The Washington herald., 1909-05-30
He Exonerated DIR. Stuart and Mrs.
Curtis from BIRme-Says the Wet
victory VIII Unite the Temper
ance FOrces-State- wide Prohibi-
fion Is Now Predicted.

IN Petersburg was the first OF its kind
in that city. and that the dry vic
tories in other Virginia cities were not
won on the first day. but only after two
OF three contests had been waged. He
said that the election in Petersburg was
called by the local league. after the State
superintendent and the field secretary had
stated In conference with the local
workers that the information at hand was
not sufficiently definite 10 use as the basis
OF an accurate opinion as to the result.
DR.. Cannon denies the reports that the
Anti-Saloon League speakers. Dr.. Stuart
SSd Mrs Curtis. were run out of the city.
He also predicts that the day is coming
In Virginia when the State viii be dry"
Call to ArmA.
Dr. Cannon. IN his statement, says, In
part;
There is nothing whatever to discour-
age the Ant-Saloon League in the Peters
burg campaign On the contrary. il IS a
call 10 cur people all over the State 10
band themselves together more unitedIy
than ever before TO aid our temperance
people In our ruu-eursed cities TO carry
on persistent agitation against the
traffic until public sentiment has been so
thoroughly aroused that men viii be
ashamed 10 talk about appetite. and
covet0usness. and revenue as justinca-
ton for the continuation Of a business
under the sanction of the Law. which
business does no good 20 anybody and
spells damnation 10 thousands every year
Policy Not Affected
THE defeat IN Petersburg will not
change il any particular the policy OF the
league. We were defeated in Winchester.
and then wen the DAY: we were defeated
in Dsnville. and then won the day: we
were defeated In suffolk. and then won
the day: We were defeated in Chsriottes-
Vile and then won the day: We were de-
fested twice in Roanoke. and then won
the day, only 20 be blocked temporarily
by legal tschnical;-.es. We were defeated
IN South Boston. and then won the dav:
va were Overwhelmingly defeated IN
Lynchburg. and then won the day- We
were defeated in Petersburg. but we will
yet win the day. and the time is not far
distant when no man Eiu be abba 10
sell intoxicating liquors in the state az
Virginia 10 be used for beverage purposes
and declare that he does Il By the au-
thority Of the people OF the State. The
day Is surely coming when the man who
sells intoxicating liquors for beverage
purposes WI be recognized as n crfmi-
nal because he Is carrying on q business
which is damaging TO the best interests
OF the people OF the State.
Vindicates Anti-SaIoou Convention.
The vets Won the day in Petersburg
yet sentiment was formed and convic-
tions we're settled IN the contest which
viii work nightly for the future re
demDtion OF the enslaved manhood Of
Petersburg Nothing has more clearly
vincicsted the wisdom OF the action
taken al the last Anti-saloon League
convention than this Petersburg election
That convention. in It's declaration OF
policy. insisted that the great work for
the coming year was the waging o. 3
campaign OF education in the remaining
srrOngholds o1 the enemv. and when the
plowing aud sowing have been thorough
y done and we finally call for vote or
a Statewide law. we can look with far
greater confidence for permanent results
than II we closed the saloons in these
places By Statewide Law without car
Tying on our usual educational campaign
Not Run frOs, City.
The statement made IN some Of tbs
papers that Dr.. George Stuart and Mrs
Curtis fed from the town on an esrIv
train through fear Of violence On account
Of their speeches. is SANDER withou-
any basis whatever In fact. George
Stuart has fought the liquor traffic ali
over this country. and has never run
away from his statements in a warfare
OF thirty years. and It is ridiculous "a
imagine that he would begin in Peters
burg Mrs Curtis. as a child was bru-
tally beaten and kicked out OF her honf
BY drunken father. and she viii not
run away from any Of her utterances
even though worse should befail her al
the hands Of the sympathizers with the
traffic
Field Secretary McAIlister is stiH tc
be found at the Anti-Saloon League
headquarters. Richmond, ready TO star;
tomorrow 10 manage another campaign
with all the vigor and conservation be
displayed in the Petersburg fight
Neither the imported speakers nor
their public speeches. nor the printed
documents circulated among the voters
explain the vet majority in Peters
burg The explanation is very simple.
Petersburg is liquor-dominated city
The methods employed by the advocates
OF the saloon were Of such a character
as TO very materially affect the results
and the facts brought 70 light during the
canvass and the final result OF the cam
paign show very clearly that the cam
paigu OF education had been delayed toe
long already"
Result Not a Surprise.
While the result was not a surprise to
the State leaders, said DR.. Cannon, the
majority was larger than expected. He
said that the state league followed itE
usual policy IN such contests: that Il
left with the local league the question o!
calling an election. and II never entered
the fight until requested He said the
iocSl ieaoers. a1teT conference with the
State leaders, believed that the saloon
question should be brought squarely be-
fore the people
He further declared that the contes;
was conducted IN accordance with meth
DDS employed by the league. notwith-
standing talk 70 the contrary, and tha;
IL is not an unusual thing to bring out
side speakers in such contests, as the
great educational revival II Virginia Is
largely due 70 the educational agitators
who went from one community 70 an
other arousiug the people. He fatty de-
MED the statements that the result was
due TO the inpTudsnt remarks Of the out