The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-22

~Sablinx act rather than asking for
ne enactment OF Statewide Law.
4Fe fully reAiixe that the conditions
Z IRE not the same to-day as at tHs'
4tsme. Then the General ASemoi,
had already been elected and was In
= Geakion. Now no candidate has even
been nominated for either the Senate
or House. and the primaries are sew
S <fai months distant Were the Quss-
Y lion nj issue to be settled. by honor
able gentlemen, both sides acting IN
recd faith, there would be no doab1
hut that the enabling act would De
che wiser policy for permanent re-
e<slts But we know toe well that the
liuuor trafsic never fights fairly Brlb-
cry, SANDER. fraud OF every cohcsN-
able kind, Intimidation. and some
times even murder, are the weapons
III Its warfare. Our experience IA
local option elections In cities SHOW
that the great object of the C"nsu-
futsonal Convention viii be thwarteo,
and the Constitution itself tTampiea
safsder foot whenever possible bt me
4 asnuor forces in their efforts TO main
rain foothold for the traffic In Viz
gsnia Saloons exist to-day IN BITS
ttsi Harrison burg. DanVliie ana Hoa~
noke by the ballots Of the venal an"
aiEitrrste voters. put on the registEa-
ter and the spirit OF the new Con-
stitution.
1t Is absolutely certain, therefore,
chat in auv Statewide election the
ffouor forces viii endeaVor 20 put
horde OF illiterate. purchasea0le Not-
ssrs upon the registration books IN
defiance Of the Constitution. ana they
will hope in this way 90 pile Up suGh
a ma iur4;v In the wet" cities as Will
Z * Asv,av
II In the country districts The dan
ger of the situation is folly recog-
ntxea Inv 0hservant men. and the opin-
ION lis held by many that il VIII ne
impossible TO secure "A fair state vac
election unless some measures are
adopted 10 protect the re registration
books from wholesale padding,
Nevertheless, after giving due
weight To the diIicalty of obtaining
u fair election, the judgment Of your
legislative committee is in favor OF
rtatt1rmation Of the policy OF I9lV
on this point, believing, as we 40.
that a fair minded Legislature VIII
recognize the right OF the people To
vote on the question OF prohibition
If theySso request, and Furthermore
believing that a law which Is passed
1sy a majority vote of all the people
will be more likely to produce perrua-
..entiv bepeiicial results than II passed
9.v legislative enactment But, as We
said above, your committee has ne
desire TO be dogmatic on question
Of method We recognize that thefe
are many earnest and thoughtful tenn
perance workers who believe that un-
der the present uncertain CONDITIONS
as to the protection Of the fegistra-
1iun from corrupting influences, II
. would be better 10 ask for the pas
sage of a prohi-ItJry law by the ten
.ral Assembly without referring ii to
the popular vote. It Is question
og Judgment, and. while We have great
respect for tho views OF those VINO
may disagree with Us, your committee
feels constrained to recommend IA CON
asnuation of the policy of 1910, as
hest calculated to meet all the CON
dit.ons which confront us in our ~ork
to-day.
shall Bill BE Loaded?
The suggestion has been made IN
some quarters Tnat any pftt prssed
granting the right to call an election
should he accomp panied by "a pro-
vision that, in the event the state
shall 20 dry there shall he an
Increase in the rate OF taxation, on the
ground that the revenue of Sboo,oVo
naid into the State treasury By the
#
without increasing the tax rate, OF
course. this ia simply An effort on the
part of the druukard- makers ana
their allies the wet newspapers, 10
frtghtan the timid In advance. The
people are competent to settle th's
uaestion for themselves. II they want
to call an election TO vote out the
horde of vampires which have been
sucking the life blood OF the material
and moral resources of Virginia they
should be given the right to do so.
IL ia for them to decide when they
east their ballots for or against the
saloon whether they think II will cause
an increase In the tax rate, ana, II
Nc, whether they desire to have IT
increased rather than To nave the
& saloon Even could ii be shown that
there would he temporary deficit
Of $500 600 as a result OF driving out
The saloons. that would not be but
25 cents per year per capita for the
1000, 300, people I1 NtrgtnAas, ! ia
people OF the Old Dominion, who risk
"a not only their property but their
lives in defense Of principle in 1861.
will not now sell their children to the
Grunkard- makers in order To save 20
cents per capita.
AS d matter ct fact, there VIII he
no permanent increase ia taxation
Il from the loss of the revenue from
\ s8ssFior ssses1Ssss, although &UT sha~ first
ycar /, may he necessary to exercise
unusual prudence in making appro-
prfations.
The drunkard- makers pay into the
State treasury 100000, Where do
they get ~ Out of their own pockets.
or out of the pockets Of the people OF
Virginia? of course. they get IL ont
Of the pockets of men who drink, and
b. sssas M iy s#ae; e98. but many. many
millions do they collect from the peo-
pie OF Virginia, large proportion OF
which goes out of the State to the
brewers and distffiers and wholesale
Ifauor dealers and never comes back
10 Virginia any more. The ex-
perience OF prohibition towns and
cities and States is 'that the increase
in the producing capacity of the peo-
pIe. and the increase in taxable values,
and the increase in license fees from
honorable forms of business, to say
nothing Of the amount OF money kept
In the State. which formerly fed the
insatiate NAV OF the foreign liquor
houses. far more than equals the
amount of the liquor licenses. For
example, the taxable values in the
State Of Kansas have increased at the
rate of s120, zoe per year. or ST.
19o,oo0,0o0 in the past ten years.
People Competent to Decide,
No, the people have the right to
pass upon the question OF taxation for
/ themselves. II they want the right