West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-04-01
STATE HAS Been BROKE
FOR PAST THREE YEARS
Prohibition Commissioner Bluc
Shows that the Present Deficit
Was Not Caused by the Dry
Observation-Disclosures People Try
to Show Otherwise

Fred o. Blue. State commissioner q
prohibition. In n notable address n
farkersburg recently relative TO pro
hibition In West Virginia and TN
cause OF the present deficit. smoke 4,
part as follows:
West Virginia has now experience,
eight and half months of state wild,
prohibition. IL has been demonstrate,
that prohibition will prohibit. and TIM
prohibition law can be enforced. Il
IL recognized that there Ia n prcdis
position to strong drink on the part nj
the offspring OF the inebriate. II 1,
recognized that the man addicted I,
strohg drink may become it's slaye
and unless he arouses himself and
strikes for freedom before too late ne
VIII die the slave of the master dri,l
it IL not contended that law will take
away the acquired thirst, nor that a
VIII change habits. No law vet has
changed tho leopard's spots. But the
law may enable the slave to escape
oeiore the master has bound him hand
and foot, and better yet, Il will save
the youths from becoming slaves. II
is contended that prohibitorv law
can be enforced as successfully as anv
other law that has to do with n great
EVIL and great reform You cannot
expect prohibitory law TO be 40
easily enforced in the beginning of
the prohibition as after the stains have
peen washed out and the human
wrecks cleared away. There was n
time when might was right. when the
stronger took from the weaker TINT
whlch belonged to the latter. There
came time when society began To
make rules TO restrain the strong for
'ne protection OF the weak. 1t is as
easy to enforce n prohibitory law I'm
the beginning OF the new order as n
was TO enforce the law of regulation
In the beginning OF civilization. yet
IL there man who would say that
society ought never to have begun reg
ulation to govern the rights OF mon
ana restarin the strong from taking
from the weak simply because Il would
DO difficult of enforcement? An en-
forcement and establishment of reeu-
latory rules I'm other lines of human
endeavor have been n growth a nro
gress, 30 must be the enforcement and
establishment OF prohibitory Iiouor
laws.
Some weeks ago the Hoster Brewing
company, of Columbus, Ohio. CAPITAL
ized at $12,000,000. filed it's petition
praying for the appointment of n re-
ceiver and the winding up of It's af
Iairs. One of the causes given for its
unfortunate financial condition was
that the state OF West Virginia had
gone dry! Only few days ago n
large bank at Pittsburgh suspended
payment. The statement was given
out that some connected with the man
agement OF the bank were connected
with certain breweries; that the bust
ness OF such breweries had been very
much injured and curtailed by prohi-
Dition In West Virginia. And vet the
brewers and the liquor people gener-
ally say that prohibition will not pro-
hibit.
Let no man in West Virginia he de-
ceived. West Virginia can only be
made and kept dry state by vigil
lance and constant effort. Only few
days ago Alex Lawrence. of the cItv
OF Charleston, who was engaged I'm the
liquor business I'm this state until
forced out Of II by prohibition. and
VINO Is now engaged In the llquor bus
mess In Kentucky, made the statement
mat the liquor people outside of West
Virginia could well afford TO spend n
million dollars to break down the pro-
hibitOry law OF this state. The liouor
interests have already spent large
sum OF money in an effort TO do so. In
cluded In such expenditure is the en-
ployment OF the ablest lawyers whose
services could be had 10 prosecute
proceedings and defences in the courts
OF this state, including the federal. and
In the federal courts outside of the
state, in efforts to break through and
destroy the states prohibitory laws.
The liquor people, purposely. and
some who are not I'm the liquor busi-
ness. unadvisedly endeavor to create
the impression that West Virginia suf-
fers financially because she prohibits
the manufacture and sale OF intoxcat-
ing liquors. The appropriations for
all purposes OF the state. payable out
OF the general revenue, for the next
biennial period, including over S4OO.-
900 to aid local public schools. aggre-
gate R2.J00.000 annually The state has
a present deficit and will have a def
cit OF approximately 100000 on June
SOth, next--the end OF the present
hscal year. II is also true, however.
that the state had deficit of $3.50. 900
on June Goth, 1914, Notwithstanding
that IN the fiscal year then ending. the
state had collected license money from
those engaged In the liquor business.
Back OF this, however, the state had a
deficit of S4sO000 on June both, 1913,
Notwithstanding in the fiscal year then
ending the state collected as much
revenue from the liquor business as In
any year that the state collected such
revenue. Now. inasmuch as we had
deficits for two succeeding years be-