The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-30

Come over the Line, I'D!
Editor The Nirginian:
. Sir-The Times-Dispatoh of Saturday morn
ing contains a we'll written and interesting let
ter from the Reverend w II. Stokes, pastor
Of Ebenezer Colored Baptist church, in which
a vigorous protest is voiced against the imposition
of an undue proposition of our limited num-
bef Of saloons in the colored district This
letter from the complaining preacher elicits
long leading editorial from the TmesDispatch,
heartily endorsing its sentiments and emphasz-
ing in no uncertain manner the gross injustice
done the coored residential section under
present law of so-caed reduction and regu
lation" So far, good.
The Times Dispatch pointedIy asks the ques
ton how the coored people can be expected
to their children properly when saloons
surround them every hand? (Hear Heard
The paper next admits that the saloon is in
densihle except as a lesser evil than the blind
tiger! Now, then, if prohibition is not wrong
IN principle but is opposed because the eln
nation of the licensed liquor traffic viii result
in greater evil by what process of logical
reasoning does the Times Dispatch arrive at
the conclusion that the multiplicity of licensed
(saloons in the colored residential district is
/ disadvantageousi Surely that paper must DO
sincere in the solcitude for the welfare of
these colored folks but its trusted logic puts
it in the position of advocating the elimination
or reduction of the lesser eVili' Now this
writer does not intend to imply even remotely
that the Tmes-Dispatch wishes blind tigers in
the district referred to, anywhere else. But
here is a concrete example of the fraly Of the
position that the license system should he re-
tanned a lesser evil!'
Then, too, please note that the position recor-
Milling the existence Of the saloon in the eolored
district morally and domestically detrimental.
carried out to it's logical conclusion is the pro-
hibition doctrine applied To the State at large
But 1.-The saloon IS indefersible, except a
lesser evil" says the T-D That is to say that
here is n deadly wrong-an ineXcuSabie, an
indensible thinE-that We must clothe with ell
he rf law e,,-y,
ii would defy the mandate OF sovereign people!
Now journal of the prestige of the Times
Dispatoh--and this article is penned in
temper with any malice prepense toward
the leading antiprohibitIon jourfal-would
probably not assume that position with reference
TO any other thing which # confessed was
"indefensihle" and hence immoral TO the highest
interest of the peopei Many good people have
become hefudded the point. But If a traffic
II 'indensble" in itself considered Ii cannot be
defended any grounds Of expediency. This
the mischicvous tho prevalent tendency
Of thought until people began no seriously
consider and then the truth flashed upon them,
when the liquor traffic is doomed In this
State and In this land, for as Eonforsti Wine
and Spirit Gazette states: National prohibition
Is not only possibility but may be probability"
and the president of a liquor dealers association
is reported TO have said in his address to the
convention at Washington few weeks ago ''the
legislation have put us to sleep saving that the
anti-liquor laws looked pretty on the books and
pleased some people. brt didn't amount to any
thng-the trouble is they are on the books and
are being enforced"
I In tho meantime, pending the abolition Of the
anomalous licensed traffic. this writer hopes
very sincerely that the grose injustice done the
colorcd people under the existing law, as point
ed by the colored preacher and endorsed by
the Times Dispatch will be recitihed and that
the It'd. viii come all the way "over the
line"
w NJ. BIcKERs.