Milford chronicle., 1926-02-19
Mr.. Smiths Letter

man of the meeting held at the
Playhouse in Wilmington on Thurs
day night, January 21, against the
Eighteenth Amendment cannot
believe that you would have allowed
yourself to be put in such role,
The people of this State have come
to think of you as a great benefac-
tor-a friend of childhood and
youth. And your interest in, and
gifts to, education in this State
have entirely warranted them in
such a feeling. But when you open
ly, as you did on Thursday night,
identify yourself with a movement
that has for it's purpose the over
throw of the Eighteenth Amend
ment to the Constitution and the
return of the legalized sale of intox-
icating beverages, we can no longer
think of you as our friend but our
enemy.
The churches, and they represent
the great moral sentiment of the
country for over a hundred years,
have been engaged in great con-
fiict with the drink evil and the
licensed liquor traffic. The adoption
of the eighteenth amendment was
the elimination of this century-long
battle. Of course, we have under
stood all the time that it would be
no easy task to enforce this law.
We know that the fact that large
financial interests were involved and
furthermore that it was an evil that
was deeply rooted in the habits and
customs of the people, would make
it a very difficult law to enforce.
And we freely admit that the law
in many places is not well enforced.
This due, however, in many instan-
ces to the fact that the enforcement
of the law has been left in the
hands of it's enemies. But is this
reason for its repeal? Would it not
be more in keeping with good gov
ernment and good morals for you
and the other distinguished people
OF your meeting the other night to
get back of the law and help to en-
force it, rather than repeal it?
Sees Uprising
Would you be willing to take such
an attitude towards the Mann Law
or the law against the sale Of mar
cOtics? These laws are broken every
day and they cannot be perfectly
enforced. The White Slave Traffic
and the traffic in narcotic drugs
will, in all probability, forever go
on to some extent. But we do not
consent to it and as a government
we will not for any consideration
license them. A steadily growing
wave of moral sentiment rolled over
this country until it swept the legal
lied saloon out of existence. 1t is
gone, thank God, and gone never to
return.
And now when you, Mr.. dupont,
or any other company OF citizens
no matter how distinguished or in
huential, start a movement, the
purpose of which is to cause the
good people of this country to re-
lease their strangle hold upon the
drink curse, you have started some
thing that will cause every true
patriot in the land to spring TO
arms.
A suffering, sorrowing people
have not so soon forgotten the
saloon. It's history is still with us.
It's record is written in blood. And
before you, Mr.. dupont, our bene-
factor and friend of our children,
to go another single step
in the direction you have taken, l
beg most respectfully to remind you
that in identifying yourself with a
to bring the legaliZed sale
of Intoxicating beverages back
again, we cannot any longer con-
slider you the friend of our children
and the guardian of our homes.
We cannot any longer hold you
up as a model for our children. We
do appreciate all that you have done
for education in this state, But that
cannot blind our eyes to the fact
that the drink curse has spilled
more blood, dug more graves, dark
ened more homes, defrauded more
children, outraged more women, de-
graded more men and damned more
souls than any other curse that ever
swept across the face of the earth.
And we are determined, by the help
of God, that it shall not return.
Perhaps you will say, and others
also, that this is bigoted and mar
row. No, this is not narrow or BIZ
goted. 1t is simply the flaming
forth of g parental instinct and a
Christly impulse that would save
our children from degradation
death and hell. Would you, Mr.. du-
Pont, have counseled soft speech OF
moderation upon the part OF thai
father near Bridgeville the other
day if he had come upon Harry
Butler, the Negro ravisher, as ne
was in the act of Outraging his lit
tie ten-year-old daughter? Would
vou have said, LET us exercise the
grace of tolerance" as you did at
the meeting the other night. think
not
There are evils concerning which
there is no ground for two opinions
Mr.. Lincoln said that slavery was
such an evil. And so we say OF the
drink evil. 1t is an unmitlgated
evil-an evil so dark, so dreadful, so
palable, so dangerous to everything
that is precious in life that it does
seem to us that no person that is
not blinded by appetite, or preju-
dice or some personal interest could
fail to see it and realize it.
And now, Mr.. dupont, in conclu-
sion let me say that 1 have not
been moved to write this in any
spirit of bitterness. I admire you
and have on many public occasions
applauded your benefactions to this
State. But in the attitude that J
have for many years taken and still
maintain, on this subject. am
sure that am right-just as sure
as if God had written it in letters
of fire across the heavens.
Most resnectfullV.