The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-24
Tenth Annual Convention OF
Anti Saloon League Closes
its Session
DELEGATES GO HOME
TO CLEAN UP THINGS
FOR GREAT BATTLE
Statewide Enabling Act AS
sured and Fight is Now
to Enforce Registra-
ton Laws
RY 4. y. CtpTTlfELL.
STAFF C,orresDondent,t

tokdAA NttttSpVboNhtB
NEWPORT NEWS. VA. Feb. "a
The tenth annual convention OF the
Anti-Saloon League OF Virginia, pro-
nounced by all the largest and most
important gathering ever held by the
organization. liz now matter OF MS
tory---and there are thousands VINO
believe Its work Will make history In
old Virginia during the next eighteen
months.
The slogan of the convention when
IL convened on Tuesday WAS Virginia
Dry'--when it adjourned Thursday
night another slogan had been added
Virginia clean"
Clean up the registration frauds,
graveyard voting. and all the other
li-smeiing orders So pregnant with
evil and SO alarmingly Ike those of
other and worse days in the history
of the State.
The convention of l9l1 will live in
the memory as ''the great convention"
it's membership far exceeded 5Go--4aT
having actually registered. IL was
body such as any State or nation
might well be proud of. II was pos
sessed of firm convictions. and was
not afraid to voice them: of high
ideais--and firm determination to
achieve them.
Not many hours after the conTen-
ton assem- blsd II became evident that
its delegates meant business from the
iump-that nothing but Statewide
and IA general clean UP 81 Virginia
would satisfy the people.
Hence In terms unmis;akabta IL
demanded referendum err tine fsquar
question and not even novice In po-
iitical affairs In Virginia now doubts
that II will get X. Its legislative
committee Is instructed To demand
such laws IS will jail the padder OF
the registration lists--and half the
men who go to the next legislature
probably will carry bills along with
them To thai effect IT demands tnat
dry territory shall he protected from
the inroads of the maii-order houses
by a resolution directing It's legislative
committee to procure the passage Of
a measure making the place of de-
livery of whiskey the place OF sale.
Stand Shoulder to Shoulder.
An effect OF the convention work,
which will become s:ssrnadlatelg @lP-
parent according to the best informa-
ton obtainabie, will be more practical
and effective work for tho temperance
cause.
Where speeches were once made and
then forgotten, earnest work to arouse
the voters by personal appeal will be
the program
More men will be placed In the field
than ever before. More temperance
literature VIII be cfsCgsias dsf~Aafsti si1s
various branches Of the work viii be
brought to the highest state of efiieiet,-
Cy.
The resolutions as to the querying
of candidates will not only bring out
how the candidates stand on the en-
aiding act but win bring out their Views
on the great question of a pure elector-
ate, the sine qua nors or the situa-
tion, liz being readily grasped, that with
ont an honest enforcement OF The CON
stitutional requirements of the State
as to registration remedial and reforma
tory legislation on the liquor or any
other question Will be @tii-ftxftt Inn
possible.
Deiecates to the Convention and the
people of the State will now be Inter
ested In the selection of state super
intendent to I'LL the place from which
DIR. Cannon has retired. This selection
will be made at n meeting os the Exc
cutive Committee to be held early In
March.
Closing Scenes
During the closing hours OF the con-
vention much OF interest was packed
in small compass.
The churches and temperance or
ganizations of Roanoke extended a
cordial invitation to the league to
meet in that city in 1919 and the In
vitation was referred to the executive
committee for action.
Questions of finance were briefly
touched on in open convention and
Mr.. II. s. Barbour, of South Boston.
offered to contribute $1,000 IL five
Others would do likewise or IL Ave
organizations would do so. The offer
remains open.
An interesting feature of the clash
over the adoption OF the legislative
committees report was contained In
q part of the speech of DIR. Hatcher
which escaped some at the time,
when he said that the report of the
committee was the ablest utterance on
the temperance question he had ever
read.
1t IL not often that a minister is in
vited to TASK the blessing when in
yited to dismiss a congregation but
that Is the way Governor Mann Put
II in requesting Rev. Mr.. Dadmun
to dismiss the closing session OF the
league, and. while slip of the tom
TWO ~ w amt n had idea.