The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-21
Capital of Colorado Did Not
Want to Be Dry and Fought
Drouth, but Is Glad Now
EVEN POLITICIANS
HAVE BEEN CONVERTED
ALI Glasses of Men and Women
Have Seen Benefits of Anti
Liquor Policy Carried Into
Effect.

This is the nrst % series of ar
ticles written for the Columbus, Ohio.
Daily Monitor by Arthur w. STAGE,
managing editor OF the Grand Rapids
(Michigan) Press. STAGE made a tour
of Colorado. Kansas and Iowa to gath
err first hand facts as to the benefits
Of prohibition. He wrote a series of
articles for the press so truthful that
they were large factors In the success
full dry fight in Michigan.
Denver. Colo. Dec. 16.--Some towns
vote themselves dry.
Some achieve dryness
And some have dryness thrust upon
them.
Denver had dryness thrust upon t.
When Colorado adopted Statewide
prohibition two years ago by q major
ity OF 11.s72. Denver registered a Wig
orous protest going wet by 5000 votes.
Then after the constitutional amend
ment had been passed and before 1t
went into effect January /. 1916. COM
mercial Denver worried itself into an
ague Of apprehension.
1t was filled with gloomy forebod
ms. It expected to sec bushes 60
to the bow-wows and the town sink
into backwoods dullness.
Now. after nearly Il year Of prohibit
ton. Denver appears glad IL was
forced dry--so glad that 1t cannot
keep its Joy to itself but 10 eager to
proclaim its conversion from the
housetops.
Business Is booming. The town ap-
pears busy. cheerful. buoyant. II Old
Man Gloom. who reigned somberly in
the dark days from election November
8. 1914. until January l, 1915, Is still
here he Is hidden in the back streets
and alleys-the alleged haunts of the
here the ordinary Wis.,
itor does not and him.
Finds No Mixed Sentiment.
Knowing that Denver had been
made dry by compulsion-that fact
having been advertised far and wide
by opposing interests was prepared
to find a decidedly mixed sentiment
when / came here to learn the actual
facts in regard to Colorado's expert
ence with prohibition and to sift out
the true from the false among the
contra dictory claims put forth by the
contendinE forces in Ohio's wet ana
dry past campaigns.
Naturally II was to be expected
that there would be a wide difference
Of opinion as to whether the State OF
dryness had worked good or Ill in a
material way TO this city OF 2l3.3SI
population. the second largest dry
town in the United States.
But / found to my surprise that the
matter had been settled--settled so
definitely and decisively that 1t is no
longer an open question, Business
men who fought prohibition vigorously
two years ago. basing their opposition
to II on business grounds" now have
swung sauarely around. They arc for
prohibition and for 1t strong.
Here's what they say. boiled down
into q composite interview.
What They All Say.
Prohibition has been q splendid
thing for Denver and for Colorado. /
voted wet two years ago because
thought prohibition would be disas-
trous to business. ! have been sur
prised to find the results just the op-
posite. II the question should come
up again I'd vote dry In a minute. So
would big maiorities In Denver and
Colorado. This State is dry forever"
This is the testimony not OF one, but
OF many. 1t has been chanted by
such numbers that it has become a
regular chorus.
1t expresses the apparent general
sentiment among Denver business men
OF affairs.
Indeed the conviction II freely sx-
pressed that should the prohibition
issue again be put to the test At the
polls that the State would vote dry
three to one and that Denver would
help nightly in piling up an over
whelming majority against return
to tho old wet condition.
Right here It might be we'll to ex-
plain that this inquiry has not been
''steered" 1t has been conducted In
dependently. free from any influences
in an effort to gain information for
Ohio readers who want Ito know" the
actual experience OF dry cities and dry
States before casting their votes in
1917.
Prominent in Their LINES.
The men chosen to be interviewed
were selected because they were prom
inent In the lines of endeaveor they
represent Their views on the wet and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS