Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1916-03-03
A STUMBLING BLOCK

Editor the News:-There is pend
ing i'll the Legislature of Virginia a
measure known as the Wittcn-Shu-
mate amendment to the Hartman law.
which has for its purpose the climi-
nation on the first of May of the sa-
looms in the town of Pocahontas, the
only point where liquor is legally
sold in Southwest Virginia, except
ing the city of Bristol. That this
bill should receive the unanimous
support of the members of the SEN
ate, and of the people generally, is
beyond question for many reasons.
Pocahontas is near the border of
Virginia and West Virginia, the latter
State being prohibition territory by
ninetyodd thousand majority. The
West Virginia officials are endcayor
ing to enforce the law as to the abso
lutte prohibition of the sale of whis-
key in that State, but Virginia, her
mother State, is doing all she can to
make this enforcement the harder,
and thwart the will of this 10000 ma
Jority, and break down her prohibi
ton laws, and make their enforce
ment almost impossible by permitting
whiskey to be sold right on the bord
er. 1t is demoralizing her people.
IJeopardizing the great coal mining in
terests and rendering inefficient the
thousands of miners and laborers i'm
that section.
virginia is forcing upon her off,
spring n condition that cannot be JUS
tilted by even the most fanatical wet
advocates. She is virtually SAYING to
West Virginia: owe will nullify your
prohibition laws, we Will render in
efficient the employees of your corpo-
rations; we will be party to n social
condition second 10 none, in which the
vilest women of the underworld, the
crook, the thief, the murderer, the
despoiler of the virtue of woman
will find asylum, where their evil pas
sions can be fired on to commit fiend-
ish crimes.
The saloons in the town of Poca-
hontas are responsible for the de-
minorallzatlon of legitimate business;
tney are responsible for rs per cent.
OF the criminal expenses of the coun-
ty; they are responsible for the inef-
ilciency OF the laborers and the de-
pauchery of the young men of the
county; they are responsible for in
filctlng upon society and the State
children unsound mentally and phys
ically; they are responsible for break
ing up many happy homes in Tazewell
county; to them can be charged a
crime which was brought to the at
tention of the last term of the Circuit
Court of Tazewell county, in which a
beautiful young girl of eighteen
charged her own brother with crimi-
nal assault. In Society's ledger these
crimes stand charged against the sa-
looms, and the people are demanding
that the account be squared now.
1t is within the power of the SEN
ate of Virginia to remedy this con-
dltion at once; it is within the prov
ince OF the senate to make Virginia
act on the square with West Vir-
ginla, and it is the duty to posterity to
cut out this sore spot that threatens
the prosperity and happiness of our
people 1t is necessary now for West
Virginia to patrol the border between
the States with armed guards, and
for the Norfolk & Western to station
detectives on their trains to prevent
the violations of the West Virginia
prohibition laws by persons carry
ing whiskey into West Virginia for
illegal purposes.
Mr.. Editor, it is reported that one
OF the leading ministers of this sec
ton has been in Richmond fighting
the Witten bill. If this is true, may
the Lord have mercy on his soul.
ON THE SQUARE.
Coopers, w. Va, February 81.