The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-19

/ Ue oOfeIHoT OF NHSlu1As puI any ~
charge. intimation or insinuation that
he allowed his friendship for Judge
Mann to determine his course as 8
member Of the Legislative COMMITTEES
of the Anti-Saloon League OF Virginia
is absolutely and unqaaiifedly false,
and the editors of papers who give
currency to such charges. informa-
tioi, or intimation are wilfui and ma
licious slanderers.
The Evening Journal in the edito-
rial entitled League Management"
in order to get a basis for its attack
upon Rev. James Cannon, purposely
misstates facts, just as 1t did last
spring. when 1t declared that. al
though DR.. Cannon had resigned the
|Superintendency of the League, yet
there was change In name only,
and not In fact; that DR.. Cannon
was still Chairman of the Headquar-
tiers Committee, to which had been
committed the principal duties of the
Superintendent When it's attention
was called to the fact that it's own
news columns showed the falsity OF
its statement, and that DIR. Cannon
was not the Chairman OF the Head
quarters Committee, II made no apol-
ogy for its misre presentation. but at
tempted to Justify itself on the ground
of ignorance Now. six months later.
II again declares. as quoted above,
that Rev. James Cannon, Jr.. u. H.,
is at the head of the League" and
again. "Dr Cannon'- days of ustfui-
ness at the head OF the Virginia Anti
saloon League have passed. If he has
involved the League in crooked poll
tics, as inferred above. his removal
could not be too early
This s direct misrepresentation of
existing facts. made knowingly by the
! editor OF the Journal. for he admitted
! Ia MS OWN columns last spring that
he had erred at that time through ig-
norance. Mr.. r. s, Barbour is the
president of the Anti Saloon League
OF Virginia and is the chairman Of
the Headquarters Committee. DR..
Cannon regrets exceedingly that his
engagements outside of Virginia have
| prevented his giving but a few hours
OF his time to the work of the League
since his resigna ton as superintend-
ent last February. He would rejoice
We're he so circumstanced that he
could be at the head of the Anti Saloon
League OF Virginia. but he was obliged
10 resign from the position OF super
intcndent, because of his acceptance
of other work outside of Virginia and
be has pardonabe pride in the fact
that his Respiration was accepted with
expressions of esteem and regret by
the largest and most representative
convention ever held by the Anti Sa-
loon League in Virginia. In view OF
the fact that the hated DR. Cannon
is no longer the head of the Anti
Saloon League Of Virginia. 1t fs now
/ incumbent upon the Evening Journal
To give to the League "its active sup
port. TO Danish at once liquor adj
vertisements from its columns, to adj
vocate at once the abolition OF sa-
looms in Richmond, and the Statewide
prohibitory law for every nook and
corner of Virginia. Only by so doing
can IL claim the right To advise the
Anti-Saloou League. and remove from
its brow the brand Of "Hyprocrite."
which hts properly Aettrt1gtd TO it for
these many years,
The undersigned has given the above
facts at length, not because he be-
lieves that they will in any way change
the attitude of his enemies. They
Will continue to Islander and vilify jus.
the same. But in view of the fact that
his previous active relation to tho
work OF the Virginia Anti Saloon
League can no longer be maintained,
| and he cannot by voice and pen con-
tinue TO engage in the work as here
tofore, he decided to make a detailed
statement for the benefit of his friends
! nave not IN their possession the facts
known to the writer. concerning the
, acton taken by the convention in
1909. He believes that a careful peru
/ sal OF the above statement will con-
vince the impartial reader that the
action OF the convention was the hon.
est, sincere action of ii body OF men
! who were earnestly striving to do what
. was best for the final and permanent
. 1 abolition of The Safnan in Virginia
, | The writer is still convinced that
the convention took the best action
. possible under at the conditions. Had
. the convention declared for State wide
prohibition, it would have alienated
thousands of its supporters, And.
moreover, as DR.. Pitt says above so
1t happens that the foes of the saloon
cannot please its friends no matter
what course they pursue. At one time
, the temperance people are too radical.
and the next We hear OF them. they
are too conservative. The fact is, that
they are disappointing their enemies,
and they never disappointed them
more keenly than the course adopt
, ed at the Norfolk meeting. Had the
League declared for Statewide pros
hibition. the wet journals of Rich-
mond would have declared that the
league was trying to disrupt the DEM
Republican from TaZeweli declared
j in the convention that the Repubfi-
cans would adopt a prohibition plank
in their platform for the coming came
paign. If in the face of that declara-
ton by a Republican leader. the con.
. vention had adopted IA State wide
plank, the wet" papers would have
screamed until their yellow columns
turned red in the face. denouncing the
convention as ungratful to the DEM
ocratic party. as being in alliance with
the Republicans. and would have de-
clared that the leaders coerced the
convention into that action. regardless
of the wishes of thousands of conser-
vative temperance people, and the
leaders would have been held up to
| public distrusct as IA set of radicals
unworthy of the confidence OF pru.
dent. sensible people.
There would never have been the
: discussion concerning the action OF
the convention that there has been.
. were 1t not for the fractional differ
ences in the Democratic party. Many
men in both factions are more con.
cerned for the triumph of their fac
ton than for the temperance cause,
l and they are suspicious of the actions
and motives of those who do not favor
-