The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-09-01
I||Ev SIM SMALL
DELIVERS TELLING
STATEWIDE BLOWS

Especial to The Richmond 'NirElnianD
Pembroke, August sis--Last night a
splendid concourse of people Mt the
Christian church here was held tensely
interested by brilliant address by
Z Rev. sam SmaIt on the Statewide pre-
bihiticn question. No speech more elo-
auent and effective has ever been heard
by our people and II received unstinted
approval
cot course said the speaker. "men
differ about the policy and the prhcti-
caiity of this proposal to prohibit the
manufacture and sale of liquors In the
state II that were not we wouldn't
have this nght on our hands. There
FORE 1t Is that we want to try out at
the polls whether the governing ma
tortty of the people of Virginia are de-
voted defenders OF the distiliery, brew
cry and saloon, or are against them
I'VE have not the shadow of n doubt
that they are against the saloons and
that the saloons are slated for an ever
tasting licking If all of us who are OF
this same mind and heart regarding
them get 10 the polls on the AID OF Sep
teneer and do our part OF the licking.
ALREADY the champions of the liquor
side are beginning TO go down and out.
II YOU Will examine the most recent let
tets ssnt to you by the Liquor Self
Cuxzlefnent association you will dis
cover that DR.. Stuar; Mcguire has
quietly but efrectialiy withdrawn his
name from the top-center of the asso-
cations Ietter-heads. Evidently he
-saesa,t want-ta be among the Phtlis
tines when the Goliath of the grog-
gerles falls with his skull cracked by
q smooth stone from the water brook.
1t Is a sign Of the times, and a mighty
big one at that,
Judge Christian also has pulled out
the vox huuana and tremolo' stops
Of his barrel organ and now SAYS IT we
can only convince htm that prohibition
prohibits he, too. will become a prohi-
bitionisi. Now. the Judge Is really
ane and most estinsable gentleman, but
as the saloon crowd claim him as
inestimahle ally OF their cause, / cam
not see that his belated conversion to
cur side would matter much either
way
Fellow citizens, have seen all the
prohibition there is in this country. l
have seen Il where II prohibited from
A 10 lizard; have seen some places
where II vas nip and tuck tnssle be-
tween the law and the outlaws; and l
have seen some places where the ofii-
cials were huildozed or bought by the
riolators of the law. Those are our
common experiences with many laws
In this free and easy country Of ours.
otherwise We would have no need for
crinina! courts. falls, penitentiaries and
iynehines by mobs.
THE whole matter hoils down to
these two unimpreachhhle axioms: Pro-
hihftion will and does prohibit where
evsr the officers of the law are faith
~ arG courageous, keeping their oaths
to cir consciences and to their fell
low citizens; and prohibition In n fail
e-e n0a fere In land like ours ex~
cent IN thoss communities that are
willing 10 have officers who are either
Set CT pasillanimons. cowardly pup
ries or gang of perjured scoundreis.
Now YOU can perch on either horn OF
that proposition that you think Is
easiest 10 ride!
What Is Il 10 you, anyhow, whether
prohibition Is prohibiting In Maine to
suit the notions of the liquorites in
Richmond or Roanoke? You are not
fegislating for Maine. but for Virginia,
ana the real question Is whether you
virginians. having the conscience and
moral patriotism to enact prohibition
viii then and the courage and the sand
In your craws to make your own law
wcrx TO your satisfaction. believe
you can do that or 7 certainly would
nc. persuade YOU to enact the law?
The prohibition law Seems to be
satisfactory TO the people to Maine for
SnFV EYE Etfff holding on to It after
having had II every day for sixty years
Prohibition In Georgia seems to suit the
GeosGis people for no man in their
ierisls ture dares to introduce bin
s.'c repeal II after it's seven years Of
trial.
Nobody has been announced as n
champion of the repeal OF the prohi-
eition law of North Carolina, or of
Mississippi or Oklahoma, or Kansas.
~ when some OF those States do re-
peal their prohibition laws. Their and
then only. will ANYBODY be able to say
those laws were farces and failures
What right. anyhow, have you and
To saw that Bill Jones wife IL a
fsfsnrs II Riil himself Is satisfied with
herr No more have We the right to
dsnounce prohibition laws as failures
80 long AS the States that have them
and could repeal than continue to he
contented with them"
III Small also -idtcuief m~re1,essIy
the fake ku-Kius figure of Increased
taxation with which the Iiouorites are
trying 10 srampede the country people
and demanded tina. the liquor crowd
point out the prohibition State that
has increased taxation because of the
lose of licuor revenues
why don't those liquor people ana
liquor newspapers tell you that Geor.
Fis. a prohibition State, has just re-
duced the state taxes by ten per cent >
They DO not want you to know that
II knocks the liver and lights ont Of
thar fraudulent claims of heavier taxa
uon--thats why they keep mum about
IA.