The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-01-17

Every man Interested with the right or
suffrage ought to feet that he is respon-
sihIe for the laws enacted by the repre-
sentatives of the people and for the man
ner in which they are administered.
EVERY MAN RESPONSIBLE.
Every man who knowingly gives his
ballot and his influence to the cause OF
bad government will be punished IN this
world and in the next, if he does not re-
pent of the sin
I'VE are not a Commonwealth of In
hdels We believe in Goo. in moral gov
eminent and in the everlasting distinc-
lions between right and wrong.
.sIf one hundred men band together and
roo a bank, the responsibility is not So
divided that each man bears only a nun
dredth part of the guilt Each OF the
one hundred men is just as guilty before
the law and in the sight of God as If hs
alone had committed the deed
50 WITH CONVENTION.
''If one hundred men in our Constitu-
tioual Convention or in our Legislature
should vote for .. measure legaliZing an
immoral and crime-breeding traffic. every
one Of the one hundred would be just as
deserving of the reproSa ton of God and
the people as il he alone had made the
law. The same responsibility is upon
every man in Virginia who Is clothed
with the right of suffrage.
With this brief statement the speaker
said no outlined the work of the great
Anti-Saloon movement.
Our movement is a moral one. We are
not a political party. We have no fei-
lowship with those men who would make
a convenience OF our sacred cause to graf
ify their political ambitions
we need no Prohibition party to ac-
complish our purposes; we appeal to tho
members of our Constitutional Conven-
ton the members oof our Legislature and
the citizenship of Virginia as moral beings
under moral government. who must rem
der an account to Almighty God for their
conduct in reference to the greatest curse
that has ever afflicted the world.
What is our demand? 1t is that the
State shall not 1egaize but prohibit the
saloon. Our argument in support OF THIS
demand has never been answered.
Continuing. DR. Hawthorne spoke of ttI:
absurciity of licensing the saloon evil and
regulating it. and asked why not reSulate
the gamblers and BURGLARS.
LICENSE, THE THIEF.
He said why not say to the thief you
may prosecute Your business of stealing
except on Sundays. A distinguished
Southern statesman. he continued.
gave vent to his feeiirss upon this SUI
iect by saying that the womb of hell IS
too weak to bring forth anything worse
than a legaliZed bar-rooul.' I wish Ee
had said that cut OF the womb of hell
there has never come anything worse
than license system. which makes the
public schools of our country rest upon
a foundation of har--ooms.
In closing. DR.. Hawthorne said: CEN
tle1nen of the Constitutional Convention.
some Of you are far advanced in life
Some OF you are drawing very near the
close of your political career. There ara
veterans among YOU who are rendering
their last service to the State In halls
of legislation. Let me exsiort these vet
Grams to close their political life by Civ
ing their support to measure-tha
Ouaries-Earhnur rasolgtion-that will do
more to promote tine virtue. peace. hap
piness. and prosperity of the rising set,-s
Grafton of Virginians than all else that
IS contemplated by the convention.
81 envy your opportunity to bless ana
glorify this ancient Commonwealth.
envy your opportunity to dscrown tbs
wrong and diadeni the right. I envy
your opportunity to enlarge your spiri-
tual treasure. to project yourselves into
(. distant future. and to win the eternal
smile of God"
After the collection to meet the debt
! OF the League the body adjourned. Th5
| sessions Will continue through to-day.