The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-02-17
CONSIDER BYRE (
AMENDATOks1.'' BILL
Temperance and Anti temperance
Crowd the Capitol When Measure
Comes Up Before Committee.

r MOND. VA. - Special. -
Temperance and contemporaries
advocates appeared I'm fun force at
the Capitol Wednesday morning when
the House Committee on Counties,
Cities and Towns took up for consid-
GRAFTON Speaker Byrd's amendatory
liquor bill, which covers some thirty
three pages of printed matter
The white ribbon contingent was
principally represented by the Rev.
Or. James Cannon, Jr., and by Field
Secretary J. ID. McAlister. of the State
Anti-Saloon League, though others
favorable to the suppression of in
toxicants also were in evidence.
Attorney s. j.. Kelley. of this city.
Liquor Dealers Association, and IL
goes without saying that he was an
tagonistic to the measure. He, too
had many allies, though several OF
these offered objections. not to the
bill in its entirety, but to certain sec
tions of IL.
There was no mincing OF words on
the part OF the various speakers.
Touches both OF humor and pathoS
marked their remarks. and a deep
undercurrent of feeling was obvious
Mr.. Kelley declared with great en-
phasfs that there was no time when
drastic liquor legislation was so little
needed as at present.
George Med. Blake, the local liquor
merchant, pleaded for flair play" He
limited that the whiskey men were
being taxed almost to the limit and
declared that his house did not, do
the business to justify the payment OF
the $1,000 shipping license prescribed
by the Byrd measure.
Mr.. Blake brought a hearty laugh
when he said that his concern shipped
only a moderate amount Of booze to
certain patrons - lawyers, doctors.
preachers and members of the Legis-
lature. Gentlemen" said he, high
er license means a higher price for
liquor"
81 am glad to hear that" declared
some temperance advocate soto voce,
but nevertheless with sufficient loud
ness to make himself sufficiently
heard. L wish it was $1,000 a drop"
Don't tax us out of business. -
pleaded Mr.. Blake. Don't make the
liquor people pay all the money.
c. E. Sydnor, the commission mer-
chant and baseball enthusiast, spoke
less than five minutes. but in that
time he managed to say a good deal
against the cider clause of the bill
Leave it out" he pleaded. He
thought it would do great harm to the
fruit raising industry in this State.
Speaker Byrd, with his characters
tic clearness and force. explained thu
various provisions of the bill.
Judge Henry Wood. of Gainesville,
raised his voice in protest against SUBJ
section a of section 8, which forbids
the issuing of any license for the sale
of liquor in towns of less than 1000
inhabitants.
He told of the present prosperity OF
Clarkesville. and said that the enact
ment of a bill containing the section
to which he objected would ruin his
town.
Senator Holt. who has himself in
spects like Mr.. Byrd's, objected TO
that provision of the Speakers meas
ure which provides that saloons shall
remain open only from 6 A. NJ. to
10 p. NJ. Il do hope the hours will
be left as they are" said he.
Colonel Eugene G. Massie, though
allowed only fifteen minutes for his
address, injected a great deal OF fire
into his remarks. He characterized
section 14-that pertaining to the re-
stricted sale of pure cider-as mot
logical or symmetrical"
Then he proceeded to point out
seeming inconsistencies in the sec
ton. Asked what were his views as
to the sale of cider, Colonel Massie
replied that he was in favor OF its
sale.
Then he went on to characterize
the entire bill as a prohibition meas
ure. Il believe it ought TO be known
and proclaimed as a prohibition law.
declared he. Colonel Massie asserted
that the bill would make this a Mo-
hammedan country.
There is no religion that prohibits
the use of liquor except the MOham-
medan," said he. christianity isn't
good enough for the temperance peo-
pie. They must go to the false pro-
phet. I am opposed TO prohibition on
principle. for while j believe il is ad-
Vocated by good people, it would be
Of nd axyf1r n
could be enforced or attempted to be
enforced in our city"
In his opening remarks Colonel
Massie had already said: Il believe
that the bill is vicious; that it goes
too far; that it undertakes to correct
evils that can never be corrected BY
legislation. Some people have the idea
that the remedy for every i'll is a leg
islative bill. L believe there are many
things which cannot be corrected by
legislation. If you push prohibition
too far you will not gain the respect
and observance Of the law. You will
encourage the violation OF the law and
bring the whole body OF law into con.
tempt"
In speaking after the meeting of tn,
opposition to the amendment pro-
posed to section IA OF the Byrd liquor
law. Colonel Massie, who is the auth NJ
or the amendment, says that the far
mer is being used as a stalking no s,
In Dehalf OF the sale of cider. Bd
speaking or stalking horses. what 1.
the whole bill but the gigantic stalk
Ing horse for prohibition? Demo
| Gratis had better stick to the Demo
| cratic donkey.
DR.. Cannon, head OF he State Anti
! Saloon League, followed Mr.. Kelley am
I closed the discussion. He advocated
| the passage of the bill
| The committee will go into executive
| session next Thursday morning at /
| o'clock, upon which Occa sion 1t will ac
both upon the Byrd and Holt liquo
| bills.