The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-10-21
Bad Conditions in the State of West Vir-
ginia are Graphically Described

No community need be or remain wet
against its will.
Prohibition unWorkabIe.
I'm essence the dry proposal is this:
That the hundreds Of dry cOmmuni-
ties through the state shall put upon
wet centers like Hamilton, Cuyahoga
and other populous counties the bur
den Of enforcing law which these
centers do not approve. The task
would be impossible, with sentiment
as 1t is today.
I'VE believe that the more pOpulous
centers Of Ohio are not yet ready for
statewide prohibition. To adopt this
dry amendment now would mean the
substitution of an unworkable pro-
vision for one that has proved both
its worth and its enforceability. The
Plain Dealer, while recognizing in full
the privilege of each e!ector to decide
the issue for himself, recommends
that the dry amendment be rejected"
The experience in socalled prohibi-
ton territory prove every statement
made by the Plain Dealer, notably in
West Virginia and Tennessee.
Not Working in w. Va.
Prohibition is not prohibiting in
West Virginia any more than it Is in
any other socailed dry" state.
The reason is the same old one
that demand cannot be controlled by
law. There is a demand for drinks
In West Virginia, and instead of this
demand being met by honest sales in
open, regulated licensed saloons, the
bOOtlegger, the blind tiger and other
illegal trafilckers are conducting a
profitable though nefarious business
An examination of the police court
records in Charleston, the capital city,
shows an increase of 1873 per cent in
the arrests for drunkenness in July,
1915, as compared with July, 1914.
The police records show that in
July, 1913, when Charleston had sa-
looms, there were 101 arrests for
drunkenness in Charleston, and that
! in July, 1915, after year Of prOhibi.
ton, there was total Of 109 arrests
for drunkenness and for violations OF
the liquor law; there being So cases
OF drunkenness and 40 violations Of
the law against selling liquor.
There is no doubt that the police
are active, but it is difficult to secure
convictions in liquor cases because Of
the lack of public sympathy. Prohibi-
tion is breaking down Of its own
weight.
Drys Not Surprised.
"The illicit traffickers try all kinds
of schemes to get whisky into the
state" said A. H. Curry, one of the
most active field workers for the De-
partment of Prohibition. Il am never
surprised any more at anything |
| find"
1t was only a short time ago that
Mr.. Curry learned whisky was shipped
in small gas pipes. He got the pipe
but not the shipper. A whole box car
load Of whisky was connscated at
Fairmont Another time = carload of
furniture shipped into Charleston con-
tained a piano box-fllled with whisky
in pint bottles. One Charleston house
holder buried hundreds of bottles In
his yard and these have recently
found ready market. A travelling
man" with sample cases was none
other than clever bootlegger. One
popular manner of shipping drink has
been in hnseed oil cans, and even the
innocent milk can has served its pur'
pose as a receptacle for liquor.
There has been more egg sucking
in West Virginia lately than ever be.
fore-and the reason is that egg shells
have been drained of their natural
contents through pin holes and whisky
substituted. Beer has been shipped
concealed in sugar and salt, and OF
one occasion even cof1in was used.
Public support Lost.
"The trouble with the prohibition
Law ID that it is much more drastic