The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-19

,csnss law on the senauesa o. go ~
or State In the United 0eatse
I camc 20 tho cpmE1u11e0 Ghao =
prescription tt11e Wno never % b n.
cd could not e4oct . cure.
When became convinced that the
liquor interests themselves thwAr
regulation. had to decide whether
my conscience would permit me long
err to advocate q remedy that was In.
tended only to deceive voters. When
man Ia spending his evenings try
ing to persuade his audience and the
balance of the night trying to per-
suade himself. 1t Ia time for him to
quit--and In 1912 quit,
hDECTDES TO WAGE WAR
- ON FORMER EMPLOYERS
For over two years i remained al
lent on the liquor question, but with
regulation being thwarted and prohi-
biuon prohibiting-and the liquor in
terests still committing objectionable
crimes--I felt free to wage battle
against my former employers. at
least some of whom never were sin
cere in their promise made through
me to take the liquor business out Of
politics and the law breaker out of
the liquor business.
The liquor forces may properly be
divided into three classes. Those who
really desire reform. those who de-
sire reform in order to defeat prohi-
bition. and those who promise re-
form with no intention OF making
good on the epromise--the latter are
in the majority and are today con-
trolling the liquor interests of the
United States. They advocate regula-
ton to win votes. but they defeat
regulation In order to sell more IL
quor They are swapping ultimate
salvation for Immediate dollars. They
advocate regulation before the eiec-
ton. bat forget Ii after election!
REGULATION SAVES SALOONS;
PROHIBITION THE HOMES
That the liquor interests could
have passed the model license ordi-
nances in many cities and the model
license law in many States cannot be
doubted--their activity In politics has
resulted In their controlling more
than one city council and more than
one Legislature. Therefore. | hold
that no model license ordinance or
model license law having been enact
ed is conclusive proof that the liquor
interests advocate regulation in or
der that wet voters may soothc their
consciences---for 1t is undoubtedly
fact that while talks of personal lib
erty fear Of increased taxes and other
SuCb SpeClOuS arguments may 1AoNls
the desire to vote wet, no liquor law
yer darcs psk the public to endorse
the saloons as they now exist
FOOLED PEOPLE WITH
GATHERING PROMISES
The voters must be promised
change for the better: they must be
promised an elimination of the dive;
they must be promised less danger
to the boy--yes, and they must be
promised .ha. the liquor business Will
cease their domination In politics
they must he promised that the IL
uuor business will be taken out OF
politics and the law breaker out OF
the liuIo- business-they promise
this by promising regulation, and the
voter stills his conscience by accept
ing the promise OF regulation--and
votes wet. After all these years OF
promises without fulfilifnent the voter
who accepts the promise again should
eat fish as brain food--and order
himself a whale.
In 1910 the model license Law was
promised Virginia. promised ID
when debated the prohibition aues"
ton with the Rev. DIR. Cannon hs7-
fore n iotnt session i'm Richmond
Prohibition WINS defeated. but the
model license law / drew was never
presented to the Legislature-the
people or Virginia were fooled by the
promise of reg ulation--the promise
OF the elimination Of the divorce
oQuixing that they had been SO de-
ceiyed. Virginia voted dry!
FOOLED OREGON ONCE,
Z BUT NEVER AGAIN
With FUN authority / promised the
passage OF a model license law III
Oregon The good citizens OF oregon
accepted the promise. l drew the law
and tho liquor people have 1t yet
Oregon resented the deception at the
next election. and now Oregon Is dry
Even the women OF Colorado were
deceived by the promise of regula-
ton when Colorado voted wet, but on
recognizing their mistake In trusting
the evil doer to reform, they voted
again, and now Colorado is dry.
In 1910 I promised the voters OF
West Virginia that the liquor business
would be divorced from politics and
the saloons would cease to be conbin-
atoms of gambling houses. bawly
houses and groggery. but when the
election was held In 1919 1 found that
the same old saloon was being run by
the same men in the same old way.
That the only requisite TO get drink
was to have the price. That the devil
WAS being shamcd by the barkecper
and hell being discreditcd by It's COM
pcutor!
The West Virginia saloons weTc .
stencil In the nostrils Of decency-and
West Virginia went dry! That was In
1912. and have never made speech
for the vets since-and / never shall.
FREED FROM FEAR OF
WORKING ETERNAL WRONG
! still have the lingering fear that
some speech of mine may be instru-
mental in destroying some friends
property--but / arm free of the fear
that some speech OF mine may damn
some friends eternal soul.