The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-06

WONT TO A0r1f&
but what about the 1909
brewers and maitsters, distiitsfos
'rectihers? They win, Of necu&
be compelled to adjust themsGlv<
changed conditions. But, .sis 1o&0S
not mean that they will eithsx e.
adrift or cause panic. Tho o48
stantly changing situation In the 1ISz
dustrial world in this country or
compels men to transfer from one 60
cupation to another. many OF t1ieQ
being required to learn entirely new
trades. ~
LAS a matter OF fact, however, moSG
workingmen lose their jobs bocAuG8
saloons are open than would be IT,
case were the saloons to be clooodSs
AS somebody puts 1t, When liQne
puts a man out of a Job IL units hirG
for another job. When no-license ptito;
a bartender out of Job 1t makes Him
wealth producing workingman 3Ilss
stead of a ealth-destroying workfne.s
man. 1t Is better that the bartendGfs
should lose his job and get Q better
one than that dozens Of his pAtr0n4'
should lose their Jobs and be unatt9A
for any job
There are about 10, 900, 900 farmers
In the United States. They cons4&-
tute 10 per cent of our entire populae
ton. The value OF their annual pre-
ducts Is approximately $4,000, 010sss
900, or $1,000 for each farmer. Tbs
liquor industry purchases every yea4i
from the farmer about $100,000,t 00I
worth of produce. or Just / per cent
of all that the farmer produces: tha1l
is, $40 for each farmer In the UniteA
States.
The question is, what will the
poor farmer do with his $40 WORTH
OF produce which the liquor industx4
cannot purchase when It Is put out a.
business? 1t Ia absolutely certains
that he will never be compelled ~
throw away this $40 worth of ma
terial which Is troubling the liqu0r
men so grievously. The chances ara
that somebody else besides the liquor
men will ind use for the farmers
grain and grapes and apples and char.s
ries. To listen to the defender Of the
saloon one would think that nobody
likes grapes and cherries unless th0ys
come in tho form Of booze.
IT the 100, 100000 people In xha9
country were each to increase their
purchasing power by so much ~ ~
two-cent postage stamp per week. ~
would amount to about 500. 600. go.
per year-the sum of the liquor memsas
purchases from the farmer. ThereHl9
no need to worry about the farmSr.s
Anyway, he's voting out the sal00n
every time he gets a chance, fully
realizing the force Of whatever there
may be in the argument OF the liquce
men as far as he Ia concerned. sss s
'Workingmen and women are No.
Ing appealed to by the saloon mon ~
defend their personal liberty. They
are being told that a man has Z rfehts
to drink as much beer and whiskeys ~
he pleases. A wet speaker receut1ys
said that he had as much right To-
drink a glass OF beer as any other
man has to drink cup of tea How
ever you never heard of a man killing
another man while he was under the
influence of tea
No Absolute Liberty.
I'm this country there is no such
thing as absolute liberty. We tall
about democracy being a sinpie
form OF government. AS a matter %
fact. 1t Is the most complex form III
government. The simplest form o.
government is that which places II
despot upon the throne and gives him
the right to chop of the head of every
man who disagrees with him.
When Robinson Crusoe lived al0n0
on his mid-ocean isle he did about ~
ne pleased but when his man. FridAI.
appeared Crusoes liberties were cut
in two. A workingman who earns
SIS a week. let us say. and who MqN
a wife and children. may not spend
this money as he pleases. no matter
how honestly he may earn 1t. tn
law insists that he must first OF "a
take care OF his wife and childr1n
Furthermore. he must send thAD9l
children to school. whether he b.
lieves IN education or not for Ia III
measure the State entrusts these chill
dren to him In order that he may heHn
the State to make of them good CatASG
Zens. and the State has declared tAN4
one way in which to do this Is to 91A4
the child an education. A man u1Ay
not burn down his own house In Il
crowded city, because by 80 doing IN
may set fire to his neighbor's hou1oI
The housewife Is compelled to k6e1k
her kitchen and back yard in Z on1l~
itary condition, because II she does Nh
she may spread disease among NJ
nelghbors. ssss
Here Is your body: you have nuE&
tured 1t ana cared for II ~ long M
you have lived; but suppose you tfSk
to kill ito commit suicide. IL y0N
succeed, Billy Sunday says ron Nh
go to hell. II you fail. you'll 99
jail But suppose that our goy4k =
ment should declare war upon Qo
many or England 1t has the I'll
to send yett to the front to BE- raddE
with bullets. whether you bellows
war or not. #
I'VE have recently passed
stringent laws against the sale ~
use of certain drugs, because they akM8
injurious to the minds and bodies ok3
men. Suppose the citizens OF this G1t3@
should declare by a majority y0t4S
that the saloons are a. menace to e1ss
ciety? Haven't they the right to tANN5s
snch action and would 1t not - III
harmony with the manner in whte&5
all great social questions are 64@S
termined? When the saloon destr49MS
mems bodies and souls. It II m1Ass
ace and Just as soon as society 0n4M8
it out the saloons must Co."
DRY MEASURE ASKED. MA