The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-27

ginfa When the position OF the Convention
had been clearly indicated by the speeches.
and the tabling OF Or Hutchers resolution Dr.
Cannon stated that, with the consent Of the other
members of the Committee present. he would IN
sert the words some Of at such points in the
report as would make the discrimination plain
between some and others.
The Legislative report stands to-day, there
fore, not simply as the declared opinion o. Rev
James Cannon. not simply as the declared opin'
ion OF the five other gentlemen OF reputation and
character not only as the declared opinion OF
the gathering of strong intelligent temperance
workers at Newport News, hut as the opinion
of all these persons, after a statement had
been made by Rev. James Cannon that he wrote
the report, that he believed every word of it to
be true. that he was willing to be held entirely
responsible for IT, and after an effort had been
made to repudiate the responsibility of the Con-
yention for the report The report stands to-
day. therefore. as the work Of Rev James Can.
non, endorsed by AN overwhelming majority OF
the Convention
What does this report say concerning wet"
newspapers? The term wet newspapers is
used to indicate q certain definite class of news
papers. and this class is clearly distinguished by
the description Of their conduct. There is moth
ing in the paper that declares or implies that
the term is used to include every newspaper in
the State whose editor does not favor Statewide
prohibition, but it applies to those papers to
whom 1t does apply and whose conduct is de-
scrihed in the report 1t applies to the papers
which have misrepresented. slandered and Wilt
fed the work and the workers OF the League,
and such newspapers are placed in the same
class with the saloon
The report then declares that the writer AMI
the signers, and later the Convention, 90 not
believe that there is any difference in the sight
of God in the action of owners OF newspapers
who are paid so much per inch for advertising
the brands of liquor and the places of sale and
that of the whte-aproned bartender who is
paid definite price for pouring out the liquor
for the customer. who has been brought TO the
place OF sale by the call of the travelling street
and home drummer, the wet newspaper,
The report declares that both are making
money out OF the domination @. the souls of their
! fellow.men
Nobody has attempted TO snow that this rea
sonirs ia incorrect. and TIA; there is any differ
ence in the sight Of God latween the action o
l. the owner of the'rewspapcr and that OF the bar
r tender
r The report continues and declares that SOM
of these wet newspapers represent the views
| of large element of fashionable society an,
club life which has no sympathy with the worl
of those who are striving for the betterment o
conditions by the removal of the saloon. and
therefore, that these papers represent the covet
e. BUSINESS Of the drunkardmakers and the appe
: tito of the dram-drnkcrs, and are therefore Sc
fish to the core,
Nobody has attempted to prove that this decla
ration is not in accordance with st Paul VIII
said 1T is good neither - eat flesh, to drin
I wine, nor anything whereby thy brother Stun
hleth or is offended O, ris made weak = The re
Y port holds that the Law of Love brands drunk
= ard-makiug and dram-drnk,ne as evidence o
8 covetousness and appetite, and therefore as sci
- fish.
= The report declares that statements made b
= these papers, notably by the Supreme" hav
= been proven to be sanderous and yet they hay
o been repeated, Nobody has attempted to prov
"A this statement to be false, and It certainly i
$ true concerning the Supreme witness Grov
S Avenue church and the Methodist Conference
4 The report declared that these wet" newspaper
e have been the right arm of power to the quo
traffic Nobody can deny this, for it is We
known that the chief defense of the liquor train
+ in Richmond has come from the Supreme an
= the evening paper owned by the same interests
the News Leader.
The report declares that these wet newsps
pers have not published the facts concerning tn
good effects of Prohibition in Virginia cities. a
taken from the official records and that the st
preme" refused TO publish figures sent by
prominent Danville official. and yet publishe
continually statements concerning conditions il
f, distant places,
Nobody has denied the truth of these state
ments as to the refusal to publish facts favorable
TO Prohibition and the emphasizing Of state
ments favorable to License,
These extracts from the report show what tn,
Anti-saloon League Convention meant by wet
newspapers, and what Judgment they pronounc
cd uDou them And far nobody has taken III