Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-04-30
TUESDAY EVENING. APRIL 80, 1901
VIRGINIA. It is said, is to have anOth.

VIRGINIA, 1t is said, Is to have anotn'
ar ipfllction in tbs shape OF Mrs. Carrie
Nation, although 1t was stated yester-
day that she was raving mad and con-
fined 10 cell. She is booked to appear
In Newport News. Norfolk and other
cities In the Old Dominion. The friends
of this deluded woman should have
been compelled to take charge OF her
as soon as she manifested disposition
to break the peace and thus nipped her
In the bud. Sooner or later drastic meas
ures will have TO be taken not only
with Mrs. Nation, but with all other
enthusiasts and unbalanced people who
imagine they have a mission to worry
Others who presume to controvert their
assumptions. The well.disposed In q
country like the United 6tetes, where
all are allowed to ventilate their pecu-
liar convictions ad libituu, often do
themselves injustice by permitting such
characters as Mrs. Carrie Nation too
much rope. as people Of her class often
have their ideas made Into laws by
thoughtless legislators. There are
people In the State OF Virginis-and In
Alexandra, too,-who. were they ai'
lowed to WELD power, would
extirpate tobacco from the face
of the earth because they do
not use it; while others would
make 1t sin unto death to drink
q glass of wine or sweet cider. This
latter assertion is no extravaganza, as
at State convention Of teetotallers q
few years ago resolution was adopted
urging the Legislature to require every
grocer or seller of pies, cakes and
peanuts who dispensed sweet cider to
pay liquor license, amounting to about
q dollar a day, which would have
broken up the trade altogether. Now
while we are all, more or less. disposed to
smile at lsp-sidsd people or those with
one idea and that an erroneous one, and
to humor their wbims,is it not tire some
one was calling halt? 1t Is the firm
conviction of many that the trouble In
Virginia now, especially in all her i'm
portant cities, is the fact that the bulk
of her people allow themselves to be
ruled by minorities-that Ia by narrow
minded people. whose peculiar Ideas are
permitted to influence to such an ex-
tent that prosperity Is dwsrfed. 10
other countries such characters are
tolerated and allowed to pursue their
own incllnstions, but the line is quickly
drawn when they undertake to infringe
upon people who prefer other avenues
of life. Virginia must eventually awake
with the same determination, and the
coming constitutional convention will
show its wisdom by erecting high
fence against all innovations of enthusi'
asts, cranks or other misguided speci'
mems OF the genus homo who know
nothing OF political economy and
whose opinions are not wanted. We
all realize the sad fact that Alexandria
is not going ahead commercially as she
should. We are unable to diagnose the
cause. It may be thoughtless legisla-
fiop. While we rejoice In her history
and associations, and recall the good
men who have lived and died here as
we'll as those of the present generation,
we finch when we see her commercial
interests flag no matter from what
cause. We do not want the old town
to lapse into such q state that the
stranger in years to come may visit us
with no other incentive than to view
the ivy-mantled tower Of Christ Church
or cut the weeds from the Female
Strangers tomb. We cannot live on
sentiment nor Punch and Judy shows.
We want the wheels OF commerce to re-
volve In our midst; we want TO be In
the procession OF the twentieth century.
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