The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-01

l5ditor MCI{elway2 Ihere AT - ii'e I CIV CIV
women II, Richmond Who would be pleased
to vote for him. AL
ENFORCE THE LAW. .s5
chief Justice Andrew RI Wlswall, Of
Roclland, Mel In passing sentence the ne
other day on prohibition case de- de-
c,ared that Il was the purpose OF the the
court to enforce the rrryohibitipn law law
the sentences IMPOSED this term
FOR offenses committed before the flrst
day Of April, said will be a f inc
only, III case - Of N pofsistant HiolatoI 3
against the law, II they posi tlnue to sen
liquor III violation Of law ia fter TINS tiine,
hereafter tho sentence. not only by me-
But think cnn say IL they should come
before any Justice az the court, VIII be
imprisonment. and nhe.'' IS not TO 30
tho plan hereafter for persons to continue
to commit offenses.l and when complain Il
ed against or Indicted to como up ana
pay q fine eand continue III the business
Hero Is d confession that the prohi1b'i:--
ton law in Maine has not been en- forced for cd
Indeed, year or two q 30. O judge &c De-
clared from the bench that the prohfllb''il--
ton law was rather regularly than pro rtoo--fR
hbitivo. 1T appeared that In g number
OF cases men had been peEmitted to 90
ahead ana sell whiskey Sin violation OF
tho law, but We're yanked up every now
ana thor, and fined 4 the hires amounting
III tie aggregate to about What a license
would cost. "A f3 u N IN, y ~
This Is to us ono Of the Slnost serious
phases Of the prohibition, Question. Some
Of tie proliiDitionistso Of Maine were Will
Ing 10 lctt the law be dcned ma violated
II Only they cqul1 nppeaIsas their con- con-:
science withstho consultation that they
had voted ingainst the sole Of ardent
spirits. They seemed to think that 1t was
more righteous to have whlslcy sold IN \
defiance OF law thnnGwithisthe sanction Of
the claw. The law was! 81 Sham and q
pretense, buttlt was the law. and the pro-
hibltlonists felt thatsthey. had done their
duty ii making the law and keeping It
on the books, whether It was enforced or
not. I'll iii II III
Theree are prohibltlonists Of the same
sort outside OF the State oftMaine. and 1t
Is not for US to sny that they are insin-
cere, but we do say that they are mis-
tnken. The questionGot prime considera-
ton In a government like ours is the en-
forcement Of the law 4 And thee law
should be enforced and upheld in such
way as to make men respect It.
we fully recognize the fact that there
is a strong sentiment III thets State Of Wiz
Einia In favor OF prohibition. IT Is
stronger today than ever before. and I'M
der the operation Of the Mann law in the
rural districts. and Under the operation
Of the local option law In many Of the
towns and some OF the cities OF the State,
prohibition will enforced In this State
In the next year or two MS never before
in our history. Let Virginia therefore
learn lesson from Maine. Let us see
to It that wherever prohibition exists the
law be rlgldly enforced, and that men
be made to obey It, Let tho officers of
the law to be on tho alertfto apprehend
those who violate the law, and let the
courts doal with all such infractions as
the law directs. Let us remember that
prohibition Is ono thing and n prohibition.
law another. Men are disagreed as to-
whether or not the prohibition Of the
liquor trafflcgis right, but there can be no
two opinions as to the Righteousness Of
enforcing law which has beeen duly
enacted. IT. is the bounden duty Of officers
to SEQ that tho law is upheld and en-
forced In all instances, and the law
against tho sale Of llquor should be on
forced as rigidly as the law against
gambling or theft, or any other thing
that Is prohibited.
We are not making plea for prohibi-
ton, but for the law, which to our mind,
Is OF far moro conseq uencee, If it be de-
ttermned by and by in ono community or
another that the prohib itlon law is wrong
or unsatisfactory, let 1T be repealed, but
50 long as 1t is! the law It must be en-
forced, or We shall BIO untrue to our
selves and untrue to tho government!
which we care sworn to support. is
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