The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-28

Editor NirgiDian:
sir.--In the Southern Churchrnan Of last
week Dr John L. Williams, honored patri-
arch of church and State. for whom we all
have the highest regard, expresses douht that
the question of prohibition Is a proper one
for . religious newspaper. and also doubt as
to whether prohibition itself is wise. Both OF
Lhese fair questions.
It is a great pity that prohibition IS politfcai
question. but that cannot be helped Religion
and church and politics cannot always he sep
arated simply because the people are one and
are concerned In all three. and the church is con-
eerned in all the people and whatever affects
hem. The great temperance question, how
ever, is essentially religious, and 1t Is religious
before 1t Is political 1t is political only be-
cause it's abuse is so fragrant LEGISLATION Is
necessary to correct and control H. and because
vast wealth is concerned. IT has Influenced
and corrupted government and dehled the
springs OF legislation that there Is m remedy
except through the channels OF legislation back
to the sources of ia and righteousness
Prohibition is an ugly word, and do not
Ike IT. Thou shalt not has never been
agreeable. The church prefers TO draw. TO lead.
to educate, 10 nplant controlling principles, to
she does not like to compel or to leeislate
morality into people She Is right to work
this way. 1t Is the way God works
But Notwithstanding this there is a right
principle in the prohibition OF intoxicants. The
vast majority of too weak to be so
soreiy tempted The injury TO humanity. men.
women and children is too great. Business suf-
fers, the farm, the home, manufactures, COM
merce and every part of the social fabric SUI
fers This vast loss in morality and money is
not made UP by any advantage in the business.
A small class of our citizens are profited by
the ruin OF thousands. No self-respectng ma
ton will permit this state of things longer than
possible America is asxak ening 70 a realization
of the state of the great question. Eng
land. France and Germany also arousing
to the pers and menace of the traffic. Rus
sias emperor has just discovered the havoc Of
whiskey monopoly. The time is very near
when it will be put down with iron hand
simply economic necessity. The end is
inevitable
Or. Williams and many others intelligent,
thoughtful men. whose convictions and sincerity
cannot for a moment be questioned doubt If
prohibition viii prohibit. Prohibition has re-
suited in some confusion. Men have broken the
laws Substitutes have been found for drink
in other ntoxicants and drugs. This proves
nothing. however. except how necessary it Is
to control men in the use of all deadly and de-
structive ndulgences. If reason manhood and
religious principles are not strong enough in a
man to hold him in the path of rectitude, the
society and the law ought 10 help him. if pos,
sible. Personal liberty does not enter the qnes.
ton. The good Of society Is higher than the
liberty Of any individual in such question
The best form Of self government is To govern
for the welfare OF all Government that i'm
proves the home, buiness conditions the rev.
enues OF the State, and the whole social system
Is the kind of government men want today
This is what we struggling for This is
what we think prohibition viii do
Give 1t time. and prohibition viii prohibit
One hundred years ago Fultons steamb boat
could not cross the Atlantic. To-day il crosses
in the most luxurious and satisfactory style in
about one hundred hours Only fifty years ago
small, clumsy locomotive drew half dozen
cars over the railroads of the State To-day
the Maiet compound carries seventy-ave mon
ster coal cars through the Alleghan4es Twenty
years ago Richmond did not possess an auto
mobile and when they came i'm 1899 no man
ventured more than five miles from home unless
he could command pair OF mules to haul back
his car. In month an attempt win probably
b made 70 cross the Atlantic Ia an airship. In