
great principle of local self-govern-
ment" is wholly secondary, if it
has any consideration at all at
your hands, it is to the perpetual
ton of saloons existence in and
control of the cities of the State,
and to the continuance of the
privilege they now have of pillaging
the dry counties and towns by
sending them distilled damnation
and taking from them their good
American dollars. The profits 60 to
the rich saloon keeper of the cities,
and the damnation goes into the
homes and souls of the country
people.
You are vigorously engaged in
the defence of a notorious business,
whose stigma is only hell itself.
A business that is too ignoble to
stand the test of an open fight,
therefore, it's cohorts must seek to
cowardly hide behind nice sound
ing and catcup phrases and de
clarations, such as "local self
government. It," ect. I have been
too much of slave to the traffic
myself and know too much of the
secret and behind the doors work
ings to be drawn into the net you
have woven to entice honest in
nocent Virginia voters. You have
no thought of Woocal self-govern-
ment" as means of justice to the
people, yon have no thought of any
other kind of governmet than a
government tina will permit your
demolizing agencies to put double
quick speed on your hell-bound
victime in order that more enormous
profits may be made for tho Sc
engaged in the business of making
dupes and paupers of your Gus
toners.
Personally, have been faith
full follower of the saloon. [ have
drunk deep at the fountain of death
I gave them my money, my time.
my manhood; the great heart of
my mother was broken and laid as
a tribute at the feet of the saloon.
I gave them my health, and what
did they give me? What do they
always give their most faithful
followers, their devoted and regular
customers? They sent plaques of
snakes, and lizards, and devils to
torment me. They took away my
strength, they destroyed my good
name, they took my very soul to
the brink of hell and were about to
cast it in when the hand of the
Lord stayed them. My friends
sent me to place where | could
take the Kelley cure and am
cured and will remain cured If
perchance can dodge the open
saloon; the saloons that stretch out
their tentacles to grab and draw me
in as l pass by. The saloons, that
with their glitter of glass, charm
worse than the rattler and strike
with a forceten time more terrible.
Take them away! They are hell's
recruiting stations.
You ask me to line up with these
devilish agencies against the
Christian ministers, the moral
agencies, the good women, the IN
nocent children and the happy
homes of the State. l SAY NO. l
stand for the GOD who has thus
for for the mother whose heart was
broken. I stand for the home
that would have been wrecked. L
stand for the Church Of the living
God, and my best efforts in the
future will be for these and against
the saloons that would destroy all
of them. And you, will you con.
tinue to work for these things that
reward their most faithful followers
with DEATH and DAMNATlON?
W. H. Cteele
Concord, Va.