The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-19
LEAGUE ABANDON
OPINION PLAN
trnntinmnd Fton Second Raeel

U1NIlhUH EtIIe
Continued From, second paFep
result would Of necessity be aueeted
Nv personal and political consihera-
HONS
In the third place. law enacted by
majority vote of the members OF thf
General Assembly, although instructed
by their constituents might not nave
behind II, "a clearly expressed majority
m Tho voters of the entire state. and
,iness II was clearly shown that u
sttntority Of tho voters OF the state
1ayored the law, II would lie UNPOPULAR
md difficult Of enforcement
TO Vote OF People.
ynut committee s convinced that
yhe settlement OF the question should
lie left to vote OF the people II must
he divorced from partisang politics and
be voted upon us separne issue at
time when no other question Is in
Solved In tho result Of the election.
IL n majority OF the voters of vir.
Elnia declare In favor Of such q law II
IS not likely to be repealed .bs htsimplo
net OF the General Asseinh$ but viii,
stand until repealed by d sliSicrity Of
the voters In another EeneNaE election
on this question 4 law parsed by
popular vote viii eertainlEape more
generally accepted by the people. and
IS likely to be more permanent in its
character,
When and how shall such an
election be ordered Your COM
snittee does not think II best to
ask the General Assembly TO set u
date for such an election. II would
nc dfiieult for that body to deter
mine what date would be acceptable to
THE people. The General Assembly
might. With some reason. hesitate to
take the responsibility OF calling an
election. and of setting date for
The same.
n sccns to Your comniittcc that the
oIscst plan viii he To petition the
General Assembly TO ennct sucl, icSis-
1atiop ns will give 10 the voters of
he state the right 10 cnll mn election
on this question whenever n certain
specified number OF voters shnli mike
request In n duly authorized way TINT
such nj, election be held.
This method commends itself for tho
following reasons;
Takes II Out of Politics.
l. 1t takes the question entirely out
of politics Just as our local option
elections are held to-day independent
of political questions, so this election
would be held upon this single issue
without any political complication.
9 II puts the matter Of the election
end tho time of election entirely IN
The hands of the people. II they want
MI election they can call It, and they
ran fix the time. No one else is re.
uuired to take any responsibility il
the matter. Tho reasons that nigh
he urged In the General Assembly fo
Or against calling an election can b.
urged before the people. and all th
arguments that might be made in Thu
General Assembly for or against til
passage OF the law can be made befor,
the people. the General Assembly TAX
Ing absolutely no responsibility excep
70 make such arrangements as vii
give the people the right to do a.
The people may desire. The peopl,
Have the right to decide
Difficult to Repeal.
3, II an election is called by the nett
ton OF the voters and the State-wid
law is passed. ii will then he tho OK
pressed will of the majority OF III
voters of Virginia, and 1t will con
mand the respect of the people. al
1t will be very difficult to secure i
repeal except by another vote of Il
people.
A. The method does not postpone Il
question of Statewide prohibition t
The summer of 1919. nor does 1t i
the time in the summer OF 1910,
leaves the matter of time TO be d
termined by conditions and an elc
tion can be called when, and on
when. tho required number Of vote
demand that 1t be called
Attitude OF Committee.
In View therefore OF the above COZ
sideration. your committee recon
1nends the adoption of the folowin
declaration of policy for the year 1911
Whereas, II hn. become evident TIM
4 t,,,
sale of ardent spirits, is not adcaunt
10 protect either the individual or so
.,,cty from tho bpncful effects OF thi
destructive traffic, and wherea. III
locnl option policy Is being used b.
the lfGuoE traffic as method of oh
tnlninS ID cEats OF supplies IN tho hear
of dry TERRITORY, aud whereas the con
titiOns In the larger cities OF the Stat
Hrc such 10 render IL prnctfcnll,
impossible TO obtain fair expression
of the Will of the intelligent electoral,
upon this question of liquor license
Resolved, That this convention here.
by instructs the Legislation commtttc,
of the Anti-Snloon League of yirGini;
to request the General Assembly o.
Virginia to enact such legislation II.
Will allow the voters of the state Il
call an election upon the question 81
Statewide prohibition liquor law
whenever such nm election shall he de.
Innnded by II number of qualified yot.
crs equal 10 81 per cent. of the nam.
her Of votes cast In the last state
election fur state officers.
Further RESTRICTIONS
40, much for Statewide prohibition.
What as TO amendments and additions
70 the present liquor legislation. Your
committee considers ii 10 be important
that every possible Improvement and