The Republican., 1916-02-24
PROHIBITION IN WEST VIRGINIA
]. c. kepler, A travelling, ran, Ad.
dressed The Hardware Association.

membered by our readers as a con-
tributor under the non-de-plume of
Jason Kep." delivered the following
address before the West Virginia Hard
ware Merchants Association at Clarks-
burg recently.
Mr.. Kepler has made an exhaustive
study of his subject, having called on
bankers. merchants and other people
all over his territory. He has also in
terviewed city and county officials, and
was so we'll posted on his subject that
there seemed no desire,to contradict his
statements. Law" he said, sis an
agreement of or by the people that
certain rules shall govern their conduct,
and the aim is the greatest good for the
greatest number of people. The pro-
hibition amendment was an agreement
by the people of West Virginia that
certain rules shall govern their conduct
on the liquor question. 1t was carried
over by 81, 900 majority. l will not go
into the moral phase of the question,
but will speak strictly from a business
standpoint. Whiskey is a beverage
that will cause a father to sell his babv's
shoes or rabbit to spit in the face of
bulldog. and il, has no moral standing
in civilized community. About IS
per cent. of our people are laboring
people. You know without nv telling
you that when the head of these families
spends large part of his income for
booze, the family must curtail expen-
ditures in legitimate lines of trade. The
great curse of the saloons in West
Virginia has been that we could not
regulate them. We tried to, but our
experience was joke, and a mighty
cruel one. On pay days in our factories
our saloon keepers loaded up with money
ready to cash the checks of the men.
In comes Tom to get his check cashed
and, of course, he buys a drink. Then
Jerry drops in for the same purpose,
and he and Tom must buy one for each
other. Then Mike and John appear to
get their checks cashed, and they all
have one together. After five or six
rounds, time ard money slip away and
the consequences aresforgotten, as are
store bills and the imperative needs Of
the family. This condition is one that
State laws have never regulated, and
never will as long as the open saloon
exists.
Il have talked with hardware men
and other merchants through thirteen
counties which | travel, and with one
accord they state that the situation is
vastly improved, and in former strong
saloon districts the improvements most
marked. Many men who were con-
sidered impossible from a credit stand
point have become good paying custo-
mers, and many who could in the old
days supplyEthemselves with but the
bare necessities of life are in good con-
dition, in good circumstances, and are
better citizens. The natural tendencies
of the laboring men of West Virginia
are asserting themselves, and with
booze out of their systems they are
building homes. There is very notice
able improvement in the territory |
travel, and particularly so m the great
number of small houses being built.
You know that isn't doing the hard
ware business any harm.
81 have talked with mine owners.
and they report that before the amend
ment it required a great many more
men to keep the mines going full time
than 1t does now. This was because of
a certain percentage of men who were
laying off, either acquiring a drunk or
getting over one. These men are
working more regular today, are earn
ing more money, and their families are
getting good share of it. This mine
superintendent showed me his books,
and particularly some pages on the time
sheets of drinking men, and these men,
are earning all the way from Is to 120
per cent more than they earned before
prohibition amendment . came into
effect.
'The public service and trolley people
report that Saturday night IN the old
days required their putting on extra
guards and officers 20 take care of the
drunks who persisted in fighting on the
street cars. These guards and officers
are not used to-day. Saturday night
was always big night for the street
car people. The spenders were out; but
these same people report to-day that
their business is better than ever on
Saturday nights, and the passengers
are made up of great numbers of
women and children, who come down.
town with their men folks to take IN a
picture show.
Shortly after the State went dry, |
met collector for one of the large in
stallment houses in this city. He said
he was feeling little blue, and | asked
HIM what his grievance was. He said:
You know it.has always been hard to
oIya