The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-19
gHE ANTI-sALooN LEAGUE AND
I'VE REFERENDUM.

The Auti-saloon League could do
nothing saner and wiser than to petit
ton the Legislature for referendum
enabling" act. and for the present
confine its Statewide ambitions to
that II the league insists on asking
4 the Legislature for referendum with
out any previous formalities, 1t will
certainly meet with opposition and
difficulties.
a special law-was deemed necessary
30 give the voters OF city, county or
district, as a unit, the right to vote on
the saloon question. A special law
should similarly be deemed necessary
10 give the voters OF the State as a
unit the right to vote on this question.
Nobody is free to assume that the
voters of the State now have this
right. Nobody is free to assume that
the Legislature In a representative
government Will as matter of course
surrender its powers to the people at
any time on demand. Governmental
( machinery is thing that must be
formally made and established, and
the referendum on State legislation
has at prestit no,.slace in the govern
mental machinery of Virginia.
To ask the Legislature TO call for A
referendum, without first giving legal
sanction TO the referendum, would be
something like empowering a NUM-
cipal board OF control to lay taxes in
q city whose charter did not authorize
any. municipal board of control.
If the Anti-Saloon League asks the
Legislature TO pass law establishing
the principle of the statewide popular
vote, it will. in our Judgment. set It's
program in motion in exactly the
right and appropriate way. When
this proposal is made it will be time
enough TO examine what it means and
what it Will lead TO. Where the city,
for example, votes as a unit on the
liquor question the result is binding
either way. Che whole city is dry or
wet, as the majority decides. The
Anti-Saloon League would desire a
kind of onc-sided referendum, by the
results of which the whole State
would not be bound. II the vote was
dry. the whole State would go dry,
indeed, but II the vote was wet, all
or the State that is now dry-most
Of it--would stay dry. Leg it be dis
tinetly understood that this latter re-
suit would be entirely satisfactory TO
The Times Dispatch. Not for any
thing would this paper see thes dry
rural communities which have been
helped and benefited by the closing
w OF the grog-shop turned wet again
by the votes of other communities.
But logic demands that this rule OF
local government should work
both ways, and tho principle underly-
ing a referendum which respects local
option in one event. but completely
rejects II in the other, ought TO be
examined with greater care than has
yet been given 70 II, II must he re-
meaabered. too. that the referendum is
notTtatriy cnn;sned or confinable TO
single question. Once we have in
troduced -trfas a recognized govern
snertal agency, we have introduced II
II II ~ proper and desirable Tor tn.
Legislature 10 turn oyer The liauo
question TO the people for fsettlemen
on demand. Il n proper and aesirabl
forsit 10 turn over any other publ
question on q simllss demand,
III The principle Of the ieeislativ
referendum max OF may not ne a goo
thing to ,ntrodnce into the govern
hmenk ot b,Yginte. THAT is n matt,