Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-10-28
WHITTIER DRIFTING,

Va Rh0 SOuUiIlOub lna( nave
made possible the continuous infrac-
ton of our local option laws.
The statutes of nearly all the
states of this Union-and among
them is Yirginia-recognize the
right of a majority of the people in
localities to regulate, and, if deemed
expedient, to abolish entirely the sale
OF ardent spirits A rule by major
lty is good Republican as we'll as
Democratic doctrine. He who can
not endorse doctrine, that is tanta-
mount to unanimous so far as the
government by parties is concerned
In this Republic, should pack up his
traps and emigrate. So long as he
continues a citizen under such SOW.
ereignty he taci,ly consents to accept
ats laws and doctrines; this is primal
evidence Of allegiance to country and
state.
With unequivocal and unrevoked
decision the people of Lancaster have
Tor years declared that whiskey
should not be sold within her con-
INES A small minority protest, and
because there are among these men
OF more or less prominence in local
politics who support the traffickers
they have lived in state of contina-
Gus rebellion against legal authority.
They have been abetted, too, to no
small degree by a maudlin sentiment
In some who have invariably voted the
local option ticket. Men who would
scorn to countenance a murderer,
thief, or even drunkard's brawling.
have so far forgotten their manhood
and their duty to good government
rs to sympathize and even shield the
man who is debauching manhood and
youth, and making wretched already
poverty-stricken and outraged wives
and children and creating an un-
ceasing danger to the going aud
coming of lsati ladies' s :.2d children and
peaceable men. Some Of these pro-
moters of spurious sympathy are
men looked up to in their lives and
professions, and if brought face to
face with the fact that their acts
were engendering a perjured class of
souls, whose baneful influences may
some day rise up to smite these same
big men or their posterity, would be
astounded. Yet it should not take
much of thoughtfulness to convince
them that these dire results are being
produced. This is the class that
says to the law-breaker, "Sic 'em !"
a class equally to be deplored and
pitied is the self-styled temper
ance advocate whose name is to be
found on the rolls of our church
books-he that prays alternate
ly, "Good Lord" GOOD Deyilp'
lie is not so numerous, and, generally
speaking, does not "weigh" much in
the community where ne is known.
AS he is of little consequence he is
hardly worthy of attention-saye by
his pastor who prays for his weak,
shriveled little soul.
The whole batch of whiskey sym-
pathizers solace their consciences-
with the oft-heard argument that
other people are continually breaking
some law, and therefore the speak
easy juggler of wood alcohol and
poisoned liquor disguised as sam
brosia," spear cider" and kindred
names is no worse than his fellow
man. Hell's stoker crew is made up
of purists who, while on earth, con-
soled themselves with the JUNCTION
that they were no worse than some
other men.
Yet with ell these fostering OBJ
stacles the laws of the county might
be much more rigidiy enforced but
for flaws in our official procedure.
Two or three officers that want TO
see the local option law enforced
must be supported by the rest of the
court system if law and order are to
prevail. irresponsible and biased
men upon our juries have done more |
probably, to encourage law breaking
than any one thing else. Time and |
time again have the county justices
fined these violators, and as often
their lines would be so reduced upon |
appeal that it became mere sport for
the malefactor and his coterie that
chip In to help him out; in fact, these
boldly assert that they could paw
oftener the reduced fines and still |
make and save money since they do
not have to pay license. This is
known of all men here, and it is
as well known that the only
way left to break up the unlawful
traffic IS to slap heavy fines upon
those convicted--certainly after
first conviction. And we have deal.
ers here who have been fined not
once, but two or three times. When
the difficulty experienced in catching
the operator of a speak-easy is con-
sidered it behooves all citizens and
officials alike to see that spurious
does not peryert Justice.