The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-27
BLANK CARTRIDGES.

THE Roanoke Nc7rs il alarmed at the specter
Judge so by q recent editorial One would
think the editor Of cur esteemed contemporary
occasioned by dreams of dry State and forth
with had set about to grope in the dark for any
old weapon with which TO fight off its approach
First OF all. It cries in alarm. Who are the
peopleT When talk about submitting the
question TO d vote cf the people who are they?
is the moon made Of chalk green cheesef
Insuperable Obstacle to passing an enhbling
act, that the question Of Statewide prohibition
must be submitted to q vote OF the people. I'M
penetrabie mystery and unsolvabe problem. who
are the people and where shall We find them,
There can be doubt that the State will
be depopuated long before the dawn OF cleo /
ton day and, the election oficials will sit In
silence and gaze into vacancy waiting and long
ing for the voter who never comes. 1t might
be we'll to request the Governor OF the State
to- appoint a commission OF solemn and
scholarly specialists to define who people are. Il
when an election is referred to, and then send
out a regiment two OF people catchers" 10
corral the voters and bring them to the polls.
We confess have never before grappled with
this profound problem. but will give it
diligent study meanwhile suggesting with
great modes.y and trepidation that "the peo-
pie" might mean in the event of this election,
az In the case of all others, the qualified voters
rha vizjo hat
troubled him would not be gone" There it is.
this appalling figure of Statewide prohibition
grinning In unholy glee at our panic-stricken
contemporary. shivering IN his nightie and
barking his shins upon every interposing object
as he rushes though the dark to the destruction
of his fendish tormenter The Ne,rs exclaims
"Tf the General Assembly grants an election
and the people those ethereal, Intangible
elusive forms that suddenly lose their cor
poreaI substantially when Statewide election
looms upon the horizon, should vote dry. what
is to prevent the succeeding Legislature from
repeating the law and flooding the State witt
streams OF toy? What can prevent IT, indeed
we hadn't thought OF this serious aspect OF tbs
matter We don't believe anybody else ha
contemplated 1t except friend of the Netrs
We rathe- pride ourselves upon the keen an'
searching powers of analysis with which to'
generous nature has endowed our mental max
m and we are Inundated that this momentou
uoint should have eluded us in the considera
tim Of the question What II the succeeding
Assembly should do so outrageous thing? |
might II is absolutely appalling, Our limb
grow weak. our hearts palpitate the very mar
row in our bones freezes But sehspie see
ona thought assures that our representa-
,tves will not They haven't acquired the hapi
vet awhile OF brazenly overthrowlng the VIII
os their constituents. The most Of them do no
vet deserve the appellation of fools Many
them know the game Of politics TAR 100 wei
to dare SO fragrant challenge of pubic op'h
ion. Sleep on. beloved and rest In peace :"
mink a Statewide law is safe at the hands
the General Assembly after majority OF III
xosers-we employ this term rather than ina
~ ..neonlen out OF kindly consideration TO
our contemporary--aiave expressed their villa
at the polish
But the worst is yet 10 come shock
due in about two minutes Five hundre
thousand dollars will be lost in liquor feVe
nnes saws our contemporary. and some prS
x,e,on must be made for the sudden deductlo
# ~ this tremendous amount from the treasur
If the State We admit that the State mas nc
aeen in position 10 lose any revenues. but on
understanding Is that the finances are re
,cyerng and trust that In the future carefu
,nrsing will bring the convalescent treasury
I,ch vigorous condition that the blood none
u the barroom will not be needed to boiste
an a defunet exchequer. We have never bee
honored with legislative authority and pre-
negative and hence In our inexperience we hest
ate TO tackle the economic side OF the question
ant in our simple minded state 1t seems sig
aiacant that our contemporary did not thin
n the saving TO the Commonwealth that woul
result from the abolition of the saloon
!. The liquor traffic stands without rival q
he champion producer OF economic inefhciene
Ind waste Its mission IL the diminishing, G
S
Rirhrnnnt