The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-10

national menace to health, the most
common cause of poverty, crime and
insanity, the deadliest foe of legiti-
| mate business, the greatest violator OF
| all law, the most corrupt influence In
| politics. and the worst enemy In our
civic life to human welfare. Science
has condemned 1t; business is arraycd
against it: politics Is struggling to be
loose from it's clutches. and states
manship has denounced 1t. The rights
! of humanity demand its overthrow.
Press Rapidly Changing Front.
| We note with satisfaction the
rapidly changing tone of the public
press on this great question of the
! day. and the fact that hundreds of
daily newspapers in our cities now
bar liquor advertisements and that
leading magazines and journals have
given and are giving large space to
1.-the consideration of the liquor ques-
Jtionr thus presenting to the public in
its various phases
We note with satisfaction the
strong attitude which medical science
has taken and the propagation of the
scientific truth regarding alcohol by
great manufacturing ent r pr | sc =,
transportation companies and bust
ness concerns Of almost every char
/ acter.
| Must Reach Masses.
| We recognize the necessity of
reaching in our campaign the great
mass of our American population
which, o-H|targ#exteHt heFetefeFsi
has been neglected by temperance
forces. Our propaganda must be
carried forward in the churches and
with the Christian moral forces but
we cannot be content to reach few
million people through temperance
church services. There are ten mil
lion negroes in the nation, fifteen mil
lion foreign born population, twenty
million children OF foreign-bor par
ents. and more than seven million in
Idustrfal workers. most OF whom ara
to be found in the Industrial and
population centers, While many OF
these are being reached through our
churches, a very large number must
be reached through other avenues.
I We recognize the Importance.
Furthermore, of giving prompt atten-
ltion to the social center idea, This Is
an efficient means of fighting the
saloon. 1t embodies the fundamental
Esprit of the church and Christianity.
1t helps 10 dethrone wrong by exalt-
ling right 1t lays emphasis upon in
stitutions and activities which make
for sobriety and civic righteousness.
We commend Congress and the
Federal Government for the con-
tinued support of the anti-canteen
law; for repeated appropriations for
Iarmy posts as substitutes for the can
teen; for the continued enforcement
of the treaty provisions which pro-
ihibit the sale Of intoxicating liquors
among the Inuians and in Indian coun-
tries; for the recent advance step
taken in the enforcement of prol.ihi-
Ition In the United States Navy; for
1.-THE eradication of the liquor traffic
from under the dome of the national
lcapital building; for tie remedial tenn
Iperance legislation recently enacted
flor the District of Columbia. end for
1.-The passage of the interstate liquor
shipment law prohibiting the ship
iment OF intoxicating liquors In liter
state commerce, where such liquors
are intended to be possessed or used
lin violation of State law.
Commend Congress.
/ We also commend Congress for the
general attitude OF its members on
the iiouor question, evidenced by the
Appropriations made for sending dele
gates representing the United States
Government to the Thirteenth and
Fourteenth Congresses on Alcoholism
which were held in The Hauge, Hol-
Iland. in 1911. and In Milan, Italy.
lin 1918, as well rs the appropriation
OF $4,000 made by the last ConGress
to entertain this same internationally
Congress on Alcoholism In the United
States this year.
We further commend the ma
| jority of the membership Of
| the House Of Representative OF
| the last Congress for the cour-
axeous stand taken In the c0nstd-
Grafton - the joint resolution cal