The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-24

+, dist preacher. ] have devoted myself
to this cause, rejoicing In the sacri-
| ices 1t involved and grateful to God
T. Tor the victories wrought in BEHALF
or temperance and Righteousness.
During all this time have sought
no other guide than my own con-
science and the advice OF my brothers
In the work ] have never hesitated
to express my views. whether popular
OF not. l have always been openly
ana strongly on the side of temper
ance, and never for a moment afiied
directly or indirectly with any move.
ment opposed to 1t.
1 DIR. Atkins has said that nv
views OF the liquor question were
hnoWa 1903. when was q
candidate for governor. He Is of all
men competent to speak upon that
point, because on the seventeenth day
or June, 1909, in answer to q letter
addressed TO me by him as president
OF the league. made the followins.
statement:
First. l favor the principle of
local option as the best method OF
4 dealing with the liquor question.
. Second. Should the legislature of
Virginia, without previous instruction
from the people, pass a bill for States
wide prohibition by Legislative enact
ment without submission to the peo-
Third. Should the people elect 4.
legislature upon that issue, and should
a legislature 80 elected and instructed
pass Statewide prohihitory Aw.
clearly responsive to the WIDESPREAD
demand OF the people expressed at
the polls, while preferring myself the
local option method as in my judy
ment best calculated to produce per-
manent results, | would sign the bill,
as recognize the right of the people
to initiate legislation In this and all
other matters
Fourth. IL the legislature passed
Dill giving to the people the right
10 vote on the question of State
wide prohibition would sign the hin.
I Fifth. Should a local option cleo.
ton be held in any community in
| which ] lived. l would vote dry
Sixth. While believing that tina
local option method In calculated tn
| produce the best results, II an cleo
ton he held on the question of State
woe prohibition. in such an election
would vote dry"
Nor is this all. for II you will fol-
low the public press you will find THAI
| practically the same views were ex.
pressed by me and known of all men
in 1905.
Up to 1910 these views ar / under.
stand the matter, we're In accord with
/
the honor OF addressing in Richmond.
and In that address. having the cour-
age of my convictions counseled
| conservatism, and stated to the leaxua
| that my views on the liquor question
We're well known and had not chang.
ed Earnest as I nm In my desira
to see the end OF the liquor trafao.
| could not in 1910 trampie under
| FOOT my own convictions and those
| Dr1nG{ftiAz vEA 49,
elected and for the maintenance of
which l had pledged myself TO tina
! people OF Virginia, and been elected
10 Il poritton which placed me beyond
the reach OF their power. and left
them only q reliance upon my good
faith which i could not either break
or weaken And even IL l had no.
been NO bound. ! could not have ap-
proved the position of the league in
1910. The legislature had been elect
ed upon a local option platform al
| the time of election In accord with
| the league. the treasury was threat
| ened with deficiency. and prohtbi-
| ton would have taken $500 from
depicted treasury, Besides I had
! been leading the temperance light In
the senate since 1892 and knew the
opinions OF every Senator upon that
| great question. / believed, therefore.
that the measure would not pass III.
| legislature. and hampered AS the issue
would have been by the financial con-
! ditton of the State, ] very seriously
! doubted the success Of prohibition be-
fore the people. !. therefore, regard
ed the measure as fraught with dan
ger to the temperance cause and like
| y to hazard results which had been
! achieved through long years of hard
| and honest warfare, Honestly hold
| ;ng these views whether correct or
not l would have been disloyai to my
own convictions and the cause 80 dear
10 my heart and for which have
made SO many sacrifices, II had
Yielded TO the decision OF the league
and given the Strode-Myers bill that
loud and strong support which the
| president OF the league thinks / ought
10 have given 1t. Ii my action has
met with .tne disapproxsf 'iof Dr. At
kins, who WAS a schooiboy, or perhaps
| In his swaddEng clothes when I was
lighting the battles OF temperance
regret 1t but rely upon the liberality
and justice OF other men more will
ing to give to their brother that free
dom of opinion which they reserve
| for themselves. In this connection L
wish to correct the impression made
upon DR. Atkins In my speech to the
| league Of 1910, in reference to. the
financial questions which would have
5A De IA Geo. 90 mot Wien IT UNDER
| stood that such a consideration would
have controlled my vote or position.
On the contrary. l repeat what I have
frequently declared in public speeches,
that when a moral question IL In
volved, money ought not to be taken
| into consideration. but conscience
should be followed. and results left to
the God who controls and In His wis
dom governs individuals and States
intended to express this view In my
| inaugural address to the legislature
| when l said:
See TO II that at any and every
sacrifice our boys are protected from
temptation and our homes kept pure"
With this. am about done. I have
no further regrets to express, no. apoi-
ogtes to make. When my end shalt
come. and in the nature OF things II
cannot be very many years In the
future. ] expect to point with pride
to the Mann bill. which drafted and
fought through the Legislature. and
which closed about eight hundred sa-
looms. a. satisfactory evidence OF my
belief and efforts In behalf OF tho CEN
trail principle of the league. ''the sa-
loon must Co." and believe I can
carry that bill, and the good il has
wrought for our fellow men, through
tho portals OF the grave and lay them
as humble offerings At the feet Of the