The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-25

D.
and to Inform persons where they
can obtain intoxicAuts over the bar,
ana fro0 whom thsy can order Il to
be shipped into dry" territory. They
are the purchased allies OF the DRAM
seller, the drummsrs for the trade.
and we believe that the owners OF
such papsis and all those who de-
rive profit from this source are equal
~ ~ responsibls In the sight OF AL
mighty God a. those who sell the
laouor to the men who have been
informed by the Newspaper for pay
where the liquors can be obtained.
Some OF these papers carry yard After
yard OF these advertisements and
their news and editorial columns
"sacrifice to their net and burn In
censs to their drag, because by them
their portion Is fat and their meat
plenteous." 1t IL difllcult to estimate
the effect produced upon the aver
age citizen reader by the constant
conditions by the wet" press.
The efforts of the wet press are
supplemented by the paid attorneys
the City Councils. the State Lesisla-
lures and both Houses Of Congress
and who work every conceivable q.
vice to hinder and to defeat every ad-
vance price of temperance legislation.
| Against such u tremendous COM
bination OF covetousness and greed
! the individual worker Is well-nigh
powerless. Organization must be met
by Organization, and men must be
chosen to study conditions. to formu-
late plans, and to speak in the name
! OF the temperance people Of our
State and nation in emphatic, unmis-
taxable language. which will compel
attention and respect.
| The most efficient temperance or
| ganization In our country to-day Is
| the Anti-Saloon League and your COM
| mittee presents to the conference the
matured views of the Anti-Saloon
! League workers ~ to the most i'm
portant steps to be taken at the pres
emit time, both In State and national
| campaign. Tho great need Of the State
| Of Virginia to-day 10 the passage of
| the Enabling Act. giving to the people
the right TO vote On tho question Of
| Statewide prohibition, entirely apart
| from all considerations OF personal or
partixan politics. There must be u
! union of all OF our temperance forces
| for the accomplishment OF the one
aim. All factional and party differ
! enees must be laid aside. Organiza-
I ton Democrats. anti-organixation
| Join together and demand from the
| General Assembly the Representatives.
1 Of the people, that the people be given
| the right to decide the liquor question
I as to them may seem best. The situa-
| ton to-day IL more encouraging than
4 IL has ever been. Two years ago the
1 Enabling Act was defeated in the
/ Senate OF Virginia by vote Of II TO
! rs. To-day 1t Is conceded by the
4 ae,f
! temperance gain in the Senate, and
! the issue IN in doubt. Shall not the
| Methodists u Virginia speak as with
4 one voice to their representatives and
/ insist upon the right OF the people to
/ vote upon this great question, which
i affects the welfare Of every homo in
/ that great Commonwealth. The women
/ OF Virginia have taken in hand the
/ work OF getting up petitions IN even
I part Of the State TO present to the
! General Assembly. requesting the pas
! sage OF the Enabling Act Surely We,
the ministers and leading laymen. will
, give to these women. our mothers, our
| wives. our sisters, our daughters, our
1 earnest active cooperation in secur-
/ Ing the names OF the voters in ous
/ several communities. What work will
| be OF moro value to the church OF God
1 than the putting down Of the strong
| holds of satan in every section of the
! great Commonwealth OF Virginia. This
work IL vital and demands our i'm
i mediate and constant attention until
our Senators and Delegates have
i placed In their hands petitions with
| the names OF a clear majority OF
the intelligent. prosperous. moral citi-
! zenship upon them. We should not
wait for the officers OF the league to
4 do this great work. II every Metho-
49,
| himself In his own charge TO bring
proper pressure to bear upon the rep
I resentatives OF the districts In which
his work lies, It will be- a great service.
Let us put forth every possible effort
In this cause from now until next
March.
I The temperance forces OF Maryland
j have been wagtng vigorous warfare
under the leadership OF the Maryland
Anti-Saloon League. and have won
many battles. They are going up to
the next Legislature with tho promise
OF obtaining tho legislation which they
have sought for several years. The
day il not far distant when Mary
land will join her sister States south
OF the Potomac in night to Danish
the saloon entirely from her borders.
Closely allied to this work Is the
work to be done at Washington. We
nave, a responsibility 10 IneeI nut Only
as to State. but also a. to national
legislation. The United States gov
eminent II to-day TO all practical In
tents and results q partner with the
violators of tho liquor lava in dry
territory. The State may refuse ia
grant license. but the United States
government will issue n tax receipt ia
any man. anywhere. who will pay the
required amount Of money. And &c
in every dry State and county are
found numerous persons who have
paid the tax. and thus have secured
immunity from any possible prosecu-
ton in the federal courts. The United
States government 10 thus the pro-
moter Of lawlessness. Congress should
enact law forbidding the issuance o,
any tax receipts In dry" territory
and thus remove this scandal caused
by a conflict OF State and national
legislation. The most important leeis-
lation, however. to be secured from
the national government Ii tho pas
sage of the law forhidding the ship
ment Of liquor from wet" into "dry"