The Washington herald., 1917-04-15
Interesting Chats
From Hotel Lobbies

The State OF Tennessee Is going to make
terrific fight against conscription in
the present war crisis, because it does
not want the overwhelming negro popu-
lation Of that State to become too pro-
ficient with firearms, according to George
F. Milton, well-known publisher of Chat
tanooga-
Tennessee Is dry today" said Mr.. Mil
1 ton, simply because we decided that II
We were going to keep out negroes, we'd
have to get rid OF alcohol There are
two classes OF people in our State who
cannot be trusted with whiskey, negroes
and mountain whites
In the case Of the negroes, we feel
the same about conscriptlon. II the vol
unteer system Is retained, the United
States will have no trouble getting re-
cruits from Tennessee. In the civil war
they had to use conscription to keep the
men at home and in the fields. II, how
ever, conscrtption is put into effect, II
will means that there will be thousands
Of negroes from every portion OF the
South who will be taken out and taught
how to drill and use firearms.
''In our part OF the country there is
danger in a thing OF that kind II you
take a large number Of men from peace
full pursuits and make soldiers OF them,
you eventually send them back home with
a certain recklessness in their makeup
which is hard to eradicate. The turbu-
lent times that followed the civil war
are proof enough OF this. Then. also, in
the case of/the Southern negro, we can
never tell when some rascal will get hold
of these turbulent elements around cleo
ton time and turn them against law and
order.
The South went through fearful times
during the reconstruction period, when
thousands Of negroes were turned loose
to do almost as they pleased with their
guns, and we don't want any repetition.
The Tennessee delegation in Congress Is
almost sure to lead fight on the con-
scription measure, but in these times one
can never tell what will be the eventual
outcome Of an opposition OF the Presi-
dents wishes. Regardless Of how we may
regard Mr.. La Toilette. we must pause
and think over his statement that Con-
gress was rapidly becoming the rubber
stamp Of the President"
I'D like to be in washsington the
night the town goes dry" remarked
Thomas F. Fielder, of Norfolk, Va, who
Is registered at the Raleigh. ITS going
to be the widest night your town has
known for a long time. People who
never drank to excess in their lives arc
liable to go on an awful bend when
they realize that on the next day alco-
hol will be but a memory.
Down in our town, they're giving
fruit lemonade parties now, where the
highball and the Bronx once reigned
supreme. You've got a lot Of hotels
in Washington for a town of this size
and some of them are going to be hit
nard, II Norfolk's experience can be
taken as an example.
''The most interesting thing, however.
about a town that has Just gone dry
IS the queer stir-up that will be in evil
dence for days afterward. In a big
city. there are more drinking men than
most people realize and the whole town
or at least. the business parts going
to act for q few days Just like a man
who's gone on the water wagon and
doesn't like anyone to mention the fact.
You'd think that people who drink
would stock up heavily when they know
their town Is going dry, but you'd be
surprised at the way people will trust
to luck. I was talking to a real estate
man here and he told me that already
lessons OF apartments are making plans
to curtail any tendency to turn apart
ments into private cafes. Norfolk has
been dry for months, but the town is
only beginning to get into a new stride.
Prohibition Is all right, but it's a tough
job getting used to it,