Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-04-30

| The Religious Herald is not in politics.
1t occasionally ventures word on
political themes that havea distinct and
important moral aspect, but even then
we try to be judicious and cautious.
Still, we shall not be blamed now. we
suppose, when no heated general politi-
cal battle is raging, If we remind our
people that great number of our Vir-
ginians, supposing that our daily papers
voiced the prevailing sentiment, have
from time TO time manifested some re-
sentiment toward the city.
If we were to offer in these columns
any political counsel we should be
strongly tempted to remind our Rich
mond folk that for reasons upon which
we need not now enter, the political
issues, or certain of them, at any rate,
are much more vital to the white people
of our country and smaller towns than
they are to the great cities. However,
we do not mean to go into that matter.
Saloon Already Doomed.
Everybody that knows anything about
the State knows very well that outside
of few large cities In the Common
wealth the open saloon is already
doomed. 1t is, perhaps, a little difficult
for our well-to-do folk in the city, with
their comfortable homes and paved
streets. and admirable police protection,
to understand what the cross-road grog-
gerry means to communities which it
affiicts. Not in haste or passion, but
with an indignation that is surely righte-
GUS and is as relentless as fate, the
country folk have banlshed these un-
speakable and degrading nuisances
Until the adoption of the new Constitu-
ton, which practically eliminated the
negro as voter. this was almost an
impossible task. Now, however, with
more limited and more intelligent
franchise, the work has been done, or
nearly done. Still it was not done with
out struggle, and hard struggle. 1t
is a pity that in this struggle the country
folk have little to remember in the way
of sympathy and help rendered to them
by their fortunate city brethren. Scarce
ly a daily newspaper in the Common
wealth was their out-spoken friend.
Now that, unaided, they have accom-
plished in the main this great end, they
find our city people acquiescent in it
after fashion. though our dailies, for
the most part, still argue, or seem to
argue, that it would be better for the
L 10
grogshops-
In the meantime, the saloon having
been ordered out, our cities (and our
beloved Richmond chiefly begin to ship
liquor in packages into this very terri
tory, and it is loudly claimed that they
drive roaring trade. Sooner or later
the law will be invoked to protect these
communities that do not desire the ga
loon or the illicit sale of liquor sent
from without their borders, against
the cities When that time comes the
attitude of the representatives of the
city in the Legislature will be watched
with interest, and we ourselves shall be
curious to know what stand our daily
newspapers will take upon it.
Issue Inevitable In the Cities
That every city in the Commonwealth
will in the course of time, have to pass
upon this issue of the open saloon, no
thoughtful observer of the signs of the
time can fail to believe. However, no
body is pressing such an issue now, and,
so far as we are able to learn, no one
in the leadership of the nti-Saloon
work desires TO precipitate this con-
flict in Richmond. Wehave already
pointed out that the policy of the tenn
perance people in Virginia has up to
this time been to work on the local op-
tion principle. There are, however,
in the ranks of the temperance workers
many strong and excellent people, who
earnestly desire more radical measures.
Some of these went to the last eonven-
tion asking that Statewide campaign
should be launched at an early day.
They maintain that unless this is done,
and the entire State is put under prohi-
bition, the cities will become distribu-
ting centers for illicit liquor, and that
the law which is of so much Importance
to the country communities will be far
more difficult of enforcement. Up to
this time the conservatives have pre-
vailed, and are very likely to prevail.
The most influential men connected
with the temperance organization have
, counseled patience.
With this view we ourselves have
, thoroughly sympathized, as we have
. repeatedly said. We hope to live tc
; see the day when there will not be ar
, open saloon in Virginia, but we woulc
. rather see it brought about through tn.
will of the communities themselves
duly ascertained and registered. Fol
our part, we do not believe the tim,
has yet arrived when such contes
ought to be. made in the city of Rich
mond, and we should advise strongly a
this time against undertaking it. w,
,, do not think that the best method O.
dealing with this question is through &
Statewide campaign, and to this opinion
! we have also given frequent expression
This does not mean that if, after full
consideration, the friends of the tenn
perance movement in Richmond shoul |,
decide to put the question to the test
, that we would either desert or be foun
neutral or Indifferent In such con