The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-27


dulge in the same innuendoes. They
know that these statements are base
SANDERS. but IL they can only get the
idea In the mtnas- of the people ana
create dlsIruse OF the league leaders
ana the league WORK, tney nope that
the league NiH lose It's power, and will
decay, and then the nquor tranic will
Rave no strong, assFessive, ORGANIZED
enemy to arrive IL OUT OF the STATE.
IN Harmony with Saloon Poncy.
TINS ~ exactly tue Saline poncy mat
Is beng pursued by the liquor tramc
throughout the country. AT the re-
cent Conference Oh Anti-oaioon
League workers from all over the
SouInern States, every worker re-
ported that the ehieI weapon of the
uQuor traTnC was sianderous attacks
upon temperance workers, tnrousn
the secular press. The ta<t, tnere-
fore, tnat the league leauers are being
fought 80 bitterly and sIanoerousiy by
the wet newspapers should be sufti-
cient evidence TO every temperance
worker that the purposes and pans
ot the league airs damaging to the
saloon. and that they wish, therefore,
10 abolish the league.
The Occasion Tor This Assault.
The text tor all this recent mud
ailnging is the repor OF tie legis-
lauVe committee of the league OF
its labors at the recent General Az
sembly, and especially that part OF
the report which declares that III the
liquor interests and their supporters
are not willing that this question snail
be settled apart from all other ques-
tiohs IN an election by itself, but in
Sist that IL shall be mixed with per-
sonal and political issues in the hope
that TREY may secure an advantage
by such a method, the temperance
rtr"pfe should rfarIy declare that they
propose to elect General Assem- bly,
that is sound on thisi issue, regardless
of personal and political affiliations.
No New Nor Radical Departure.
This is no new and radical deciara-
ton. This Is exactly in accord with
the principles of the league quoted
above which were adopted by the
convention In 1905, five years ago.
This is mo challenge or threat TO the
United Democracy of the State" as
the editor of the Times asserts. II
this is a challenge to the democratic
party. then the league has challenged
the party for the last five years, and
is challenging Ii in every State In
the Union. for the league has always
stood for just these principles, and
has always called upon it's members
/ to do this very thing.
What should the league say to its
members? Should 1t say the tenn
| perance people shop d elect a General
Assembly, which is sound on this is
sue, provided, OF course. they elect
democrats. or provided they ELECT
Martin Democrats, or Montague
/ Republicans" II the legislative com
mittee had given forth any of these
declarations, it would have been justly
open to censure as giving partisan adj
vice and as playing politics. But this
/ committee, representing, as IL does,
/ Machine Democrats, and Anti" Ma
chine" Democrats, Republicans ana
Third Party, prohibitionists. called
upon all the temperance people OF
Virginia, regardless of their personal
ana political affiliations, whether they
be democrats or republicans. or Third
party, prohibitions, ITO elect Gen
eral Assembly that lis sound on this
Issue, regardless of personal or pollti-
cal affiliations No non-poiitical, nom
partisan organization can give counsel
or advice reaciAng beyond the obJecl
and purpose Of its existence, The only
subject on which the league has the
right to advise its members Ii as TO
their action on the liquor question.
and its advice must he given on this
/ subject regardless of personal or poll
teal affiliations The league knows no
man as "A democrat or as a repubh-
can. 1t knows him only in his rela-
ton to the saloon, and it gives him
advice on that question alone. and
having given that advice it's function
is ended. The individual voter must
apply the advice as circumstances may
direct.
Practical Working of Plan.
AS a practical matter. every one
knows about how the principles OF the
:. league Will work. When men an
nounce themselves as candidates for
the General Assembly next year
whether republicans or democrats
the league will ask the position OF
these candidates on Statewide prohi-
bition and their answers will be given
To the voters. and the duty of the
league as n organization will end
there. The league will not declare IN
favor of any particular candidate, but
; it will be left to the individual voters
to decide for which man they vii
| vote, In democratic counties the con-
test will doubtless be III the primaries
between wet and dry democrats. and
u OF course, every man who goes int
the primary will be bound by the re
, suit In republican counties thu
nominations will Doubtless be made
in conventions, and those who par
, ricipate in the convention will bt
talk of negro domination. on the par
Of wet newspapers. Is utterly hypo'
critical. All of the negroes that have
been put on the poli-boows in re-
cent years. in defiance OF the spiri
I Of the new constitution. have beer
, put there by the VETS" and these
papers know 1t.
Personally Speaking.
, Speaking for myself personally OF
this point. l have no doubt in m.
, mind as to the course i shall pursue
am a Democrat. and was trained
from childhood in that political creeS
by a father who never voted anything
: but a Democratoe ticket for fifty
seven years of voting life. I coult
not agree to ReadJusterism, as did tn,
editor OF the Virginian-Ptlot, one o
) the most pronounced of the wet
newspapers. did not bolt the Demo
cratic ticket and shout for Paimel
and Buokner as the Supreme wet
Times Dispatch" did. / do not pro
pose to allow lot of wet" newspa
: pers to test my Democracy by the!
: Views on the liquor question That Il
: not Il test of Democracy That Is
: test of appetite and noyetousness, o
selflshness--a question OF conscience
and morality, and not of ones politi
cal principle. i do not propose Il
be read out of my party by any o
this liquor crowd, I expect to do m.
! best to help to nominate dry Demo
eratS far the next Sonata and House