The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-01
IN THE STATE SENATE.
4 TICTORT ron THE MILLER Tor ,,
oPTIOy BILL.
The Battle Hoya. Came Up OH the o,..,,
of lite Engrossment and II Wa,soo.
dered-senator EchoIs' Speech

! e.
Echois. of Stanton. opened fire in favo,
Of the lccal-option measure, known a,
the Miller bill. At the opening OF IN.
session an unusual crowd was Present n
expectation Of the lively scenes Of III.
day before. and when Senator Echo,s
commenced TO speak every available space
in the chamber was filed with Interested
listeners. including dozens Of ladies.
Senator Echols spoke for nearly an
hour, and made an able presentation OF
his side Of the case.
Senator Mushbach, at the beginning Of
Senator Echols' speech. asked Permission
10 say that he would have had some
thing to say in reply 10 the senator from
Gloucester the day before IL ne We're
present. but i'm his absence as ne UNDER
stood on account OF sickness i'll MS iami-
~. he would not reply, as he desired to
say what he had to say in his presence.
Senator Echois.
Senator Echols said he felt it his duty
TO his constituents to have something 90
say in favor of the Miller bilt' that he
regretted deeply the absence OF the sena-
| tor from Gloucester (Stubbs), VINO had
taken such a prominent part IN opposi-
| ton 10 It, as he wanted 10 answer his
argument, and dsiked 20 do 50 in his
| absence. lie had believed that senator
| Stubs, having seen the operations Oh the
| locai-optiOn law would stand WIN MIN,
and he was disappointed that MS friend
| had opposed him I'm this matter. lie held
that i. was never intended that the opera
ton Of the lOcal-0pton law shouid pe so
| sweeping az 10 place i'm the hands or a
minority the power % raise these cues
tons which cause quarres ana DIVISIONS
among friends. among families, ana amons
churches that the Democratic party mad
given to the Temperance people good
deal more than they had right 10 claim.
and that it was never originally intended
|, In the resolution passed by the Demo
cratic convention thar the cities should
BE- included i'm the law.
lie denied that the hSht was beinS
made against the temperance people. or
that its effect would boz 10 throw the tenn
porance question again into politics, for
the reason that the matter had been IN
politics for the past year through the
Prohibition party. and that was the evil
that had to be fOucht.
lie referred 10 the ladies' present who
had been attracted by The discussion. and
assured them that b. was not his pur-
pose 10 break down the temperance cause,
but 10 take from the statute book
law which permitted vicious minority IN
any community 10 misrepresent the senti-
ment Of the intelligence of the section.
lie sent 10 the clerk % be read a copy OF
petition fled with the court OF Stanton
Tor a iocal-optiOn election. 10 show that
the signcrs were largely voters who were
not taxpayers or representative citizens.
Tlt 20. 4 q nttH H.
was making no fight against the local
optlonists, and was free to confess that
but for the Democrats who were local
optionists he could not have been elected.
He held that the law had operated advan-
taseously i'm the counties but that IL was
another thing ia the city.
lie then turned his batteries on Sam
Jones. Samuel Small Bodily. Miller and |
the Prohibition party in Augusta during |
the late canvass. and read a circular S. |
sued by that party showing that they had |
used exceedingly doubtful methods in that |
contest. and that a number Of the men /
who were the most prominent men in |
affairs were the most active |
in fighting the Democratic party. and /
that now the same parties We're keeping
alive the fires by white and colored clubs
IN the city Of Stanton ready for the
May election. He also read extracts from
newspapers showing that they were pre-
pairing 10 open "a campaign i'm Norfolk
similar 10 the one last fail I'm Staunton.
ana IN closing laid great stress on the
elaim mat the matter was already a
dangerous factor I'm politics and a menace
TO the Democratic party.
me latter half Of Senator Ech0ls'
speech was clear and forcibe and the
losing Few minutes were highly eloquent
|.
At the close Of Senator Echols speech
senator Sands, in behalf Of the Womans
.nlisiidn Temperance Union. offered the
ollowing:
Ashland, Va. Jan. 81. 1884,
10 'he General Assembly of the State
u virginia: In the name and by the
appointment Of the Woman's Christian
temperance Union Of the State of Nir-
lnia' ana IN accordance with the OK
'ieSsed directions of that body i'm con-
ehtlon assembled. ! do most earnestly |
ntreat the Legislature not 10 repeal the
Dcal-option law. nor 10 so amend il as TO
impair us force or restrict it's opera
ion' ana ! most earnestly pray your
onorable body TO respect the wishes of
ne women Of Virginia. who though not
oters snor desiring 20 be) are vitallv in
crested In all that affects the welfare
~t-t'.i'4iN tdAtAlf anu WHO without |
over TO help themselves. i'm the cities
nd towns, as well as the country places
hNlousiy wait watching what you VIII
o. Having found the Democratic party
lr oest and most sure defence in times
trouble we pray honorable gentle
eh OF the Legislature. 10 heed our /
rayer.
Olrs) N. II. WHITEHEAD.
lperintendent OF Legislative and Peti- i
ton Department for the Woman's Chris
tan Temperance Union of the State
of Virginia.
The Vote.
The Miller bill then came I'D on the 4
Iestion of engrossment. and the ayes
ID noes being called for the bin was 4
dered to its engrossment by a vote of i
to IL.
The vote as announced BY the clerk /
God as follows: 1
Ayes-Arthur Barnes. Thomas II. Berry. |
'hols, Fairfax. Flood. Green, Harri- |
n, Hatcher. Hay. Herbert, Jones. Loven- |
elm, Maynard. Miller, Mushbach. Par /
81 Washington. and Watts. <
N9es-M. ii. Barnes. Buchanan. Harms 4
rger Hurt, Jackson, Jordan. lie Cato I
mas Iredway, Walton, and Williams. 4
Senator Watson announced that he /
oud vote aye but for the fact that I
was paired with Senator Stubs. =
Bills Introduced,
The routine work Of the Senate. which
isl sod g