The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-01
PUBLIC MIN ON COMMUNICATION
BYRD AND GLASS

the question of Statewide Prohibition by vote
of the people. 1t insisted hat the last Gen
eral Assembly should pa IS the STROBE Bill which
as amended, would have called for vote in
October 1910. and would have gone into effect
In January. 1912. This bill was defeated in the
Senate many of the senators declaring that the
finances of the State were not in condition to
warrant the step; other declaring that they were
elected local option platform. and that
they must go back to the people for instrue-
tons So the Strobe Bill defeated in the
Senate though II was admitted that there was
a majority for its passage in the House.
Since that time the enemies Of Prohibition
have been casting about for some scheme with
which to defeat it, They finally settled upon
a State Convention. They know that in the
selection of delegates to purely party political
seriously handicapped, and that the liquor in
terests would have better chance than in the
General Assembly They think they would have
two chances with convention First they
you'd hope to control il. and to put the party
organization Oh record against Statewide Pro.
hibition. Failing in this if the Convention
should declare for Prohibition they would not
hesitate TO bolt the ticket. and make a fight in
every district Just the same. The liquor inter-
eats have everything to gain by a Convention
and nothing to lose
The IirdiniaH has held from tile beginning
that the Liquor Question is primarily a moral
issue. and that mans views on the question
,F Ctxs
test of party LOYALTY either in the Democratic or
Republican party. Ii is a question upon which
there can not and will rot be division along
political party lines II is therefore not a sub.
Jet for action by party convention The cleo
ton of Republican Governors i'm Tennessee and
Nebraska because the Democratic organization
in those States insisted upon making the iiauor
question a party issue is sufficient warning
that the people vii lresent party dctation on
moral issue
In view Of the present situation therefore II
holds that convention al the Democratic PARTY
before The liquor question has been settled is
fraueht with danger to the party. and is ardent
ly desired by the liquor interests, which hope BIZ
the convention To stay the vote on Statewide
Prohibition for a time ut least
In lew of the present situation therefore. It
Is of great interest to read the views. Of three
of the leading public men of Virginia o, The
lquor question: MI uttered within the last week
These men are Congressman H. u. Flood, Speak.
er r. Il. Byrd, and Congressman Carter Glass.
Mr. Flood in speaking concerning the call.
ing of convention says:
The question which would ovcrShadov every
other one in the convention is that of State.
wide Prohibition. | do not believe that either
those who are leading the fight for Statewide
Prohibition or those who are leading the fight
Tor local option, would feel bound by the action
o. the convention, II that action was not salts
factory. Already have expressions To this
effect. Such a result viii mean trouble for the
Democratic party
THE result would be to create discord in the
party ana give the opportunity for Republican
tnroads IN the election for members Of the next
General Assembly"
Mr. Flood recognizes that the liquor Question
! Is not proper test OF mans Democracy and
opposes "A convention the ground that il viii
have tendency to disrupt The party He
Il bill giving to the people the right TO vote on
the Statewide issue. It was Il good oppor-
tunity for him TO declare his position ON that
question also the people would like to know
where he stands
In q leading editorial in the Winchester Star
commenting upon Mr. Floods statement Speaker
Byrd says:
Mr.. Flood takes the ground that no such con.
Vent1on rs needed, and that the Statewide Prohi-
Uttf0n lSgUp would he i'm cd fpfa "a
thus making views upon local option or State.
WIDE prohibition the test of a mans Democracy
II the Democratic party III Virginia is determined
on suicide Il cannot do better than to follow the
example of Tennessee and make this moral ques
ton matter for the Democratic party MS a party
10 declare itself upon There are wet Repub
leans and dry Republicans wet Democrats and
dry Democrats The question OF state wide Pro-
hihifion must sooner later be submitted to the
people by referendum, but the submission
should not be complicated by the issues and the
Democratic party as party must not take a
position for or against
Once upon time the Democratic party tried
10 make the opinions of men upon the debt cues.
ton party issue and created n Democratic
standard by which the economic views of Vir-
ginians were TO be measured. The consequence
that enough Democrats were read out of
the party to give the State to the Republican
party and elect two Republican senator's. II is
hardly possible to conceive of the Democracy OF
Virginia. united and triumphant Is il u.s. wanton-
~ hinging away its great opportunities by an
act OF unwisdom such making a party question
Of the liquor problem would be-.