The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-02
BRYAN WRITES
TO OHIO VOTERS

Following is copy of a letter sent
oy William J. Bryan to the voters OF
ohio, urging them to abolish the sa-
loon at the coming election:
My Dear Sir:
The voters Of Ohio will be called
upon the coming election to decide a
Very important, question. namely,
whether the saloon shall be permitted
TO exist. The question to be decided
today is entirely different from the
question at issue when a vote express
ed merely a personal opinion or pre-
ference. Today the saloon is an out
law. fugitive from Justice. A major
ity OF the American people live In dry
territory and are represented at Wash
lngton by senator's and members who
vote for prohibition. National prohi-
billion is only a question of a few years.
each state victory Fastening the final
triumph. The party that espouses the
cause of the liquor interests Is not
only doomed to defeat. but to dis
grace. and the voter who takes the
side of the saloon against the home
casts a vote which car not be excused
now. and for which he will have to
apologize later.
We have long understood the evils
OF intern perance as those evils that
tnEHiIeSI themselves IN tlf1H OIL PTsAtss
To this Information is added the knowi-
edge that we have gained during this
war-knowledge which proves aico-
hol even more deadly in war than in
peace. Nineteen years ago the canteen
was permitted in the United States
army, and in the war with Spain each
colonel decided whether there should
be n saloon in his camp. A few wears
afterwards congress drove the canteen
from the army and made 1t unlawful
for any commanding officer to permit
the sale of liquor in his camp rev
years ago alcohol was driven from the
navy. and within n few months II haa
been made unlawful for anyone any
where to sell Intoxicating liquor TO n
man In uniform
The old arguments made in favor
OF the saloon have been demolished
The automobile routed the personal
liberty argument. A man does not
have to be run over by drunken
chauffeur more than twice before he
learns that no mans personal liberty
includes the right 10 iuiure another
one.
They used TO sac that the law could
not he enforced The Webb KENYON
law. recently sustained by the United
States supreme court, makes the en-
federal government has been taken
out af partnership with the boot'egger
and brought into partnership with the
state II used tn be argued that we
could rot afford to give IN the money
derived from the internal revenue H.
cense ard from saloon license Russia
was willing TO SURF en6er revenue OF
ssr6 600 coo rather than permit the
sale or vodka and the first thing that
sober Russia. did was 10 drive the czar
into exile and declare for republican
form OF government. Our government
r. strong en6uET rs 3UtfI6FTze any one
day loan OF billions of deilars---sueh
a nation does not need to sell its soul
n tire liruor traffic in exchange for u
few hundred millions of rev@nue,
"If one Sc not driven 20 suDporf
r,vf tfsassfo., bf economic argument, he
ought to be susceptible to an unan-
swera1hle moral argument. namely,
thet no citizen can afford to go into
pert-arship with the saloon and share
moral responsibility for what the sa-
loan does. The saloon cannot exist
without yotrs: therefore. the man who
yoses for the saloon In guilty equally
with tho Yalonnkeener for the evils
which the saloon is known 10 bring; the
alienation Of the husband. the brutasiz~
ing of the father the fmDeverish'nT
81 the family. and the ruin OF young
women as we'll AS Young men These
are the fruits Of the Saloon--the sa-
faoy1 must IS Io-g as II exists, re-
main a menace to the home and all
that Is high and holy | hone, more,
feel confident. that Ohio will i'm
prove this opportunity 70 abolish the
saloon ard put herself in ltne with
the states that have enlisted In the
war against alcohol, mans srnt test
auerFfyf