The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-05-22
FRED'O. BLUE
WARNS AGAINST
THE RUM GANG
Says 1t Is Planning to Cap.
ture the Next Leg
islature. .
DEFENDS THE YOST Law
Proves By Statistics That It
Has Been a Ben
eft. ~
Defends THE Y0ST Law

Hon. Fred Q. Blue. state tax com.
missioner and relentless foe OF Yos.
law violators, came to this city yes.
lerday from Clarksburg. and after u
short story went TO Grafton. The oc.
casion OF Mr.. Blues visit to all three
places was 10 tell the people that
an effort Is being made by the liquor
interests OF adjacent states, but par.
ttcularly tho rum gang" of Cincin,
natl, 10 get control of the next state
legislature.
Yesterday was Anti.Saloon league
field day in the churches and Mr.. Blue
spoke to full house at the NJ. P.
Temple at 3 o'clock In the afternoon.
Hon. G. w. Crabee, superintendent
OF the Anti.Saloon League OF West
Virginia. preceded Mr. Blue with a
short address, in which he gave sta.
tistics to demonstrate the benefits &C.
cruing to the people Of this state as
result Of the operations OF the Yost
law. .~'
Mr.. Blue, in a general way, outlin.
ed the plan adopted by the liquor
ring" to accomplish its alleged pur.
pose, and then cited incidents, facts
and figures to prove to his listeners
the fallacy of trying to make the citi-
zens OF West Virginia believe that
they made mistake when they voted
for statewide prohibition.
Mr.. Blue said that the head OF n
big lumber concern In this state. which
is paving annually over $4,000 into
the state Workmen's Compensation
fund, told him only fcw hours be.
fore that the conditions in their lum.
ber camps have 80 much improved
sinceijthe state went dry that his
company would gladly pay four. times
the amount It Is now contributing to
the fund rather than to return to
former conditions. --t-ifSs-'
Mr.. Blue said that there were 26,.
900 more men employed in the mines
and industries In this state than dur.
ing the wet" days and though that
this should effectually upset the
charge that workingmen and their fam
lilies were leaving the state on ac.
count OF prohibition.
One OF the statements made by the
whiskey interests, he said, was that
the state was bankrupt as result
of the loss Of revenue formerly gained
from the liquor traffic. To Offset this
Mr.. Blue stated that the bank de-
posits in the state show an increase
OF over 5 per cent, that there has been
more money expended for road i'm.
provement and schools and that
there is now more money available for
both roads and schools than ever In
the history OF the state.
Mr.. Blue said he did not ask for
any change in the Yost law but sought
the moral support OF all good citizens
OF the state i'll ths laws enforcement.
BLUE PENcILINGs
General abe" Lilly was an atten.
tive listener to Fred o. Blues address
at the NJ. P. Temple yesterday af.
ternoon.
It was not the intention OF tho
whiskey gang to repeal the Yost law,
said Mr.. Blue, but il meant to con.
troll the next legislature, so as to
make the enforcement OF the law less
stringent.
lie corner loafer and the drug store
idler is the product Of the saloon Of
former days. They used to be sa.
loon loafers. says Blue. but there will
be none such in another generation
II we keep out the saloons, says he.
Mr.. Blue said that the whIskey gang
showed its hand In the candidacy Of
a member of the state senate from
wheeling who is now aspiring the
United States senatorship.
PITY IL. man who is fighting eff
the liquor habit. He has hard tight.
Dent make his fight harder by tempt.
ing him.. or giving him whiskcy," 50
sail Mr.. Blue to the man who svades
thu law,