Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-02-28
ANrI.sALOON LEAGUE.

Il VII
Richmond, Va Feb. 2S.-The Acad'
emy OF Mu,IC 10 this city Was filed to III
doors aud almost thousand men refused
admission, on account Of its seating
capacity, ye,t 'rdsY alt,rnoon, the main
attraction. outide OF The iasue Involved,
being Congressman Richmond Peason
Hobson, Of Alabama, and "Merrimac"
fame. who addressed the magnificent
audience on this nj ,t-slive iu5lsc! OF
statewide prohibition. Ii Ia estlmated
that At leait 5000 men sought admission
| t } the ball and those who we're Tor innate
to obtain seats spplandtd the speaker to
the echo.
Wbeo Governor Mann arrived on the
stage, on which was seated almost zoV
prominent ci.izaps. the audience paid
him en- ovation. He raped Tor older
and said th az he had been misundei-
stood IL relation to the sand he took In
regard to Temperance legislation, he
would take opportunity tliP, the trst
time be had had opportunity, 10 reiteIa'e
bis views 90 this sIl-imp9rtanl question.
de was In favor of every movemett To-
ward the elimination OF he liq1or trsfic
and was not psrtItu ar about the mttaods
to be used In sbollshiog t Ii the pfee-
emit legislature passed state vide prohi'
bition measure he, believing that the
people should lule, he would ihesiti.-
ngly sign 1t. he wanted he said, bile pc
sition on this QUESTION clearly understood.
The governor then introduced Rev.
James Cannon, the leading light In the
Anti.saloon Il ague, who devoted most
of bis time to an sttick on the Richmond
Times.Dlspa'cb, which paper, be said,
was unfrIendly to the lesEu', and never
Loot an opportunity to oppose iis every
act. Mr.. Cannon said year ago the
! people said 10 Richmond that they we're
satisfied with the saloon and the slogan
was "Let Richmond alone" Now the
| leagues slogan was Richmond, let the
other sections of the ststs slone." rs
said that on every election which went
"wst" 10 the state the rfgIstrstion books
had been padded vita ignorant and
yicitu, negroes - except Peterst u'g,
which be said was au exception ID every
thing. he said the ltagne had played
fair with the democratic party snd would
hold that patti responsible II the people
we're not given chsnce TO vote gu this
most important measure. lis said that
Governor Kitcher, Of North Carolina,
VAS authority for the lt'temert Tat
prohIb ton worked Admiralty In tlst
st,te. and wtu be bttt r II they could
stop the shipping OF Virginia whisky
within its orders.
Gov. Mann then, amidst laundering
applause, introt u ed Mr.. HobsOn and
bis speech Was one OF the beat ever heard
on this sut Jet, pronounced 30 by men
who held yiews diametricslly opposed to
his. He captivated bis audience from
the start, aud II The gu Hence had not
bee of the masculine gender there migl t
have been another page added to his
existing" book. A pleasing Incident
In the introduction oil Mr.. H)bson was
when Governor Mann was speaking Of
the part North Carolina took Ia the
civil war, and referring TO the fact that
the people Of Virgins felt easy when the
troops from that It to were near. he
! said It gave him great pleasura to intro.
duce q SON OF Moth Carolina to the
audience. Eut when reminded that Mr..
II bison WAS from Alabama, he smiled
and said be wss near II anyhow, but the
sentiment was Fight II the sia.e he mer-
toned was wrong. Mr. Hobson entered
extensively Into the scientific research
and practice In rtgsri. to the effects Of
alcohol on the system OF man and beat
and dealt the fluid awful blows. He
said that Is per cent. OF the American
people we're regular drinkers OF intoxi-
CAMS; and per cent. dIuukards. he
said that $50, 900 lives we're sacrificed
every wear on account OF the traffic. He
looted the idea thit the liquor interests
furnished revenue, sitting thai 1t dam
aged Ave times as nuih ss II benefits.
Mr.. Hobson then referred to q few ex-
| periences be had when on the Merrimao.
| H said thu on the morning Of The sins.
ing Of the .hhlp at Santiago the chances
we're | 10 10 OF his ever seeing hia ship
or home again. ne said he wanted to
follow his idess with as much courage "a
be tried to serve his country. But he
insisted that the work OF The reformation
su'd ne be accomplished In day. 1t
would take time and would have to com
mence at the home. He made Q favor
able impression in Richmond.
judging from indications 1t ls certain
that the AuH.Saloon Lssgue has not
finished with the present legislature and
there IL no telling what may follow this
monster mass meeting. This was Anti
Saloon Lssgue day here yesterday and
the Methodist churches Of the city we're
Ii