The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-03-02
NOn-Partisan Attitude.

loud and strong I'm It's favor when
the Strobe enabling bill was be-
fore the Senate OF Virginia
NOn-Partissn Attitude.
In speaking to the third OF the reso-
buttons suggested want 70 state at
the very outset that the league has
been true 70 its principle as regards
a nOn-partiSan attitude toward candi-
dates for office, in every convention,
! executive committee meeting, head
quarters committee meeting, subcOm-
mittee meeting, Of which have ever
been member; and II ever a member
| or a group Of members, I'm Official ca
pacity. have ever taken any other at
titude, they owe IL TO this convention
to make a full confession. know
the charges made again and again
against US. 1 know the idle reports
! and busy scandal that have been cir
Quilted 10 the detriment or our organ
| IZattOn.- The officers Of our league
from the very beginning have in
cluded Democrats, Republicans and
wore the badge of party servitude and
some with sufficient independence TO
! believe that all the virtue OF the old
! Dominion had not been monopolized
, by the party with which they stood
| identified. trust with all my heart
that the omni- partisan-omnI-p arti-
/ san-policy OF our league may be con-
| tinued. ! want to see men Of all par
ties and of no party in our highest
seats OF office And trust with all
my heart that the non-partisan-non-
partisan-policy of our league may be
continued. 1 want TO see us In poll
tics or out OF il, wherever Sle forces
of the liqusr traffic carry the issue,
but absolutely bipartisan in our
attitude. Anything that lives and
moves and has its being. and whose
life and motion and being are against
the saloon, has place beneath the
banner of this organization. We want
this league to be a clearing house,
open tWenty-fOur hours out OF TWEEN
ty-fOur, for men OF ali parties and
for men Of all creeds; and every So
ctety and organization in this State
that will do it's temperance clearing
through this league as their clearing
house is welcome to all the infOrma-
ton and practical assistance we can
give them, and we will give them all
we can. Regardless of party lines we
want men of all parties to join with
us In our campaign against the saloon.
We offer ourselves as an omni-parti-
san organization. We cannot empha-
size that position too strongly.
Again. We seek TO be bipartisan
/ in all We undertake We are not in
politics in the interest of any polit-
cal candidate. Not quite two years
ago we questioned the candidates for
| Governor and from first to last We
| sought to be non partisan in every
/ word addressed to them. In the letter
! addressed to Republican and Demo-
| Gratis alike We stated that, while the
! league nominates no candidates and
supports no political party, the league
| does urge the voters OF Virginia to
! select men for public office who favor
| the abolition Of the saloon. 1T is
| the openly declared policy Of the
| league set forth In print and on
the platform. to give the voters of the
! state the facts as TO the past record
| and present position Of candidates for
public office, and to leave to the
voters for which person they will vote.
/ Such a method of procedure ~ fair
! both to the candidates and TO the
voters. No candidate can reasonably
| object to a statement concerning his
past record and present position, es-
! pecially when he is requested TO make
| that statement in his own words" /
| believe in that nOn-partisan position.
| l believed in il then. 1 believe in IL
/ now. II is not for the State League
! TO question local candidates-it is the
/ duty of the local leagues TO question
| candidates for office in the gift OF
! the local community. II is. however
| the business of the State League to
question candidates for office In the
gift OF all the people, and that we
ought to do in every political cam
| paign. I do not see how we can be
true TO the principles OF the league
and question the candidates simply
with regard TO their past record. Nor
do l see how we can be true II the
the candidates simply with regard L.
their present position. We cannot
leave out one or the other OF these
questions. We have the right to know.
and the people have the right To-
know. not only the present position
but also the past record upon Ques-
tons Of temperance legislation OF
every man who offers himself as a
candidate for office. Candidates for
Governor need not be questioned upon
matters of national legislation: and
candidates for the national Congress
need not Ice questioned upon matters
Of State egislatiOn-unlesS the occa-
sion arise in which State and national
issues should prove inseparable. This
position has far-reaChing application
IL has. however. been our position in
the past. I know no reason for de-
parting from IL in the present.
| know there are those who believe
that 4 mistake was made in the Cub
ernatOrial campaign OF 1899 when the
league questioned the candidates for
Governor 50 explicitly with regard to
their past record. These would urge
US in the coming senatorial cam
paign TO COnfine our interrOgatories
TO one single questionable position of
candidates upon present national leg
islatiOn-withOut reference to what
has been the record of the past
That. in their judgment, Is the sim
plest of nOn-partisan positions This.
they believe, the league could do
without danger of entangIement. Per
haps it could; and if that we're its
avowed policy-heralded abroad and
known of all men-I should be- con
tent with that position. But that has
not been its policy and for that rea-
son object to the position. II the
league stood pledged in 1908 To give
the record of candidates for Cover
nor down to the minutest detail. il
stands pledged in 1871 to do exactly
the same without fear or favor. II
those questions as TO record should
prove embarrassing TO candidates to-
day, let IL be remembered that their
positions were embarrassing 70 the
It5lLQp e&nce people OF Virginia in the
days Ske by. II they have PLAYED
fast and~NSQse with temperance prin-
ciples, we hRve-a right to know Il. I'll
they were hand in glove with leaders
OF liquor ORGANIZATIONS OrNce, the voters
OF virginia have right te know il
now. II we were doing the work ~
the church or the work OF the sal
walton Army. seeking converts from
the world and preaching faith and
repentance and good works. il would
be another matter. We could LET nv
cones be hygones and welcome the