The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-20
The Mann Law.

~ Iosent e. Willard, in. an open
~ REV. James Cannon, pr slaeeh en- y
4 ~ Ar, saloon League, has pointed out
md emphasized several ob1ectl 70 az g
4,,res AZ the Mann law to reeulat.es hu1ot
,fio in tho rural districts. He says
,n,t the law is so framed rs to oe sst1rl'
,yreat latitude in its construction anu ~
.arn-et alton. and that 1t DOES not permit permit
The applicant to appeal to tn ne. oouRt =
Appeals, otherwise in his OPINION s'e
co,,rt would have 80 construed l'a1 me iaW
=. 10 make Its operation uniform tn 1l' -
out the State:
Az willard then goes on to say tI's tat
y 4 = 4, favor Of a rigid control OF TIE
LIQUOR traffic, but is opposed 70 pr Toy
tion for several reasons: First First because
ina Democratic party has always oee sl
AGAINST sumptuary laws; because prom IN o-
tion does not prohibit and because use n II
q does not prohibit and II the Whiskes
traffic must exist. the state sho NY iee'
u,ate the traffic SO as to minimize min ,' ~ ~
evils evils and derive therefrom pr'oope' leV,e-
nue
Our view is that each and every COM I'm
,nun;ty in the State should setlle ms tll
question to suit itself. We are Opposed
q i nythinE like general prohibition
law. Il law prohibiting the sale OF i I!lN
lin the entire state, when When many man com N
M ,n1nities here and there may DO over over
wlelinIngy opposed to prol,ibt tE' Y
s,,ch 4 situation it Is manifestly impos
sble for the law to be rigidly enforced
and It is always demorallzing to have
a law il, any comm unity which Is not en-,
III forced The open disregard of one law
creates or tends. to create contempt o.
all law and necessarily creates q 10"
sense Of public morals.
That is u sufficient argument agains
general prohibition, and in favor 81 l Eos;a
option It is true that the Mann Law
IS embodles tho local option feature. but !
a docs not provide the means Of fairly test
ing public sentiment in any locality
There Is but one sure way Of testing ~
# public sentiment and that IS by means 2
Il the secret ballot. This fact is now recos
& nIzed the country over, and 50 the secre
ballot Sas become universal. But tn
Mann law undertakes taitest public sen
timent by means Of petition. 1t practi
cally legislates all saloons out Of exist
ence in the rural districts and III orrde
to get a license the applicant must frs
OF all have secured a petition TO til
I court signed by a majority Of the voter
# in the district. That is contrary 10 Tn
spirit Of that clause In the Virginia Con
stitution which provides for the secre
4 ballot. The petition Is not only a forr
of open ballot, but Is in the nature of
recorded vote. The petition goes to tn
court and becomes a perpetual record, $
that every citizen who votes for So
loon not only does SO openly, but make
his vote a matter of public record
It is not surprising therefore that VI
r der the operation of the Mann law I'll
saloons in the rural districts for the mo!
part, have been put out of business
~ this had been done by vote Of the pet
pie, no objection could be raised. :!
II Is, we hear grumblings from variol
sections and reports of much dissau
faction On the other hand, We hear mar
expressions Of approval, and we belize
Ia that If vote were taken throughout Il
rural districts tomorrow the Mann la
would carry by an overwhelming m
jority.
We should like to see the question ties
ed. and we believe that II should be tet
ed, II should be submitted TO u Yo
OF the people That would settle 1t o
way or the other beyond peradye
81 lure If the law is backed by public Sc
tin,ent. 1t should be continued; II NJ
sooner or later. It will fall Of It's o,
weight.
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The White Plague.