The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-09-14

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Nay more, there may be some among
them who Will eclipse any OF the
illustrous ones of our past history,
and 1t is possible for every one OF
them to become honored citizens Of
this Commonwealth.
In this Statewide campaign the
fervor OF argument on both sides has
been around prohibition does not
prohibit; 1.-THE burdensome taxa
tion." and business will fail" and
general progress will be impaired.
Every one of these contentious are
overshadowed by the consideration of
the boys of Virginia. 1t is not so
much a question whether or not a
law of the state will be violated; a
few cents more taxes paid: business
crippled and progress retarded. but 1t
lis a question whether or not the boys
of Virginia shall be saved from the
curse of the liquor traffic 1t was
customary among the Egyptians to
bring forth a skeleton in the presence
tof the assembled court to humble the
king and his dignitaries i take every
one of these arguments referred to
above, save the boys. as Egyptian
skeleton to scare the people of Vir-
ginia into voting wet on the 22nd
of September. But don't believe our
people will be so easily frightened:
they are Drawer than that. For the
sake of argument: What difference
does 1t make II an infintisimal viola
ton does accompany the prohibition
law. which happens to any law OF our
State; or that we viii have to pay
a microscopic increased tax; or that
} ...t, a u
| progress likewise llmps, are not the
/ boys of Virginia worth this pitiful and
apologize price? i call upon the
fathers and sons of Virginia not to be
so easily deluded but safeguard the
best asset of Nirginia--her boys--by
voting the dry ticket. The greatest
corroding influence over these pearls
! of great price, our boys. Is the IL
/ censed liquor traffic.
| Tho Perilous Corner.
THE most hostile foe our boys have
| is the saloon or liquor. The most
lperilous corner they have to pass in
life il the saloon. Now every boy will
/ have to pass this corner so long as
the State fosters and maintains this
! institution, and the fathers and big
brothers sanction 1t with their votes,
| AT this corner the ennobllng in
fiuences of home and church are COM
bated and oftentimes beaten. At this
1-co-rer-tl 4---sza+ eS-+e-the- hrnthel and
! the gambling house are opened wide
/ with the chorus of the siren to enter.
At this corner the pathways OF fame
! and success are closed and manhood Is
destroyed and abducted to the regions
of world failure, and everlasting de-
struction. At this corner loads of
shame, sorrow, disease. insanity and
crime are piled on to be born through
life, and then In the end to be trans
fused with the fires Of eternity.
How true are the words: "A bar to
| heaven, n door to hell: whoever named
| ii, named it we'll Besides this beast
of prey lurking at the perilous corner
must have boys to feast upon to live.
The saloon would eventually fail of
itself ii it had to rely upon those al
ready caught in Its net Sixty thou
sand drunkards die every year. and the
saloon, in order to continue in bust
ness, must replace these. The saloon
proposes to fill up these vacancies by
reaching out her taions dripping in
blood. and drag In sixty thousand boys
annually. The saloon cannot be run
without boys. Have any of us boy
to give to the saloon? I heard an old
grandfather say the other day. who
had known the bondage of drink as
he looked on his grandson who sat
near: T had rather follow that boy to
his-graYe- than see iIn-grnw-
drunkard.' Yes. all Of us would rather
see our boys dead. than see them
drunkards. We haven't a single boy
for the saloon. In view Of this great
menace to our boys what must we do?
We must break up this saloon corner.
Years ago, when Helfs Gate. in New
York harbor, was perilous to seagoing.
the government decided the best thing
to do would be to blow 1t up. So It was
mined and connected with batteries,
and little girl pressed the button
and Helrs Gate was no more. and the
most dangerous place of the sea be-
came as safe as the placid lake. The
conviction of this perilous corner to
our boz has dawned upon us. 10 let
every father. big brother and honest
citizen who has a vote go to the poles
on the ides Of September. and press
the button Of SUFFRAGE and remove
this menace to the welfare Of our
boys and make this corner safe.
Transgressing Against Boy.
Again the environment of life de-
termtnes largely the future of the boy
The environment may affect the boyl
bility or degradation according as II
Ii good or bad. The boy Is not re-
sponsible for his environment. but we
parents and grown-ups are respon-
sible. and whether the environment
is hurting our boys we are trans
gressing against them. Take thet
heredity aspect Of this phase or our
subject. A great many of our boysI
when they come II w are 0rippled forl
lie. This n Ten IN The okEonrlng nfl
ate slE Y