The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-03
CONFLICTING STATEMENTS.

CONFLICTING STATEMENTS.
The Supreme delights to discuss the liquor
question at long range. II ignores the blind
tigers of Richmond and Danville, 1t ignores
the facts as to the value OF prohibition over Ii
cense In Virginia cities. as shown by statistics.
1t has been very quiet concerning our next-door
neighbor. North Carolina. which is preparing to
cut out the near-beer saloon from the State. 1t
jumps TO Alabama and declares that state
wide prohibition has been dealt a mortal blow
hands with glee as II quotes for its readers GER
tain choice epithets which the Governor of Ala
bama applies to the present Alabama prohibi-
ton law. The supreme furthermore declares
that Alabama has rejected the very laws that
the Anti-Saloon League would enact in Virginia.
This writer does not believe that the editor of
the Times.Dispatch has ever read the Alabama
prohibitory law. which /, says Governor ONeal
describes as more radical. extreme, arbitrary,
than any before enacted in any Southern
State" That is to say, it is more extreme than
the laws In Tennessee. Georgia, or North Caro-
lima. How does the Supreme" know that the
Anti-Saloon League is proposing the very Ala
bama law for Virginia? When did it become so
familiar with the plans of the League? PrOba.
bly, the fear is father to the thought. for 1T de-
clares, in great disgust, as an evidence of the
arbitrary character of the Alabama law. Liquor
advertisements in the netospdpers 1cere not per
naitted"fi! Truly this is a horrlfying proyi-
sion to the Supreme"
But what does Governor O'NeaI recommend in
should be the established policy of the State.
with a general option law TO take effect at the
next general election" In other words, the pre-,
sent prohibition law ought to stand, except
where a large percentage of the people ask for
the right to vote, in which event the right
should be given. But, mark you, Statewide pro
hlbition should be the law of the State, and the
burden Of proof should be upon the drunkard
makers TO prove that the people want saloons
So much for Governor o'Neal. who does not
dare TO advocate the repeal of the Statewide
law.
The writer was in Montgomery on Monday
lssnd Tuesday. Of this week On Tuesday d bill
was introduced, after careful preparation. OF this
liquor forces in the Legislature. assisted by the
Governor. What did it propose? Does it pro
pose to repeal the State wide law? Does it. il
the language of the Supreme" give n "morta
blow" to the law?
Since. the Governor read his message 1t has
been discovered that the program cannot be
carried through because of the~fanat&es In tbs
General Assembly. This upw hill allows the
Statewide law to stand, but gives to cities witt
a population of over 10000 the right to call al
election TO sell absolutely pure liquor under
strict regulation, etc. This Is "a great modif
cation of the original program.
And that day 1t was stated In the newspapers
that a conference of the Prohibition forces was
held. attended by forty-eight members of the
lower house and with six proxies. making fifty
four in all. The house numbers 103, and "A ma
jority is ~ffty-two. From these indications the
mortal blow" has not only not been dealt, but
II will not be dealt at present.
In this connection we call attention to an ar
ticle from the Birmingham Evening Ledger, re
produced on this page, entitled Governor
ONeals Theories and Some Pl8in Facts. -
One of the editors of the Ledger is Mr..
Robert G. Hiden, long and favorahly known in
Richmond. This editorial gives the viewpoint
OF a great newspaper on the spot, OF course the
Supreme" never saw this editorial! The In
spector of Sunny Brook whiskey would not al
low such cdntaminating literature to reach the
desk Of the Supreme"