The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-26

The wet newspapers Of Virginia are doing
out q great deal of misinformation during the
Statewide prohibition campaign a recent and
conspicuous instance of reckless handing Of
facts Is furnished by the esteemed Richmond
Journal which has taken occasion to hold up
Tennessee to It's readers State taaf has
been ruined by prohibition In the course Of an
editorial the Journal says:
Statewide prohibition agitation started
in Tennessee in the early ninetes and sm1itan-
cousy with the beginning of the agitation in
dustry began to lag. Capital began leaving the
state and came in from other States TO
replace 1t. AS the discussion of Statewl5a pro-
inhibition progressed, business declined al over
the state BY the time of the adoption q the
Statewide law, Tennessee rem and torn by
political factions and industrial development had
entirely ceased. There has been public i'm
Trovement, large small, in Tennessee since
prohibition became political issue. Under the
most trying conditions the State has been able
to keep its head above water, but nothing
more"
Statewide prohibition agitation not started
In Tennessee IN the early ntneties And by the
way. the sacred principle Of local option IS
unconstitutional in Tennessee Before the State
wide law passed, cities and towns had ban
shed the saloon by voting to ABOLISH their
charters and Incorporating under charters
which contained no provision licensing the sale
Of liquor.
The question Of Statewide prohibition became
political issue in Tennessee in the guberna-
torial primary Of 1905. Before that time the
subject had been agttated but little if any. The
Statewide law was assed in 1899 The trouble
Tennessee has had over the law has been due
chiefly to the fact that the question was made
political issue--a mistake Virginia s avoiding
i5ut the Richmond paper is far from the facts
when II paints It's picture of commercial and
industrial disaster and death in, Tennessee
The injection of the whiskcy question into
politics has caused bitter fractional strife, and
such trouble as Tennessee has had may be
traced to this intense factionalism which has
prevented or retarded legislation There has
been more agitation since the Statewide law
was passed than there was before and the
aeitatinE has been done by the liquor interests.
I3ut 1t is not true that industry has Jagged;
that capital has left the State; thai business has
declined; that Industrial development has ceased.
On that there has been no public Improvement,
large or small
Tennessee has held and is holding It's own
with other States in these respects. The current
issue OF the Manufacturers Record tells of the
construction Of a big coke plant Chattanooga
at a cost of 81 900 zoe; OF the establishment at
Nashville of the Union Iron Works, with a
capital OF 500. 900; of the location of a stock
food manufacturing plant at Memphis that will
spend 81 900 for a building and equipment OF
the establishment OF large tobacco fac
tory at G-ceneville, and of the erection of scores
of buildings which will cost barrels of money.
This is the report Of industrial progress for
enc week In Tennessee and we submit that II
makes a good showing As TO public improve.
rnents, Tennessee has kept pace with other
states Virginia has not built more good roads
in The last few years than Tennessee. The
interests II the various public Institutions are
well cared for. and three splendid state Normal
schools have been built since prohibition was