The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-14
The Record of the Times-Dispatch.

The Times Dispatch has substituted denial and
for argument, Two things stand
out as result Of the discussion so far:
First, the only issue before the General Assembly
is whether it will give the people OF Virginia the
right to vote upon the one one question, namely,
shall the local option law continue to be the law OF
Virginia in dealing witty the liquor question or shall
the local option law be superseded by Statewide
law
Second THE Appetite and Covetousncss Of less
than one-fourth of the State is at present nulfy-
ing the will of more than three-fourths OF the state
and it is time to stop this injustice
The Times Dispatch is standing where it has
always stood-in opposition to the passage OF ANU
liquor legislation. 1t has opposed every advance
1t opposed the passage of the Mann Bill
During that conflict it enunciated its now
notorious slogan" Every man has a nght
70 drink liquor to his comfort and followed that
up with the declaration that man had the ri8nt 10
a place where he could drink liquor to his comfort
In the editorial note of Saturday, 1t denied the
accuracy of that quotation. This denial OF the past
utterance of the paper sunavaihng. The people oil
Virginia have not forgotten quickly, and II those
in charge of the Times Dispatch are ignorant
of its past record, let them turn over
It's files from the beginning of the sessions OF the
Constitutional convention and find out what their
paper has stood for If they have lost their Tiles
thew can 90 to the State Library and find there what
others find But the Mann law was passed. and
while the Times Dispatch has sulkily accepted H.
WI 'NNi'
no man bold enough TO stand upon the floor OF either
house and propose to repeal 1t. -
The Times Dispatch fought the added restrictions
of the Byrd liquor law. Notwithstanding the TACT
that the fake" social club nuisance in all our
cities it bitterly opposed the new club law But
the law passed and the bars OF the social cia''s
were closed on Sundays, and no one has proposed
to repeal that law
And now the Times-Dspateh is opposing the
passage OF the bill to give to the people the righ'
10 say ly vote whether they desire to continue &c
handle the liquor traffic by the local option method
or whether they desire to change TO a Statewide
law Its attitude is in accord with its past history
1t is fighting the battle of appetite, and covetous
ness" and sefshness against sobriety self control
and unseIfishness. It's motto to-day is the rer
sonal Liberty of the individual against the best
interests OF society.
The Times Dispatch complains that "prohibi
tionsts find ii Convencnt ignore he tact that tht
root of the drink evl is the eshly appetite OF in
dviduas." Thlis a flat Misrepresentation lh'
very article which the Times-Dispatch found i
impossible TO answer stated in the most positive
term that having realized the terrible hold which
appetite and cotet0hSHeSS have upon the wet to"l
and cities we now demand the right to vote on tn
question as to whether the State Virginia shall
continue to deal with the liquor problem 10y the oca
option method or by theStatewid prohibition law
Appetite and Covetousness work hand in hand
but those who edit the Supreme in Virgins
should know that appetite pertains 10 the bodE
while Covetousness is pcrVerson OF the desire 10
property and pertains to the mind. he horribl
fact about the present situation is that the covet
business Of the wet towns and cities is seeking t
satisfy itself by tempting the appetites OF the youn
people not only OF the wet towns and cities
but of the dry" sections well, and the lines
Dispatch in its continued opposition to anti-liquo
legislation for the past seven years has been tn
enemy of the School, the Home, and the Churc
in Virginia.