Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-03-14
SATURDAY EVENING. MARCH ii, 1902.
Mrcu valuable time Of the legislature

MrcH valuable time Of the legislature
:. now beino consumed in hearing peti-
t;ons in favor of bills restricting the sale
Of liouor in Virginia. The Senate COM
mittee on Thursday night devoted several
hours in listening to arguments in favor
of and against the Mann bill and VIII
have another hearing on the subject next
week. On Thursday night Judge ROD
ortson who is one of the ablest lawyers
in the State, and one who served Win
distinction in the last constitutional con-
yention. presented arguments against
the measure and held that the day had
not come when people could be made
GOOD by legislation. Hecontended that II
the preacher would pay more attention TO
changing the heart Of man than to seek
ing to enact legislation to control the
morals of an individual much more good
would be accomplished. His argument
was so sensible that we append a sy-
nopsis: >,
s1fI believed that this world could
he made better by the passage OF such an
act as this, would be one OF the hrs'
IN advocate it. But | am free to con-
fess that | have not been brought around
vet TO believe that we can have the new
Jerusalem on earth during our day ano
generation 1t has been tried by Others
before us, people as good, or, perhaps
better than we are. They have iailed
So will those good people who are trying
~ leoislate to make man better. 1t can
not he done by this means. Preach Il
and instill it into his heart and you VII
oct better results than by trying 10 ac'
complish this end by the use OF ponce
reCulations." He had never yet been
shown or had discovered one WORD i'll
the Bible that made whisky drinking
Sin He was as much in favor OF tenn
ncrance as any other man, but he thought
people should be temperate IN all things'
Irbe ;udOe declared that in his opinion
there was as much harm done by the
intemperate use of drugs and cigarettes
rs by the incorporate use OF WHISKY
He thought, too, that some preachers
could better serve humanity by using
their gifts in the direction OF reaching
the heart than by seeking to secure leg
islation and to employ the police power
of the Commonwealth to make people
better when ages have proven that this
thing cannot be done by this method.
Continuing he said: 81 beseech OF you to
proceed cautiously in the matter. we
have lust adopted new constitution l.
along with Others, spent many day o.
hard work trying to give to the people
of Virginia such an organic law as wa'
hest suited to them. If we are gong
ahead in making appropriations ano
should cut off the source OF a large reVe'
nue consider well and carefully where
tbe money is to come FROM" The Judge
said that everybody with any knowledge
whatsoever of Human nature knew iul
we'll that liquor was going to be sold II
this State. for prohibition has proven al
absolute failure wherever it had beer
tried. and it was well for full-grown mel
to look at this thing from the standpoint
of men who had reached the stature o
manhood, and not as children, sweep
along on tidal wave of sentiment he
said that he did not regard liquor drink
ing AS an evil per sc, any more than ne
looked upon eating or talking as evils,
until carried to excess. 1t was neces-
sary sometimes for man to havea drink
of whisky, and he would either get II
from a licensed saloon or from some Other
source, if the man wanted it.