The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-31
PEOPLE HAVE No
RIGHT TO VOTE
Liquor Attorney Says Virgin
ians Have No Inherent
Suffrage Privilege
SALOON CHAMPIONS
TOCONCLUDE TONIGHT
Temperate Language and
Courteous Bearing Mark
Attitude of Both
Vets and 'Drys

The public hearing on the Jordan
submission bill. otherwise known as
the enabling act" will bbe con-
cluded tonight before the House
Committee on Privileges and Elec-
tons The advocates Of the liquor
interests were heard In part yester-
day morning at 10 o'clock, when n
number who oppose the Statewide
policy addressed the committee In
the court room OF the State Corpora
ton Commission
The room was thronged with those
who had been attracted to the Capt.
toll BY the discussion upon this meas
ure, many ladies' being in attendance.
The discussion on the part OF both
sides has thus far been marked BY
temperate language, courteous bear
ing and II has been notably free from
unpleasant clashes.
Mr.. s. l. Kelly, counsel for the
Liquor Dealeri Association, opened
tbs discussion In brief address. He
said that the committee had heard
some Eve and one-h half hours Of ar
gument on behalf OF the proponents
Of the measure. Much had been said
calculated to arouse the sympathies
Of the members Of tho committee.
1nio 1WEs AcAyp Win Inc slcWB VI
the temperance people. There was
no issue between himself and the
advocates of temperance on the stAte-
ment that much harm came from
the use Of intoxicating liquors. No
man would deny that proposition.
Tho effectiveness Of the remedy pro-
posed. however, In the estimation OF
Mr.. Kelly. was open to attack.
No Inherent Right TO Vote.
| Furthermore. he denied the cor
/ rectness OF the premise that 1t was
Democratic policy or a policy OF
our system Of government that the
people shall have the right to vote
! on any question they see 1T. They
possessed no inherent right of suf-
fraye. II the gentlemen came advo-
eating vote they came to the COM
mtttee AZ petitioners. and It was in-
lcumbent upon them to show the wis
dom Of the exercise Of the discre-
ton of the Legislature IN permitting
q vote.
There WAS urged the liquor at
torney, no place for the initiative or
referendum In our system OF gov
eminent. Several of the Western
States had engrafted tho principle on
their fundamental law, and il the
people OF Virginia want II In vir-
sinia 1t IL incumbent upon them to
put II on the statute books or in the
Constitution OF tho State. Our gov
eminent, he urged. was not a pure
democracy. but was rather one OF
delegated authority. He believed that
the delegated few could and did gov
ern more wisely than the people In
mass
Turning again to the moral side o,
the question Mr.. Kelly said that while
n IN tel -
OF intemperancc, they were greatly ex-
aSgerated. Only a small part Of the
harm attributed to whiskey, he
thought. was justly attributable there
| to. 1t was not question, In his opin-
ion. OF naked abstract right and
wrong, but OF governmental policy.
He declared. in conclusion, that pro-
hibition was not the way.
! Hampton "Wsts Banker Spsaks.
Mr MARSHALL Van Schilling, cashier
Of the Merchanta' and Farmers' Bank
OF Hampton. was introduced by Mr.,
Kelly. Mr.. Van Schiliing addressed
himself to the financial aspect Of the
traffic. He did not see how his city
could possibly pay its debts IL the
license income was taken from n
Nothing, he urged. could he more or
| Derry than tho conduct 81 the salee4,
In his section. Mr.. Won SchillinR ID
a close neighbor of the town of Phoe-
bus. the reservation at Old Point
Fortress Monroe and the Soldiers'
| Home.
| Mr.. ". N. Runin. a Danville real
| estate dealer. who argued that. while
| rum had been giving q world OF trou-
Bile ever since Noah sailed" prohi-
bition was not the remedy. He
charged that when Danviile went ''dry''
a number Of tho people who voted the
dry" ticket had gotten In great
stocks OF liquor possibly IN apprenen-
sion Of an epidemic OF snakes He
| told OF tho large business Danville In
doing In wet" goods with North Caro-
lima. He advanced tho time-worn a
| nanciai argument: tho argument that
| prohibition does not prohibit: and the
| argument that each community should
| have the right to control Its own
| policy.
Others Heard From.
| Charles r. Plnmmer. . police jus
tice OF Petersburg: j. Y. Williams,
/ representing tho Alexandria Chamber
| Of Commerce.; and HI. r. Booker, rep
| resenting the Council Of the City OF
| Hampton, all presented the usual anti
| temperance arguments. basing their
I 'hiHcdxssHns keMeeaiiy upon ms Uiiai-
| ness and financial aspects Of the case.
| 4 MIR. Howison. who has recently
| returned from Tennessee, read a de-
AcripGacn Of conditions at Memphis,
and made m argument in which he
aauailad the workings of the State
widA law.
President Mets. OF the State Fed
Grafton Of Labor. for which organisa-
ton, however. he stated no did not
speak, appeared and made an argu-
msnt on behalf Of the men whom he