The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-26

Fredericksburg, Va S't'.'
psv lanes Cannon, Jr., d -
Richmond Ma.
My Dear Or. Cannon, .na An
Renlying to your favor Oh tae
instant inquiring az TO what -ias W.
sn,,,ation has been as 10 the tutFt
hfbition on the r1aterlal anu l"ui ..
welfare Of the state l ~ouia say
.se story IL too h!g % tel "h' "@
ggov Il. IN letter.
T-,,er NJ mat az ~ the effect upon
he whGlc state, have no Nh"N ~,
o~r4n; from hearsay and from JH',
st..tr,tos AS to the effect in ana
S,,tsa yrredericksbure. ard in the )u-
st,.snt circuit over which | preside As
.i,,dQe thc change for the netteF II o'E
r5eter1ai and moral standpoint ~ -,
oraa, that no man. however prejudlcea
Is may be. or have been against pro-
hnation. can fail to see H.
Il was predicted before prohibition
sn,-r{nd In Fredericksburg, that II the
nrohibitionlsts were success NJ "uSi-
ree% would re ruined in the t""h'
houses would 9e uutenantea ana rev
nve would he cut of. Frohip'tcH P'0
saflea and the reverse upon all three
,,ronositions has been the result rs
4sf,t4g5 ~ bSts{r3.Ss Wet3asseSa itself ga 3ps
pavs conditions which was very speed
u, the town euteCed upon an era OF
prosperity IL had never kn@Nhs before
ana there has been no let up from that
e3,,,a ON. Where formerly there we're
a,sne Of squalor and poverty "hlCh
we're mitlgated to some degree ny
charity there qie none now, ana the
,rl.oIs town seems To he self sustaining
Real estate has gradually advanced
in IA llle. and l believe every house ia
toyv, is occupied Property values nave
90 Increased that without Increasing
be rate Of taxation the revenue mas
,y,Dwn ie that extent that from being
he worst paved town in the country.
i, in now. as far as / know, the best
naved town / know anywhere. Some
Of this In due to the form or govern
ment the single manager plan, out
most Of II lis due 10 prohlbition- ANS
in attssted by the fact that the pres
Anr prosperity followed almost inn
nodiatelv in the wake of prohibition.
Money formerly used in the purchase
Of strong drink is now spent in the
purchase of necessities and luxurles
for wives and children. II was also
predicted that the trade which Freder-
icksburg merchants enjoyed would be
diverted That customers would go
where they could get their goods and
rtduor too. This did not prove true.
iES FGsitk TIES AESIi 81 hPNNE
ed. that the money formerly spent in
strong drink is now spent for necessi-
ties and iuxurtes. And this is true in
spite Oh the fact that Fredericksburg
voted LIQUOR out many years before
Alexandria forty-five miles TO the
north OF II, and Richmond sixty miles
to the south OF it. were made dry ny
statewide prohibition.
FREDERICKSBURG, however, did not
get the fun benefit Of prohibition until
= IL obtained throughout the whole state.
From everywh here in the state reports
come OF empty iails and saving In
criminal q pense8. The reports IN the
reduction in the number Of criminals
and criuair al expenses are SO remark
abb that would be inclined TO bGSssve
they were eXagg erated If / did not
know frola actt al experience as II
trial Judge that they are true.
| have always voted dry. but ! did
so up TO the time Fredericksburg wen,
dry. oniy from principle, and not with
any hope that conditions wouid really
be bettered But when the statewide
fight cane on I knew approximately
what great benefits would occur They
have been more than realized. Wha
we want now 10 make prohibition en-.
tiresy ene~tiv'i. is ftrtrt nationwide pro
hihhion. and then worldwide prohibi
ton
Gedspeea ves in yeas good work,
r II. L. CHICHES