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Breaking The Volstead Law And Lynching And Burning Human Beings Placed In The Same Category
To the Editor of The Evening Sun—Sir: I hare just finished .reading "The Eastern Shore Kulture. by H. L. Mencken. I was born and grew to manhood in the Eastern Shore. I am heartily ashamed of the lynching that took place several days ago, but I could not face my God if I should let such insults go unanswered as printed in your paper by Mr. Mencken. I would like to know why Mr. Mencken should use such language. I notice here one or two passages: "Peculiar swinishness of its boozing-dry politicians." And just a few lines above those words the impression is given that all the ignorance and degeneracy in the United-States originated on the Eastern Shore and overflowed into other States —Arkansas, Tennessee and "the more flea-bitten half of Virginia." No one would say such things unless his mind was diseased.
I suppose Mr. Mencken considers himself the infallible Pope and only potentate when it comes to telling other people their faults. Those people are in trouble in Salisbury, but you may search Mr. Mencken's article in vain for a word of advice on how to correct that terrible wrong. And my advice to Mr. Mencken is to see at the first opportunity a first-class psychiatrist. I feel certain that he could find plenty to do, but I doubt whether or not he could accomplish any results.
I note what Mr. Mencken says about Governor Ritchie's efforts on the Eastern Shore. It seems to me that Governor Ritchie is going all over the country telling the people that the Constitution is wrong and that certain laws are wrong. Governor Ritchie is calling on the people to have confidence in the laws and obey the laws when it comes to this terrible deed that has been committed on I he Eastern Shore. It seems to me that Governor Ritchie had better clean his own little doorstep before he takes a larger one to clean. Governor Ritchie is trying to have the people obey just what he thinks will grind his own ax. The prohibition laws are all wrong according to Governor Ritchie, but Governor Ritchie can leave the State to run its own affairs without him until this disgraceful matter comes up which may throw a little mud on his chances for the Presidency, and then he cries "obey the law."
William T. Evans. I Baltimore, Dec. 8.
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