The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-06-07
MINISTRIES. OLD WOMEN AND PRoHIB1-
TION CRANES.

Of the local papers from tEe pea Of "A travelling
raaa, writing IL behalf Of the liquor people, in
which tne writer TOOK occasion 70 commend the
PAPER for tia gallant nat1e--the HeVs Leaasr~-
vas and IS making Tor the LIQUOR interests
-ae Hrite- saat the letter n good faith. and
the paper has the good Judgment 70 conceal bis
identity and 10 resent some Of the statements
rAde, by declining to give his name. The writer
SAID C1a. Virginia Is loo sood State to he
governed by ministers. old women and proAl
hft3oa c7anka" This is 10 doubt the real sem
t,rneat Of q majority nf TIE MN engaged IN
the liquor Business ne rogue e'er felt the
batter draw with good opinion Of She law
Virginia IL TOO good State 10 be governed
ty old women. Virginia Is too good State 70
BE- deaas4ched by the sordid Interests which
wouid dispense liquid dannat1on. wreck the
lives Of xoune men and send misery to the homes
ct women and children. How many Of the OLD
women, whose hair Is gray. eyes dinIned and
f0rgs bent because Of the presence Of the itquor
evil, which has robbed them Of fathers husr
band and gems. will send up s prayer FOR the
writer NJ thas communication that he may see
lhe error q MS way and give has vote to the
suppression eof & traffic tina, has brought suffer
ing. ignorance. vice, crime. poverty, insanity?
Old women governing? There are many men
ii shis eity today who would give years Of
their lives Il hey could recall the asonies
which they have caused old womeu--their
snothers-when they were young. exercising the
right Of free men the right Of local self-gov-
EY1T6nr, #7o drank. csT615ad Victims Of strong
drink. il they could undo that wrong, and give
Just brief 3oy TO the old women
Perhaps If tae writer Of that communication
could have talked with Allen Creech, the man
raaY4r+ ---s-
capped from prison in Kentucky and WHO Is now
on his way back to prison to spend the rest OF
his days he would. change his mind. Allen
Creech young man. He exercised the
right 70 drink when ne felt like It, In q
drunken debaueh he shot ard killed man. and
got life sentence, His wife. fraaI and delicate
needed bis help and support lie broke 1ail and
came 70 Richmond, She went 70 the prison
here TO furnish him with fresh clothes. and
the sight Of the man In jail so affected her
tina. she keeled over In faint
Alien Creech. on the eve OF his departure for
i life term IN prison. declared that he wished
he oould talk to every who drinks Hc
said he would urge them to keep away from
liquor. TO avoid it as they would poison. to live
upright Ard Allen Creacb IS bat d specimen
Of the many hundreds VINO are today paying
the price far the presence Of the open saloon
Had Alien Creech followed the guiding hand OF
@che old woman" who nurtured him, the chances
are, million to one. that he would today b
free man. able 10 hold ur hta head arnone
men.
There la one phase Of the liquor business
that may prove interesting TO the writer o.
the "convinctng" argument Of why ministers
cid women and prohibition cranks" should no,
be allowed TO rule good ~1a,o as Virginia
II may be that the writer has no time for
srndv!ng statistics, or he may pay little at
tention 70 them If they do not suit hts case, bu,
IN a speech made here some time ago by Gov
ernor Mann, he said in effect;
il is significant that the records Of the State
penitentary show that a vast majority Of tho
men received there claim to be total abstainers
That la what they say when they are required
to give their records. habits and the Ike They
make this declaration without being prompted
II is ali written down. They never drink a
drop. The applications for pardon furnish O
gsar;rg refutation of this business. ! have been
governor for some time. and / 90 not believe
that ! mistake It when say that the vast
majority Of those VINO ask for clemency urge
IN their petitions that tbcy under Tie IN
nGenoe OF liquor when they erred and com.
Matted a crime
1t Is very plain that criminals are willing 10
Z Fsnw f4eat they ara drtukFre ~,nD rTho4. ann,,