The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-04
10 Such Conditions As He
Predicted Followed Advent
Of Prohibition Rule.
InudE DESCREASED,
BUSINESS PROSPEROUS
Eho Miles of Business Houses
Vacant, Alonf With Other
Direful Forecasts, All Proved
An Illusion.
ny G. b. BLETHEN, Editor Seattle
Times,

BY q. Is. BIAE4IhEkNs L04tOF cSs&T2&0
Times.
Well, we've had six months OF pro-
j 11hition And I can't and those miles
- empty storsA
I think six months 10 . sufficiently
I 1ong period from which TO draw con-
4 e3usions as to effects OF the law OF.
L AQsaneas. Frankly. ] don't intend to
Goncern myself much with the morals
20 prohibition. They say that
by their fruits re shall know
1hsmi" e..
a II that's the case the morals OF
Il rrohibitton may be determined by the
things that have happened under the
NV.
IN several States, three Of which are
4 Montana, California and Missouri nd-
SUrttssments and news articles are ao-
soaring daily in newspapers, much
Slmilar IN construction and tone to TIE
Advertisements and arguments against
EDrohihition which appeared In the
E3Ulumns of the Times prior 10 the dry
D1ection in Washington.
n There isn't so much being said
EAhosn the evil effects of prohibition on
Kansas as was said IN the advertise
#0snts that appeared in Seattle.
Rerhaps that Is due to the fact that
the men responsible for the wet publ
EGlty have found out VIVA. l have
that II isn't safe to base any argu-
HONS In that State. On the contrary.
M have become convinced that the re-
Eoalts OF prohibition In Kansas sre
about az powerful arguments for the
Arys as they could possibly desire!
But here's the pinch. coming in the
exnct spot expected 1t to when l gave
90 interview to ths Kansas City star,
E1nststing that Seattle was better on un-
EAer the dry law: Seattle and the State
III VT shington have been picked AZ
NMabotttute horrible examples.
nd Every day newspapers IN Montana.
n A1t1ornta and Missouri are printing
and interviews against
E6Sohtbition which assert that Seattle
aSnd the State of Washington have
gnoou harmed beyond repair by the law
which became effective January !
SoVor the signatures OF LIQUOR dealers
$Eoemerly resident In Seattle and tho
yAy1ous wet associations Of the States
which are engaged in prohibition cam
pAlgns. the assertion Is daily made
1 that there are miles OF empty stores in
4 SEATTLE, that business has gone all to
smash, that former leaders In bust
ness arc leaving town because Of de-
h pJcrabie business conditions. that rem
$162e arc of to nothing at ali. that
CloArings arc down. that NOR
9t1 are doing no business and 30
= and 10 on and 30 on
Here IL . sample attack on the city
TX Seattle, an attack published In the
IT Louis Republic at the request and
ever the signature OF the Missouri
Wholesale Liquor Dealers Association:
"Prohh4ton in Seattle"
During the month of January and
the drst weeks OF February. imme-
diateiy following the advent OF pro
hibttion In Washington, and before
that nostruln had an opportunity to
] lay its clutch upon the community
Ant1-saloonists were busy inficting
upon the American public lengthy
1Audations OF the alleged wonder
workings OF prohibition.
''As the months roll by. however,
Ne hear less and less OF Seattle pro-
hibitton.' The reason is found in the
reports of city and county officials In
the Puget Sound metropolis
when IN January only ninety-four
arrests for drunkenness were reported
In Seattle, prohih.tionists could not
proclaim too loudly that the millsn-
Y 1um OF virtue had been reached This
WAS In the space OF those few weeks
! before the bootlegger and the other
children OF prohibition had an OPP
i portunity to introduce themselves to
I the public. Today. however. they are
almost an institution From ninety
1eHr arrests IN January, the number
Increased TO 1T In February. and
I Aaore than doubled in March. the num-
s4or being 2s4. The latter record is
sally stxty-six arrests behind that OF
March. 1915.
This slight difference. however, ia
more than offset by the number OF
/ nome DRINKS that always abound in
dry communities. In the face OF Off
c3al records there can be no ques-
&4lon that home-drink1ng is ON the in
Grease. In January only AIT permits
Tor the importation of liquors were is
sued. This number increased to a.
3Ss in February, and $3.50 In March.
"One OF the most noticeable results
~ prohibition is the great increase
IN the number Of drug stores in King
#County. where Seattle is situated
Within three months they have been
Increased by sixty-hre.
M Finally, Seattle has suffered great
N. Many have left the city and set
lied elsewhere. including three OF her
FNeaithiest business men, w. F. Boe-
.lng. .. E. Skinner and J. c. Eden.
Many stores have been vacated and
IN those cases where they have been
rentals have been reduced
from 10 to rs per cent, according >
&AAnry Broderick. one of the largest
S0eAlers in rentals in Seattle.
R&esMIS6OURI WHOLESALE LIQUOR
SDEALERS' ASSOCIATION. Per +. A.
hugo. President
Fine stuff. isn't It:
4 But 1t is Just what We did TO Kan
SAoe.
II IL human nature TO like a. man
8Mno Will say he knows he is wrong
k1Hhen he finally discovers It. But /, is
n4ornaily hard for the human animal
recede from position for watch
~ has once commenced to make pun
10 argument 1t is so much easier
o ~:
There! You see / was RICH. after
-than to say.
Well. was wrong''
80 ] shall try to comfort myse-f
oGh the thought that the thinking
nAo1 OF the Times will be willing
ex1end enough credit FIR an ad-
eon about to be made 10 offset
= loss OF face" which accom- panie1
A1andonment of a long-defended
Times Admits Mistake.
- Times admits IT was wrong
- n said during the campaign
- prohibition that the enforce
~ f1an sfnfs,sA vvn,,fA y,,aar 800