The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-07
PEOPLES FORUM
A Reply to Judge Christians Letter.

A Reply to Judge Christians Letter.
Editor Virginian:
Slr,--I, likewise, elder in the presby-
terrain church and am shocked to see that Judge
Christian conscentously say that ne is in
full sympathy with the lega1zed sale of ardent
spirits and thinks It should he controlled by
local option, as II Is done in Virginia now. He
subscrihes to church which teaches that az
COO cannot look upon sin with the least degree
OF allowance, therefore, its members should
make no compromise with sin, He states that
II prohibition would prohibit, he would be for
H. Why would he be for it? Is it not because
he knows that an Incorporate use Of liquor
! snot conducive to morality or righteousness?
II ne believes this, and he must If his statement
Is true, then when he says he believes fully
IN the legaiized sale OF It, because the law pro-
h'hitng It cannot be fully carried into effect,
does not he openly compromise with sin? Would
we not have much more respect for his opinion
II he were to say: Il believe IT IA wroug and IL
possible, should be prohibited. and viii use
all the power OF my mind and body to CARR. out
and enforce such laws.
Who is responsible. anyway for the non-en-
1orcefnent Of prohibition laws2 Just such men
hs Judge Christian and those who, like him bv
eAeir influence, and by just such expressions as
II" makes use of, give tone and some respccta-
bllty to the traffic. and encourages the more
ignorant to think that If such men as Judge
christian think tho laws are unfair and wrong
therefore, we won't hesitate to violate them
surely he cannot charge the non-enforceroen+
on the dry people who are doing all they can
to drive the curse away. have q better opinion
~ virginia manhood than TO think that we are
100 weak TO enforce any Just and righteous law
that Ia placed on statute books
Can Judge Christian possible think open bar
rooms arc conducive III the growth of the
church. when he cites the assumed fact that
the percentage Of church membership is greater
where there are most barrooms and less reatric-
NonE If 80, he should advocate that an annex
should be put to hts church and a saloon nloeed
thereih haven't doubt that he would make
mis- ohurch popular place. but would IL be
conducive to the piety and uplift Of It's t4em-
oers? lie begs the question about this lust "a
ne does whom he states that prohibition in Maine
Is failure, He does not, and cannot prove
mat the high per cent OF church membership
III Ehode island and the low Kansas is due
to barroom influence Doesn't ne know IVA,
Rhode Island was one of tho early settled States
and that the gospel has been preached there
/ much moro and much longer imam in Kansas
ana that rough, unctvilized population from
all the foreign countries have been settling
there? am surprised at the judges unfair
ness He knows that there may be hundreds
OF reasons for this difference when he attempts
/" prove. by quoting an ex-seCretary II the state
Of Maine (and does not by the way give his
/ hafne), that prohibition in Maine Is n failure
viii show him letter from the governor OF
NAME showing that 1t iS a success If the
"hoIe truth Is known, l would not be surprised
eh's naIneless eX-secretary is not financially
or some other way. connected with some of the
great brewertes liquor manufacturers
know That in the Southern States to which
ne allndeS If you Will ask liquor drinker or
enc connected in some way with the financial
Fart OF it, whether prohibition ia y spcoass no
VIII tell You all of stories about hind
tigers and violated laws BY tho way | wander
rf the Times Dispatch. when It published some
ufne ago, an article giving an account Of nm
earthlng huge bndtiger business i'm wet Rich
mond, right there almost under the very caves
of the barrooms, did not think that bundtipors
could be found somewhere else besides in drv
territory? II, however you ask the sober ,>,r}e-
tan thinking men of the South they win tell Won
that conditions are wonderfully improved There
can be thousands OF testimonials such as this
AL over the dry territory of the South II tho
Juage says mat he would be for prohibition
i II prohibited, for the same reason he ,,to,Id
ne against local option, for local option ia
1aiuEe' III the judge does not believe II let
h4in come up the Richmond and Danville rail-
road TO South BOSTON which has said IN, ito
Note that 1t wanted to be dry. and he will Find
humoe of packages Of liquor shIDnea from
filchmond to a territory known to he dry Tbar
IL seems mat they want to make South Rosie,
WEI also, Then whore is your pet theory of
LEGAL self-government? when the,, ao +hts ana
snus encourage blindtigers and violation of law
have no patience with It's Cttizens bor,,ir,
blndtisers and deceptive violation oe ,au, r.
away the thousands Of dollars yvbich .ra ro~oz
into Richmond, thereby degrading ana inrox,I
erlshing large sections OF Virginia and >ror.h
Carohna ana which come from this privileged
Haiilc' ana turn II the other way irnnover,sb
ING the great city, and you wiz hear enother
very different tune. Judge Christian cant stena
nehlnd the fact that he never goes into n bar
room In an advocate OF Temperance ana q cor
Histent member Of the church and try to leraljze