The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-24
NOT SHIF | QUOR
IN DRY SECTIONS
Strong Pleas Before Committee
for Passage of This
Measure. II
HELP TO CURE EVIL
Great Harm Done by Whiskey Be-
ing Distributed in Local
Option Territory.
HELP TO CURE EVIL

The Williams liquor shipping bill
and the county unit bin were argued
before the House Committee OF Coun-
ties, Cities and Towns Thursday morn
ing. No action viii be taken on
either bin until next Tuesday morn
ms.
The William liquor shipping bill is
Very important one 10 both the tenn
peraheF ana liquor element in VIZ
ginta and has attracted much atten-
ton throughout the State. II 1t be-
comes law 1t win be unlawful upon
the vote OF the town council or board
OF supervisors, for persons to ship into
dry territories liquor of any kind
intended fer distribution or sale.
Judge Williams, the author of The
bill. was the FIRST speaker in Its favor.
In explaining 1t he said II want to-
present clean-cut proposition and
VIII leave 1t TO the, fairness Of the
committee to take favorable action.
AS s-uu nit Know, practically S. per
cent. of the territory in Virginia IN
local option land. so tar as the voters
are concerned, while ] 5 per cent Is
Wet. Now, gentlemen, these SIS per
cent. of people who live in dry terri
tory resent the idea of ole com
munity flooding their territory with
whiskey. | viii give you an lllustra-
ton In my own community. All of
the territory from Bristol city to Cum
berland Gap Is dry, except in two in
stances, where there are saloons. The
people have worked hard and spent
their money to bring ABOUT this con
Gition, and strongly resent the ship
ment Of whtskey into that territory
from other places The town of
Marion passed an ordinance some
time ago. which was followed by other
towns. preventing express computes
from shipping whiskey to those
/ places The liquor people took the
case TO the Corporation Commission
and that commission sustained their
appeal because there was no law on
the statute books of the State TO pre-
: vent ouch ahlpme This +i4-is
purely optional with the people and
Will prevent such shipments when ths
people do not want them. When
there Is local option iu~tAa-f PLATFORM
stand by the platform and help those
! people who want 1t to keep it"
In concluding his argument, judge
/ Williams stated that the passage OF
+ this bill would prevent. at least 81
per cent. of the whiskey drinking II
the State.
The bin was opposed by Mcssrs
/ Casey and Cardwell. The principa
argument used against the bill wa.
/ that 1t would prevent man llvirs
/ In dry territory from bringing intt
= his -hnme- a4t,aF- rf44tef-f might he ttsef
= for medicinal purposes. tp0n tn
strength of this argument, Judg'
Williams offered nm amendment al
lowing person TO bling whiske,
into dry section for personal us'
/ and not for distribution.
Mr.. McAiister supports.
The argument was concluded b.
Rev. Mr.. McAiister and pr. Cannon
+ who spoke in favor OF the measure
Z Mr. MeAliaiar stated thai na fssat4 &,
the Legislature knew the condition.
which this-hill -a1ects,~ hetteE- tAsi
Judge Williams. The purpose O.
! 1hts hiLl," he stased, is To stop tht
shipment into dry territory OF liquo
for distribution by express compa
MES These companies do not wan
to handle liquor shipments, but ar
compelled to under the ruling of tn
Corporation Commission
virginia ought to stand side b.
side with Virginians in an effort &
crush out this evil, instead of stand
ing by the liquor men of Washing
ton and Bipefield and other we
towns Congress Will not do any
thing to help tho matter until tn
State does something to help Itself
1.-THE liquor people are making
great fight" he stated; by mail or
der TO further the liquor drinking Il
the State, and by this means small
boys can get whiskey."
pr Cannon concluded the argu
ment by reviewing briefly the objec
{ of the bill. THE single proposition
Ia this he stated. ITO give to tn
people through their supervisors tn
right to regulate the liquor ship
/ ments. Ninety per cent. of the PEG
pie In dry towns do not want liquor
and we aim to prevent the other l.
per cent. from flooding dry section
with whiskey,"
County Unit Bin.
The county unit bin was taken VI
and was considered in executive ses
sion.
Hon. Joseph Stebbins. Jr.. of souti
Boston, spoke in favor of the bill
which provides that whenever q dis
pensary has been established In an,
district or town or city an election
may he held hy the people on ih'
question of abolishing sand dispen
sary whenever oRe-fourth OF th'
qualified voters shall petition for such
election. MIR. Stebhns insisted tina
the people should have means o
aboiishing dispensaries If they so de
sired. AT present they cannot ohtair
relief except by an act of the Legis
Iature. Mr.. Lowry insisted that tbs
| committee should not decide ths
question until gentlemen who desired
to be heard could be present Ill
stated that gentlemen from Martins
I yf1re. Bedford city, Farmvifle and
elsewhere desired to oppose the bill
The committee deferred action.