The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-04-10
Local Option.

Virginia Local Option Alliance to thu
General Assembly presented to the Senate
by Senator Meredith and referred to TIT
Finance Committee. The venerable ant
distinguished Ex-Governor of Virginia
William Smith, was on hand as President
of the Alliance to urge that the people bt
allowed to speak out on this great question
at the ballot-box But we are informed
that the Committee made no report what
ever upon the subject-matter Of the Me.
mortal or upon the Local-Option bill of.
| fered earlier in the session. The poll.
ticians evidently determined that the
| temperance sentiment of the State should
| be smothered.
Not content with this, our grave and
reverend Senators proceeded to add insult
to injury and selected local bill from the
county in which Governor Smith resides
for their games of football. We quote
| from the Dispatch of March GOTH
"On Fauquier local-option bill con-
siderable number Of senators made alleged
humorous speeches and occupied the SEN
ate for q long time Much fun was p0ked
at the local-optionists. Mr.. TONNES moved
to dismiss the bill. Mr.. Petit thought the
subject should be treated seriously that
the people in some sections of the State are
dead in earnest in this matter.
The bill was passedby.
We are informed that Senator Heaton
who represents Fauquier, was leading
spirit in this funny proceeding. We
are also informed that the people Of Fau-
quier are. in dead earnest in this matter.
The fearful murders that have recently
been committed there by whiSkey have
aroused the people to just sense of indig-
nation. The future only scan determine
whether the people will sit down quietly
under such treatment. In this connection
it becomes pregnant question how many
of these funny Senators would be reelected
but for the votes of local-optionists.
The following is the Memorial referred
to in full
To the General Assembly of Vi1yie5a =
Option Alliance respectfully urges upon
your honorable body the passage of a gen.
eral law, whereby the majority of any COM
munity in our Commonwealth may rid
themselves of the great evil of intoxication.
Each member of your body in his indi-
vidual experience has, no doubt, been I'M
pressed with the terrible effects of this
gigantic curse. No lover of his race can
but feel oppressed in spirit while regarding
the evils which it entails alike on youth
and age, ignorance and genius, poverty and
wealth, in every rank and condition OF So
ciety.. We have but to open our eyes and
upstop our ears to be aware that there IS
an evil spirit in our land that is robbing
the Iaborer of his wages and capital of its
wealth recklessly destroying property and
human life upon land and sea (; jostling lis
upon the courthouse green and in our places
of business insulting our ladies in public
conveyances and along our crowded streets
debauching youth, emasculatlng manhood
and sparing not even the gray hairs OF
age disturbing our ears with brawls and
our eyes with filth filling our courts with
litigation, and our whole land with pauper-
ism, disease, contention and crime; and
invading with it's pollnting touch the
sacred precincts of home, and even the
sanctuary of the Most High.
But it is to you as statesmen, as repre-
sentatires of the people, that we specially
appeal. You are the chosen guardians OF
the common veal. You have the power
to stamp your own character ana ldeas
upon the laws Of the Commonwealth for
generations to conner In your hands are
the establishment of justice by law, the
education of the coming generations, the
settlement of our obligations financial and
moral in brief, in your hands are the
honor. the virtue and welfare of Virginia!
We regard the subject, we thus present for
your official consideration, the most mo-
mentous that can come before you. In it's
presence every other issue dwindles into
insigni6cance. You have no financial
problem equal to the one how we shall save
to our people the immense sum OF money
annually thrown away on drlnk,--a SLID 81
vast that it would i'll few years pay all
our debt, support our government, and
make our system of public instruction the
best in the world. There is no social ques-
ton like the one how we may give to
our Virginia homes the full benefit of the
earnings of their fathers, husbands and
sons. There is no moral question OF greater
magnitude than how we may seal at once
half the fountains of crime, pauperism
and human wretchedness Your State
pride could render no greater service to
Virginia than the saving to the duties OF
citizenship Of those brilliant young men
who in every city, county and community,
are treading surely and rapidly in the fatal
footsteps. of that long line OF distinguished
sons of genius who from field and forum,
from legislative halls and Judicial bench,
have been drawn down into the fearful
vortex of intoxication, and over whose
memories are thrown the charitable mantle
of forgetfulness.
And there can be no political problem
k,l n N oil III
bearings as how you are to make our Com
monwealth strong in the strength Of sober,
Industrious and intelligent citizens, who
more than conquering armies and thunder
ing navies, are the bulwarks of a powerful
State.
We respectfully submit to you who have
been chosen to deal with the affairs of
state. to whom alone We can look for just
and wise laws, whether it is a fOregoRe con-
cL,tsion that we must continue to stagger
on under this fearful load OF wretchedness
and crime whether it is an absolute ne
cessity that our people shall be foreuer COM
PEELED to submit to the physical. intel
lectual and moral degradation which the
liquor traffic is spreading over our fertile
plains and under the shadows OF our mag
nificent mountains. We submit to your
intelligence and patriotism whether in
your wisdom you cannot devise statute
which will place it within the reach OF
our people to Danish this curse from among
us OF. at least, to limit to some extent its
rayages. Difficult as may be the points
| involved, we are not yet willing to admit
that Virginia has not the ability to enact
For the power to enforce all needful laws
| for the common good.
1.-The Virginia Local Option Alliance
| was organized in December, 1881, by a
State Convention held at Charlottesville,
composed of delegates from every section
| of the State and embracing men of all par
ties, of both colors, and representing, as
we have reason to believe, a large majority
of the good people of our beloved Com
monwealth. Every religious denomination
was present in the persons of their leading
clergymen our universities, colleges, and
secondary schools sent their distinguished
educators, and all professions and nearly
all business interests sent their representa-
tive men while those benevolent societies
which have temperance for their pro
nounced object were of course fully rep
resented. After full consideration of the
whole subject, the Convention with abso
lutte unaninity agreed on the Local OPP
tom plan as the one most likely to secure
desired results in feasible and popular
manner. The delegates to the Charlottes
vile Convention returned to the people
and laid before them the action of the
49,