The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-03-02
PRESIDENT ATKINS
CRITICISES MANN

OF the silence maintained by GOyerro,
Mann during the whole course of the
debate ON the Strobe enabling act IN
tho General Assembly OF 1910. IL was
evident that the delegates apreed
With their presidents censure OF Gov
ernor Mann's attitude-for censure 4,
was, spoken deliberately, slowly ami
with emphasis.
came near the middle OF President
Atkins speech, and was received y.fth
appreciation
The address of President Atkins
was of a rather surprising. not TO saw
startling, nature. In his address Pc,
lident Atkins declared that he favored
Il eatechtziHg all candidates. Senatorial
l1ncluded, not only on their nroaant
position IN relation to temperance but
on their past records in relation there
20, and TOOK occasion to express keen
disappointment that Governor Name
voice was not heard loud ana strons.
in favor OF the Strobe enabling hill
when II was before the Senate OF viz
lginia-" "a
He also declared (and this also NAV
De construed as slap at Governor
This league contends that a pro-
h6ition statute with the manhood OF
a StubbS behind II can do for Virginia
all that 1t has done for Kansas
The Presidents Address.
President Atkins address was in
tpart as follows:
The program for 1910. based upon
the report OF the committee on legisla-
ton, was the most logical, the sanest
and the safest, ever offered TO this
league. 1t is not necessary for me
TO do more than remind you of its
PROVISIONS 1t contemplated the en-
9bnng act (Which the Legislature Of
1910 refused and which the Legisla-
| ture OF 1912 will grant and the vote
by the people (Which will not. he a
matter or record in 1911, but which
WIN De matter of history-God grant
! lt.-ln 1879. The executive com
mittee OF this league attempted O carry
out that program. Every honorable
! means OF securing an enabling act
were put forth by our workers. The
league went into debt 10 the amount
OF $4,000 in that campaign alone for
expenses OF printing. postage, tele-
phone and telegraph communication.
We lost-no, the Strobe bin simply
talled OF passage. We wOn-not in
the Legislature. but in the sentiment
OF Virginia We shall hear more of
thls-and from those not identified
| WltH cur feagUe-bcfore this conven-
ton has ended.
In tho judgment OF your retiring
| president q comprehensive prol,ra m
tor the coming year may be found in
these resolutions which l respectfully
l submit To this convention:
l, Let II be resolved that the Anti
( Saloon League of Virginia adhere alb
soIuIeiy 10 that which has been its
i aVowed purpose for a decade-the uI-
innate goal Of all its efforts-the abo-
litiOn OF the saloon
2. Let II be resolved that the Anti
saloon League Of Virginia commit it.
4 self unresorvedly for another wear ia
the program determined year ago.
when its convention declared for the
rnabhAB act and popular vote upon
the question Of the license Of the sa-
loon
3 Let Il be resolved that the Anti
saloon League OF Virginia continue
| without fear and without favor its
| non partisan attitude in all political
campaigns, confning it's activities to
fthe questioning of candidates for Of
i hces in the gift of All the peoDle as
! 70 their past record and present po-
siton on all questions Of temperance
! ieGislation, publishing their replies for
the information OF voters everywhere.
throughout the State.
| =. Let Il bc resolved that the Anti
saloon League of Virginia through its
! chosen servants prosecute the work
win redo ubled energy. using in this
Crisis more money for its campaign
iot education and more men for its
| cam paign of agitation than have ever
! been used IN all it's history.
| The Alma SalOOnleSs Virginia.
/ II IS not necessary to do more than
state this first resolution. We are
past stage when il is necessary to
dwell al length upon the evils of the
licensed saloon. When the Hon Will
| ham Jennings Bryan addressed him
Set. 10 the temperance question with
apologies 10 the men and women Of
ms country for having maintained
silence SO long. and when the Hon
William II. Taft delivers message
20 the youth of the nation in advocacy
OF total abstinence. il becomes a little
! difhcuAr to say the least, for the LIQUOR
interiors;, with all their eloQuence, to
! maintain the position that a saloon
and a kindergarten belong to the
, same order of benefiCence. Those who
are .apOlOglsts for the saloon today
have shifted their position from that
! or defense OF the saloon as an inSti-
tuition to that OF declaration and proc
iamatiOn that prohibition doesn't pro-
hibit. No man in his senses ever be-
heved that Il did. But this league CON
tends that prohibition statute. with
the manhood Of a Stubs behind il. can
dc for Virginia all that il has done
for Kansas In the unscientific past
1t was sufficient to deal with results
In the scientific present We are seek
ing to deal with causes. When now
and then man falls among thieves
on the way from Jerusalem to Jericho
the passing Samaritan fulhlls his holy
mission when he cares for him and
takes him to the inn. But when fall
Ing among thieves becomes matter
OF daily and hourly occurrence. and
.astS become exhausted. and pocket
books empty, and inns overlooking
with the wounded taken from the way
il is high time for Samaritans to or
ganizc and to demand OF the author
itiesfat Jerusalem that they police the
road 10 Jericho and execute the com
mandments. Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not Kill, which in them
selves are powerless to prohibit either
theft or murder. -
The Enabling Act.
presume that the committee on
legislation viii 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 conventions of
1910, for in letters addressed to candi-
dates for Governor in the campaign Of
1909, this doomed large upon the list
Of questions sent to all: should the
Legislature pass a bill giving to the
people the right to vote upon the cues
zion or Statewide legislation, would
you sign such a bill?"
Our Governor stands committed
to an answer i'm the Affirmative
We appreciate the fact that his
position was one of favor to the