The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-16

beneath the well-deServed chastise-
ment OF the Anti-Saloon League Con-
vention. 1t is evidently both furious
and frightened. II has for many
moons reviied and ridiculed Prohibit
tiCn. Prohibition leaders and all who
believed in Prohibition, and has call
ed them misguided and blinded fana-
tics and fools. 1t fought the passage
Of the Mann Bill and enunciated its
rev notorious slogan, Every man has
the right to drink liquor to his COM
fort" 1t declared that in the pas
sege OF the Mann Law and the Byrd
Law Virginia had departed from Lo-
cal Option and passed a straight Pro-
hibitory Law. which is certainly true.
II has fought every advance step In
Prohibitory legislation. IT has declar-
ed Itself believer In Local Option,
and yet when movement was on foot
to hold a Local Option election In
Richmond 1t commended In strong
language the meeting at the Academy
OF Music which had as its slogan, Let
Richmond Alone" which meant moth
ing but leave the $50 pits of damna-
ton. called saloons. alone. When the
Local Option election was held In Pc
tersburg this Supreme" newspaper
sent one of its staff correspondents to
Petersburg, and the report published
in its columns was vile, scurrilous
abuse Of those Christian people of that
city who were exercising their right to
try to rid their city of the drunkard-
makers by the Local Option method.
Its reports OF temperance gather
ings have been a combination Of mis-
re presentation, ridicule and SANDER. 1t
has not hesitated to carry its SANDER
Gus. vindictive warfare into the
churches. 1t accused Rev. j. d. Nc
Alister OF having used such indecent
language at the Grove Avenue Baptist
church, that 1t could not be printed
ia the columns of the defender of the
saloon, where the vilest language on
earth is constantly used. When this
supreme" was rebuked by the pas
ter and deacons Of Grove Avenue
church, 1t manifested the attitude of
arrogance and conceit, which II fire.
holds towards such folks as
Baptists and Methodists, and declared
that the statement of Its reporter was
more trustworthy than that of he
pastor and the deacons. At the recent
session OF the Methodist Conference in
this city II attacked Rev. James Can
non as being guilty OF double-dealing.
ard when the Conference rose up In
indignation and demanded that the
reporter retire from the room. IL he
could not report correctly, with the
same Supreme" contempt for the
Methodist Conference which ii had
shown for the Grove Avenue Bapttsts.
1t refused to offer any apology or re-
traction, but branded the great Meth
odist Conference as a set OF puppets
by declaring that the action of the
was gratuitous exhibit
ton Of the power and vanity of DR..
James Cannon"
For the past few months il has
been unusually active in It's ridicule
OF prohibition and Its advocates, es-
pecially In its editorial columns. and
ia recognized all over the State as
the Supreme" champion Of the IL
quor traffic. 1t has not simply de-
clared its opposition to Statewide
prohibition. but 1t has stood so bit
terly against any kind of prohibition
that 1t has endeayored to show that
prohibition Is a failure locally In towns
and country districts. where the citi-
zens have voted out saloons. its
favorite cry has been Prohibition Is
a Failure and Regulation OF High LII
cense is the Only Way to Handle the
Liquor Business"
During all these years II has ad-
vertised in its columns various and
sundry brands of intoxicants. giving
as to where these IN
toxicants could be bought. and has
supposedly received fun advertising
rates for its work. for even the ''Su-
preme" is hardly 80 friendly to the
liquor traffic as to advertise its pro-
duct free OF charges or at cut rates.
Certainly the past record OF the
r iFr,s Fol ho hra yd al
Supreme defender and advocate of
the licensed saloon.
On Wednesday. February %. at the
League convention at
Newport News, the legislative com.
mittee of the league made its re-
port was declared on the floor Of the
chairman of that committee. Rev.
James Cannon. by whom the report
was drafted. The report was sub
mitted, before reading, to the othe
members OF the committee, and when
presented TO the convention was sign.
ed by Revs J. d. McAlister and f.
J. Richardson and Messrs. R. S. Bar
bour, w. II. Vincent and J. W. Houga
all gentlemen OF intelligence, standfne
and character In Virginia. THIS re-
port was declared on the of1or OF the
by several OF the speakers
to be the strongest paper they ha.
ever heard or read on the subject.
and that opinion seemed to be cen
orally shared. It was published ,r
full in the columns Of The virRinfan
the same day.
A resolution was offered by DR..
c. Hatcher. declaring that the leris.
lative committee, and not the conyen.
don, Ia responsible for the arraign
ment of the press. The convention
voted down this resolution, and then
took the unprecedented action OF
adopting not only the resolution.
which the committee offered for cor
but the entire paper, con-
aiming the severe arraignment Of The
wet newspapers Of Virginia. When
Inc position OF the convention ha.
peen clearly indicated by the specche.
ana the tabltng OF DIR. Hatcher's reso
'ution, Dr. cannon stated that, witt
me consent OF the other members
u the committee present he woul
insert the words some or ri Tmct
points in the report as would mar.
he discrimination plain between aon,.
and others.
The Legislative report stands "a.
lay. therefore. not simply as tha A..
Jared opinion Of Rev. James Cannon.
lot simply az the declared opinion Of
he fivo other gentlemen OF reputation
mo character. not only as the declar-
q opinion OF the gathering OF strong.
temperance workers a,
Newport News, but as the opinion of |
III these persons, after q statement
lad been made by Rev. James Cannon
hat he wrote the report, that he be- |
leved every word OF 1t to be true.
hat he was willing to be held entirely