The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-04-12

mond wet IN 1914, the proposition
would be overwhelmingly defeated"
have in my pocket letter from
the mayor of Lynchburg, in which ne
says: Business is far better under
prohibition than 1t could be under any
other conditions. | unhesitatingly state
1t is my opinion that it would be
serious mistake to return to former
conditions"
have another letter treceived March
25thl direct from prohibition head
quarters OF New York IN - =
told: The feeling Is rising high and
the vets lighting desperately they
have been cornered. and are scream
ing like wild animals" and in tho
same letter my informant says relative
to reacting prohibition sentiment:
The only reaction is the paid pub
licity reaction of the brewers"
] have in my possession excerpts
from letters received from twenty-siX
governors Of the states in which they
al say in substance with Governor
Allen, of Kansas. To-day the type that
protests against the prohibitory law III
this state has practically disappeared.
the prohibitury law ia as thoroughly
esta blished in Kansas as the law
against highway robbery" The criN's
OF police OF the ten largest cities where
prohibition has been in effect for eU ne
time. all agree substantially with Chief
or Police j. F. Warren OF Seattle in
saying: prohibition is n success here
from every standpoint; business senti-
ment is overwhelmingly in favor OF
prohibition" The real sentiment of
hundreds of thousands of American
citizens is apt.ly summed up in an ex-
preston from the mayor of Detroit
While Mayor James Couzens. of the
city of Detroit, has never been a
teetctaler and has voted wet he now
frankly admits "If another election
we're held | would vote dry, / believe
Detroit would. Prohibition has been
a revelation. II has upset all thel
alarmist predictions OF the vets and
more than sustained the rosiest pre-
dictinns OF the drys.''
And yet notwithstanding all these
facts. every time some loud mouth,
two by four. whiskey soaked. beer
guZZled. peanut politician. who has
Fought prohibition and every other de-
cent reform all his lirN nxnraeees his
usual inherent enmity against pr1-
hthition, some newspapers dripping
with booze, take up his utterances and
herald them across the country as in
aispntahle evidence that Il Great ere
action against prohihtion' has set in.
and that hitherto loyal prohihiionist
are sick and tired of this dry" land.
and are only clamoring for an on.
portunity to fall at the saloons
mourner's bench and repent Of their
prohibition sins. and renounce for ever
prohibition. this arch enemy of Per
sonal Liberty and States Rights.
All this talk about sweeping re-
cotton in prohibition sentiment" ia a
revela ton of one or two things it
"nveals either An hallucination Of the
brain, on desire of the heart. on the
mart of those who arc 80 accommodate
ing in keeninr the public posted as 10
the rapidly changing temperature of
the prohibition therra ometer Some
people go devoutlv wish" for reac-
ton that they imagine Jana possibly
are sincerel that the reaction has al
ready "set in"
Vice il a monster of SO frightful nien.
As to he hated needs but to be seen.
But seen too oft, familiar with her
face.
We first endure. then pity, then en-
brace.
AS a matter of fact, there never
vas so much sentiment in favor of
prohibition as there is at present. and
every time the sun sets prohibition
has more friends than il had the DAY
before. The lovers of rum are max
ing great deal OF noise. and the low
ers of decency and soberity are pos
sessed with too much OF the spirit of
self-com placency: however. chal-
ienge anybody to show where there Is
any genuine reaction in prohibition
sentiment on the nart of those who
fought to make this a dry nation
Prohibition is here; Il was won fair
" ana squarely; It IS not vinlation
OF the law nor spirit of "our fathers"
i does not encroach upor states rights
any more than do the other amend
mcnts; II is not an infringement OF
personal freedom. it IS itself lihera-
tor; IL was not put over" on the sol
diers against their will: 1t does not XIII
business. but enhances business; in
stead Of reaction against prohibi-
ton, there is constantly Increasing
sentiment in its favor: SO much go.
that the advocates Of Tight wines and
beers" will have a real job on their
hands to get enacted into law their
cherished dreams, which would be an
entering wedge to doatroy prohibition.
Prohibition sent I Mt is rapidly
crystallizing in foreign lands, and ere
long John Barleyccrn will be an I'M
welcome guest in every civilized ma
ton on the globe.
There are only two things to be
said OF prohibition" remarked Rabbi
Wise OF New York at recent pro-
ought to have come. and the other.
that IL never w-ih rrO-~--r nd now let us
nass on to the next business"
This address was delivered M Fur-
rows Memorial Baptist church, Nor
folk, Va, sunday night, March 2Sth
to n capacity audience, by Rev {. II, i
Trueblood. the pastor
ENGLAND ASKS
Continued from Page One)
alleged, the British General Milne is