The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-04
WANT Law ] n Il
WITH TEETH.
.Anti-saloon League Will Ask
Legislature to Pass New
Social Club Measure.
RECENT ENACTMENT FAILURE.
Important Steps That May Crust,
Out&Blind E1igers-N1eetin Of
Executive "a Committee.

- ~ :. 80 - .
Executive g5 Committee.
Within tho very early future there Will
be offered in tho General Assembly, Mt
tho instance Of tho temperance forces In
the state, u new measure designed to
cope moro effectively ano thoroughly
With tho evils said to grow put OF the
so-calcd social clubs now sprinsins up
In every section of the Commonw wealth.
Tho first step In the matter was taken
on Monday night Mt the annual meet
ing In this city Of tho Executive Com
mittee Of the Antl.Saloon League of VIZ
ginia. 1t was brought out clearly then
that the recently enacted club law -
totally ineffective and Is sort OF eye
soro to the temperance folk. 1t accom-
plishes absolutely nothing In the way OF
holding the mushroom clubs IN check
and moreover 1t was stated that 1t re-
realed the wrong section Of the Mann
bill The committee discussed the mat
ter thoroughly. and finally decided to
ask for u now law. A special subcom-
lnttee was appointed and will get to
work this week or early In the next.
.The recent law on the social clubs
having been found defective and value
less for the purpose Of the suppression
OF the clubs,'' says tho president of the
league, the Rev. James Cannon, Jr',. IN
making a report of the meeting tho
league will ask the Legislature to pass
q law with teeth in it.. The league Will
press continually for advanced legislation
on the liquor question.
"Wil Judge Mann offer the now billy"
was asked Of one Of the Executive Conl-
mittee yesterday
II can't say positively" he replied In
effect, 'ibut it is very likely that he
WILL
Meeting Of the Committee.
The meeting of tho Executive Commit.
tee was very important one. Two ses-
sions wero held, one in tho afternoon
and one at night. Tho latter lasted un-
til nearly midnight. Among those pres
ent were: n, syi ,65s
Rev. James Cannon r., Of Blackstone;
Rev. II. P. Atkins, of this city,; Rev.
Gordon B. Moore. D. D., of this city;
Rev. ]. w. West, Of this city: Professor
S. c. Hatcher, Of Petersburg; Rev. NJ.
Cave Of this city; Rev. W. B. Beau-
champ, of Newport News; Rev. G. s.
Gardner D. D., of this city; Rev. ".
Asbury Christian, of Berkeley; Rev. r..
II. Bennett, Of Ashland, and Rev. w. r
l.. Smith d. D.. of this city.
The committee discussed the general
situation in the State and the work OF
the past year, and made plans for the
future The ministers We're. much graft
fled at the condition of things In gen
cra. st,ts. ID q s:&
An Important Revelation.
The league has Just become in posses
sion of certain information that will ell
able it to detect the blind tigers and
speak-casies operating insocal option ter
ritory. Nearly every one Of these illega:
establishments takes the precautlon OF
paying the United States tax. although
they are violating the State law, n The
penalty imposed by the Federal gov
eminent is much severer, than that Of the
State, however, and the government In
spectorship system makes detection, al.
most inevitable Therefore the blind
tiger pays its United States tax, and
when the inspector comes around sho WIS
the receipt, and that ends the matter for
the official has nothing to do with the
State law The illicit business Is then car
ricd on without Interruption. unless tho
State can spot the fellows. This the
league intends to do. 1t has endeaVoretl
| before to got from the revenue officers
| of Virginia lists Of those holding United
| States tax receipts; but the officers were
| forbidden by law to say word The
| league has just discovered that another
| law opens the official records to the pub
| lic The tax list Is In a book commonly
known as Book Ten" and the league
now announces that 1t will make an i'm.
| nf
| the law 1t has right tao do this. It will
! copy tile names. send them broadcast
! over the State. and publish them In the
| Christian Federation. Those to whom thu
| law gives the right to have whlskeys lr
| local option erritory-drugsists.t etc.-wll
| be substra cted, and then 1t will be known
| that the remainder arc violators OF the
| law They will be spotted, watched ant
! reported.
In this connection there is now ir
| Congress bill preventing the govern
| mcnt from issuing tax receipts In loca
option territory. DR.. Moore. superinten
dent of the league, Is In favor OF 1t. but
others feel that while the principle may
/ be wrong, tch very issuance of tax 70
celpts affords clue for the capture o.
| the fellows.
Codify the Laws.
Two or thrco other important matter
grew out of the meeting OF the commit
tee, The work of disseminn ting temper
ance literature will be pushed. Tho li1uo
laws of the State will he codificd ant
published in book form and sent every
where for the benefit Of citizens ant
lawyers. Each book will contain In al
appendix explicit directions OF how tn
different localities, now largely ignoraD
Of the means, may secure a better en-
forcemcnt of the law and of how to pro
coed against vlolators thereof, n
1t was arranged to hold over 100 dis
/ trct rallies and county conventions. AM
to have representation at the variou
district meetings Of the religious bodlc
during the summer. The work In tn
cities will be pushed until May. and boil
superintendent and field secretary vii
spend considerable time in Richmond,