The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-24
SALOONS WILL NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH
REVENUE FOR STATE, BLUE SAYS

educator. While the police of a city
may be protection to The law-abiding,
yet, frequently. the poicd force is q
protection TO vice and crime and law
Icssness III the city. Ii there is non
enforcement OF law, if there is graft
or corruption i'll the affairs OF a city,
county, state or nation, the re-
sponsibility therefore rests largely
upon the citizen Tho takes no active
interest i'll public affairs.
Prohibition.
West Virginia has now experienced
eight and half months OF statewide
prohibition. 1t has been demonstrated
that prohibition will prohibit. and that
prohibition law can be enforced Ii
is recognized that there is a predis-
position TO strong drink on the part of
the offspring OF the inebriate. 1t is
recognized that the man addicted to
strong drink may become its slave,
and unless he arouses himself and
strikes for freedom before too late he
will die the slave of the Master Drink
II is not contended that law will take
away the prediSposition, nor that it
will take away the acquired thirst
nor that it will change habits. No law
yet has changed the leopards spots
But the law may enable the slave to
escape before the Master has bound
him hand and foot, and better yet, it
will save the youths from becoming
slaves. 1t is contended that a pro-
hibitory law can be enforced as sue
cessfully as any other law that has
to do with great evil and a great
reform. You cannot expect a prohibit
tory law to be SO easily enforced in
the beginning of prohibition as after
the stains have been washed out and
the human wrecks cleared away.
There was a time when might was
right, when the stronger took from
the weaker that which belonged to the
latter. There came a time when So
ciety began to make rules to restrain
the strong for the protection OF the
weak. 1t is as easy to enforce a pro-
hibitory law in the beginning of the
new order as 1t was to enforce the
law of regulation in the beginning of
civilization. Yet is there man who
would say that society ought never to
have begun regulation to govern the
rights of men and. restrain the strong
from taking from the weak simply be-
cause it would be difficult of enforce
ment? An enforcement and establish
ment of regulatory rules in other lines
of. human endeaVor have been d
growth. progress, so must be the
enforcement and establishment OF pro-
hibitory liquor laws.
Blamed on West Virginia.
Some weeks ago the Holster Brew
ing company OF Columbus. Ohio,
capitalized at $12.o0O,0 900. filed its Pc
tition praying for the appointment
of a receiver and the winding UP OF
it's affairs. One of the causes given
for its unfortunate financial condition
was that the state of West Virginia
had gone dry! Only a few days ago
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 brewers had been very
much injured and curtailed by pro-
hibition in West Virginia And yet the
brewers and the liquor people gener-
ally say that prohibition will not pro-
hibit!
Let no man in West Virginia be
deceived. West Virginia can only be
made and kept dry state by vigilance
and constant effort. Only a, few days
ago Alex Lawrence, of the city of
Charleston, who was engaged in the