The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-14
EDITORIAL


@0l MIR. William Jennings bryan on the hquot
question in Nebraska as set forth in the leading
editorial in the Commoner of February Sth. in
which Mr.. BRYAN declared that the Legislature
should pass County Unit Option law.
Concerning the utterance the Danville Register
says:
SAYS that If William J. Bryan did not make de-
liberate bid for the support of the Prohbitionists
both in and out OF the Prohibition party when he
made his recent County Opinion declaration, his
announcement has least had the effect OF causing
all the anti-saloon men in the State TO rally around
him
"According to this writer, MIR. Bryan has I'M
doubtedy lost strength among the Democrats, and
4 by the leaders OF his party is declared to have
effaced himself a democratic candidate for any
office but he has, just as undoubtedly, risen In
favor among the Prohibitionists.
m Commenting upon this item in the Register the
oracle OF the Index-Appeal interprets as follows:
so far from bidding for the prohibition vote,
or losing strength among Democrats by his dec
iaYarcn dte,t- etestieRit-seeH to lis that
Mr.. Bryan was perfectly frank and courageous, and
that ii of the few declarations in which Mr..
BRYAN was strictly Democratic. He declared his
preference for local option in dealing with the
question oil prohibition. and his opposition to the
policy OF Statewide prohibition. II Mr.. Bryan
had been as unimpeachably Democratic on all
public questions as he appears to be on the subject
of liquor legislation, there would not now be a
divided Democratic party with respect TO him
personally.
What did Mr.. BRYAN say? He did not discuss
simply the question of county option in the
editorial of February Sth. He did not declare him
self for county option as opposed to State option
But he insisted that the people have a right to
govern themselves and their right does not depend
upon how they exercise that right. On this ioun-
daton he declared that mo doubts the town
or citys right to act upon the liquor question or
the right OF the precinct the right of the State.
20 there should be no question as TO the right OF
the county" Here Mr.. Bryan argues that the
doctrine OF county option should be granted, be
district town, city and state option are all
admitted TO be the right OF the people
This utterance by Mr.. Bryan, who has three times
been the Democratic nominee for President, and
who has each time received the vote of Virginia is
90 entirely in accord with the principle forth by
Mr.. jefferson, and opposed to the sophomore
undemocrate talk of some OF the solons of the Cen
eral Assembly that we give several extracts from
II in another column on this page. Be sure to
read 1t.
Part of Mr. Bryan's editorial might have been
written with special reference to the action or
rather the non-acton of the Virginia General AS
sembIy. The liquor lobby in the last General AS
scrnbly took the position that Mr. Bryan
CUHdemncd Nebraska. Fhey demanded that the
y General Assembly should deny to the people OF
the State the right to vote on the liquor question
and of this demand Mr.. Bryan truly says, "inso-
lence, arrogance and impudence can go no further
MIR Bryan's closing words may well be taken
to heart by the Democratic majority in the Senate
and the House. The Democratic party cannot
afford 10 act as the mouhpiece of the liquor in
terests. Ii can have nothing in common with the
selfish. nercenary and constituencies crusade that
the liquor interests have organized against the home
and the State, against the private virtue and pub
licsnorals. The deceased General Assembly made
Its choice between the drunkard-makers and their
allies and the fathers and mothers who asked. not
/ for the passage Of prohibiting law, but for the
opportunity to exercise their right TO govern then
selves they might think best and so to protect
their children from the monsters that set their traps
4 to destroy them The fathers and mothers viii
hold their representatives to strict account for the
manner in which they represented them and will
send men the next General Assembly who will
stand for the fathers and mothers and the boys and
girls against the liquor interests
There will be another General Assembly in which
there will be no hold-over Senate!
Too great stress cannot be laid upon the warning
n of Mr. BRYAN. when he declares Whenever COM
munity attempts TO deal with the saloon question
instead OF having to deal with of its citi
gems. it finds itself in struggle with great corpora
tons, which operate over a large area, and have
pecuniary interest in cultivatng the appetite for
drink instead OF settling the question by consulting
It's voters it must engage in war with foreign
power
This is the situation in Virginia today In every
local option election the community finds itself face
Il TO face with the liquor trust OF the Nation which
& uses its money wherever possible, and which has
} its paid agents and attorneys 10 represent ii in
every contest from the town election to the legis
latise halls The communities of the State must
band themselves together To overthrow this monster
q As our editorial columns are closing, we learn
that the extracts above quoted were incorrectly
attributed by the Index-Appea to the Danville
Register. The Register thinks that the citations
1 are from the Norfolk Nrginian- Pilot, and says
N that thry are not in accord with its own views.
The IeoisIatures Work
Ii il sometimes said, half in jest. but also half in
Earnest that the hes, part of the work of Legis