The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-22
STICK TO ITS PROGRAM
For ABOLITION OF
SALOONS FROM
V|RGIN|A'S BORDERS
CONTINUED from First Page. }


Continued from First Page.)
to dwelle at length upon the evils Of
the licensed saloon. When the Hon.
William ]. Bryan addressed himself
to the temperance question, with apol-
oSies to the men and women of his
country Cor having maintained ST.
tenee so 10 lg, and when the Hon. VIII
liam IL. Taft delivers a message to
the youth Of the NATION in advocacy
OF total abstinence. 1t becomes little
difficult. to say the least. for the IL
quor interests with all their eloquence
to maintain the position that a sa-
loon and kindergarten belong to the
same order of beneticence. Those
who are apologists for the saloon to-
day have shifted their position from
that OF defense OF the saloon as an
institution to that of declaration and
proclamation that prohibition doesn't
prohibit No man in his senses ever
believed that 1t did. But this league
contends that prohibition statute
with the manhood OF Stubs behind
1t can do for Virginia all that 1t has
done for Kansas. In the unscientific
past Ii was sufficient to deal with re-
suits. In the scientific present We are
seeking to deal with causes. When
now and then a man falls among
thieves on the way from Jerusalem to
Jericho, the passing Samaritan fulfills
his holy mission when he cares for
him and takes him to the inn. But
when falling among thieves becomes
a matter OF daily and hourly occur
renee, and beasts become exhausted,
and pocketbooks empty, and inns ov-
erfiowing with the wounded taken
from the way. 1t is high time for Sa-
maritans TO organize and to demand
of the authorities at Jerusalem that
they police the road to Jericho and
execute the commandments. Thou
shalt not steal. thou shalt not kill.
which in themselves are powerless to
prohibit other theft or murder.
The Enabling Act.
l presume that the committee on
legislation will report with regard to
our position on the enabling act
which position. in my judgment,
should be that which we took one year
ago. The possibility OF this act was
seen before the convention Of 1910.
for In letters addressed TO candidates
for governor in the campaign OF 1909
this loomeI large upon the list OF
questions sent TO all: Should the Leg
islature pass a bill giving to the peo-
pie the right to vote upon the ques-
ton of Statewide legislation, would
you sign such a bill ?" our governor
stands committed to an answer in the
affirmative. We appreciate the fact
that his position was one of favor
to the local option method OF dealing
with the LIQUOR question. and this we
understood from the beginning OF his
Al our last convention he
A. lxef~
ton to adoot a conservative policy, as
he had a perfect right To do; and he
gave as his reason for such counsel
the difficulties attending the questie =
OF the States revenue. | believe that
to-day his position Is the same as 1t
was when he made reply to the head
quarters committee OF the league
when he pledged himself to sign a bill
that gave the right OF voting 10 the
people. His term OF office expires In
January, 1919. and before that date
we must give him the opportunity of
signing such a measure. II Is not
for US to cay what encouragement or
what encouragement the chief en-
ecutive shouic give to pending legis-
lation. but l cannot help feeling keen
ly disappointed that our governors
voice was no; heard loud and strong
in its favor when the Strobe enabling
bill was before the Senate or Vir-
ginia,
Son-Partisan Attitude.
In speaking TO the third of tho
resolutions suggested | want TO state
at the very outset that the league has
been true TO it's principle as regards a
non partisan attitude toward candi-
dates for Office. in every convention.
executive committee meeting. head
quarters committee meeting, sub-com-
mIttee meeting, OF which i have ever
been a member; and II ever mem
Der or a group of members, In Off
cial capacity, have taken any other
attitude, they owe IL to this conven-
ton to make a full confession. l
know the charges made again and
again against us. ] know the Idle
reports and busy scandal that have
been circulated to the detriment of
our organization. The officers of our
league from the very beginning have
included Democrats. Republicans ana
third party prohibitfonists SOME who
wore the badge of party servituds
and some with sufficient independence
TO believe that all the virtue Of the
Old Dominion had not been monopo-
lized by the party with which they
stood identified | trust with all my
of our league may
be continued. | want 10 see men of
all parties and of no party In our
highest seats of office. And l trust
with all my heart that the nom
partisan-policy of our
league may be continued. l want
to see us In politics or out of IL, wher-
ever the forces OF the liquor traffic
carry the issue, but absolutely nom
partisan In our attitude. Anything
that lives and moves and has its
being. and whose life and motion and
being are against the saloon. has
place beneath the banner of this or
We want this league TO
be q clearing house. open twenty
four hours out of twenty-four, for
men of all parties and for men of all
creeds: and every society and organi-
zation in this State that viii do its
clearing through this
league as their clearing house liz well
some to all the information and prac-
Lical assistance we can give them, and
We will give them all we can. Re-
sardless of party lines we want men
" all parties to join with us in our
against the saloon. We Of
'er ourselves as an omni-partisan
organization. We cannot emphasize
hat position too strongly.
A Partisan Organization.
Again. we seek to be non partisan
n all we undertake. We are not in
politics in the interest of any political
candidate. Not quite two years ago
We questioned the candidates for gov
,rnor and from first to last we sought
o be non partisan in every word ad-
iressed to them In the letter ad-
lressed to Republicans and Demo-
rats alike we stated that while the