The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-23
E d. TO RIAL
A Warning From Tennessee.


nhonld give heed to the warning which comes to it
1rom the adjoining State Of Tennessee Those
Editors of Democratic newspapers, which are
friendly to the saloon should not allow that friend
1kip to blind them to the dangers which confront
ME party.
b The Petersburg Index Appeal declared in re-
cent issue that THE Virgnan- Pilot is on the right
track, when it insists that the question of State
vide Prohibition in Virginia should be settled by
the Democrats of the State, and not by special
election in which all classes of voters will partic-
pate
The insistence upon this policy has driven the
Democratic party upon the rock in Tennessee. The
PARTY is split into two factions known the Pat
@terson and the Anti-Patterson factions The Pat
aterson faction, which controls the party machinery
u in reality the whiskey ring of the State and the
Anti-Patterson faction contain the temperance ele
lnent Of the State The Patterson faction, secure
HI the possession of the party machinery has called
primary election to be held in June, under such
conditions place the Anti Patterson faction at
II great disadvantage. and since his shameless par
don of Cooper Governor Patterson has announced
himself as a candidate for denomination in that
primary.
Il The result of this action by the whiskey clement
az the Democratic party is that four out of five OF
Nc present members Of the Supreme Court have
announced that they will be candidates in the regu-
III election 1t is stated in the Nashville Banner
that the Anti-Patterson people say that there will
be no candidate to oppose Patterson in the primary
4 md that he will be declared the regular Demo
] cratic candidate for Governor of Tennessee. The
Anti-Patterson people will nominate a man who
will be supported by the Republicans, or the Re
i publicans will nominate man who will be sup
i ported by the AntiPatterson Democrats or ts~rt
]. will be three candidates.
u In either case it would not be at all surprising
! IL Tennessee should have Republican governor
after January l. 1911. If So it will brbecause tbs
] liquor traffic has been made party issue and the
Democratic party has split in twofupon it,
Z It seems impossible for papers like the Index
/ Appeal and virginian- Pilot 40 understand that
men will not allow political party to bind their
acfion on moral issp< Conscience is always
stronger than adherepce to political parties When
ever any party makes moral questions on which
.thexe il difereake of opinion political issue,
J 5plit in the party is bound 10 follow.
An example of what is meant is found in the re
Dort of sermon in the Nashville Banner, recently
preached by DR. G. A Lotion, pastor OF the Cen
tral Baptist church of that city. DIR. Lotion among
other things said Lots of good people are moan
ing and grooming under the burden and curse OF
had politics. aud they are growing sick over the
N'~
thew still stick to the .yaller dog but that they
have reached the point where they have TO draw
the line on the 'yaller dog In other words, thus
modern politician is below the line of the yallel
dog One of the slogans Of bad politics is party
regularity The regular Democracy the regulal
y RApublicansm has lost its significance with th'
christian and the patriot. ] am Democrat II
urincple but the day has come TO let the whiskey
bottle go, and to cut loose from villiainous ma
chinery. If to be regular Democrat is to be {
u tNhiskey crat manipulated by a political machine
then am not regular, though Democrat still
How can the liquor laws prohibit, when those II
y authority prohibit their execution to say nothing
III Of failure TO execute9 OF course prohibition doe
not prohibit when prohibition itself is prohibited
4 by the executives of the law. God help us IN TIM
4 hour of trial with this mighty power of darkness
\ and iniquity. We in mourning, but let us no
forget to watch and pray, to act and vote
4 DR. Lotion represents the position or thousand
Il of the best citizens of Tennessee, who have beef
lifelong Democrats, but who will not sacrlhce thel
N moral convictions upon the altar Of party Reg
4 MARTY" And Virginia has thousands OF mel
L III like mold.
- Take this liquor question out OF party poltcS
q The opportunity to do so was gwen at thfs las
session of the General Assembly. A monumental
blnnder was made. that this opportunity was no
accepted Nothing should be done to accentuat
Il the differences in the party on this question In
urinary elections will excite sufficient discussion
i and bitterness To hold party convention 10 pas
npnn il would carry the party into the same break
ers which are wrecking the Democratic party II
II Tennessee. Let us be warned III time