Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-12-02

dents Of the Anti-Ssloon League and
one Of the most active temperance men
in the State. How does it happen that
dyed-in the wool Democrats voted for
Ratliff and didn't vote for Lincoln? We
know Of some such Democrats who
voted for Lincoln on personal grounds.
just as the few who voted for Ratliff
did.
The Anti-Saloon people in this county
have not in recent elections voted and
acted conscientiously. They make great
professions but always vote for the can
didate of their own political party, thus
proving that their political prejudices
are stronger than their moral convic-
tons. They have had the opportunity
as late as 1908 to vote for a candidate
who was not only a Statewider but q
nation wide prohibitionist. Mr.. Chaf9in.
the Prohibition candidate for President
in 1908, got votes in TazewelI county.
IS votes in the Ninth Congressional Dis
trict, and got only ILL votes in the
State Of Virgins.
The Statewide movement is purely a
political game that is being played in
Virginia by the leaders of the Demo-
cratic party. The Anti-Saloon League
has been and is now being used as one
of the pawns in the game. The leader
and dictator Of the policy of the League
has managed the side-show in perfect
harmony with the big show. Now it
seems that fight is going to take
place between the actors in the circus
and the side-show. What sense is there
in the Republicans taking part in the
fight? Brother Hartman was tricked
and kicked at the Norfolk convention
Of the League, but has meekly submit
ted, and will continue to help a cause
that has proven itself inconsistent and
insincere.
The most objectionable part of Mr..
harman's communication was the
statement that Republicans who stand
for local option favor the saloons.
That conclusion is about as reasonable
as for one to say that because ''blind
tigers" and moonshine distilleries spring
up in territory where prohibition has
prevailed makes the prohibionists favor
''blind tigers" and illicit distilleries.
Because Republicans are not disposed
to overthrow the doctrine of home rule
or local self-government, for which
both Democrats anu Republicans have
so long stood, are they to be classed
with the enemies Of temperance? II
Republicans decline to subscribe to the
Bryan-Populistic doctrine, initiative
and referendum" does that make them
friends of the saloons? The intoIerant
Statewider may think so, but that does
not make it so.
But we suppose Brother Hartman will
go on and follow an ignis fatuus now
as he did in 1896, and he will have to
again make an open confession of his
error.
Again, we say to the Republicans of
Virginia, keep out of the fight" You
were not wanted to take part when the
Statewide Democrats were joining
hands with the saloon men to elect
Judge Mann, and you are not wanted
now, except at the sacrifice of your
party and the abandonment of its prin-
ciples.
A vast majority of the Republicans
are no more friendly to the saloons than
Is Brother Hartman. They only differ
with him in the method of getting rid
Of them. If bill is passed by the Cen
eral Assembly extending the unit for
local option, as advocated in the State
platform of the Republicans, it will be
the best temperance measure that has
yet been introduced in the State. The
Republicans of Virginia were the first
political party in the United States to
incorporate in their platform local op-
ton plank. This was in 1886, and the
editor of this paper helped to frame
that platform. He also helped to pre-
pare the first town charter in the State
that gave to an Incorporated town the
right to hold a local option election.
That was for the town of Marion, where
the saloons were voted out of existence
in 1879 Erov, that &;r.- - A.