The Washington herald., 1921-12-26
Wants Dry.Law Statistics.

To the Editor. The Washington Herald:
have read with interest a num-
Der of letters on prohibition, for
and against, in the open Court and
have been in hopes that someone
with statistics available would
give Information that would show
more definitely that prohibition
was not "sneaked" over on the
American people while they were
mapping as most anti-prohibition-
lists coptend. I have not the Stats
tics to show how the various states
were voted dry one by one by
popular vote until over three
fourths of the territory of the
United States had prohibition. but
everyone must know this to be
fact that has followed the progress
of the movement.
Senators and Representative OF
the United States, where 1t is
known definitely by previous vote
never vote for an issue that is I'M
popular with their constituents, as
BY SO doing they almost invariably
end their political careers. 1t is
perfectly natural that a politician
always has his future in view when
voting on political issues and laws
There is a side OF prohibition that
has not yet been presented I'm The
Omen Court that I wish to bring out,
and that Is this: The effect OF 81
coholic drink on the rural sections
Of our country.
People living in our large cities
never realize the conditions that eN-
listed in the rural districts OF the
United States when there Were mar
rooms, etc, dispensing a!cnhohc
drinks. In the little village where
/ was born, in Southern Virginia
over thirty years ago, there Was
an open bar-room, and conditions Gre
ated by this bar-room were unbear-
able. Drinking and gambling always
60 together. and there was gambling
and strife continuously. The coun-
try was full of outlaws that made
life miserable for everyone. When
| they were not imposing on some IN
| nocent victim. they were battling
arong themselves, with fatal results
for the outlaws. A woman cnuln
not leave her home without an es-
cort without being insulted or pos
sibly attacked. This condition ex-
listed for many years, and a change
was only brought about by the moth
ers teaching their children to abhor
such conditions, and to never touch
alcoholic drinks.
At the first opportunity the local
county had, under local option law.
| the people voted 1t dry" and it has
been dry" ever since. The prohibit
ton movement spread from county
to county in Virginia until the only
I wet" spots left were in the vari-
Gus cities-some of the cities had
even voted dry" At the first OPP
portunity the voters had they voted
the State dry" by about 10000 ma
jerity, and that was in the fall of
1914.
Alcoholic drinks can be sold and
fair ordel maintained where there
10 ample police protection which is
only available in our cities. The
| rural districts can not afford the
police protection that Is required
to keep order IL alcoholic drinks
are sold in their midst.
Human advancement does not go
hand in hand with alcoholic drinks.
Alcoholic drinks are not medicines,
nor should they be permitted to be
prescribed as such by gath
ering" doctors for patients" If
there was no fee attached to it ]
\ contend that there would be no
liquor prescriptions.
Alcoholic drinks are destructive
| Of wealth, health, ambition, and
| intelligence. They are first de.
| strpcttye Of wealth in destroying
foodstuffs in their manufacture; and
second. IN the money spent by tn,
consumers. They produce wealth
for the manufacturers and sellers. ]
will gladly admit TheS destro,