The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-14
LIQUOR on THE RUN.

From a state Of eneering confidence the
liquor interests have suddenly run upon con-
dision Of panic With the minority OF the
House daily defeating the motion 10 advance
the Jordan bill upon the calendar no AZ to
give expression to the view Of the majority,
would have liked TO cheer.
On Monday. Mr. Throckmorton's resolution
to change the rules brought sudden disillusion
to fsncied security. II dawned upon the ap-
prehension OF the apologsts for the saloons,
tho sophists of local self government" the
economists who see in tho destruction wrought
by whiskey a financial boon. that there ID
something more than the tinkic of bells to the
phrase. The Voice of the People" The con.
ddeut minority, hopeful Of saving their faces
and their mutton at the same time, commenced
10 see that there was specific cure which h
determined majority could apply to the evasion
ana insincerity OF filibuster. One word from
the majority was sufncient to bring the
House to Its senses.
So 1t happened that on yesterday the
minority OF delay and indirection wited like q
net rag. Gone WAS its Eneering laughter Conc
IT. self-containcd assurance. Gone, its swag-
gee and It's Overnight came rezaiza.
ZION. and with 1t reason. When the House mes,
& tho minority capisuiated in haste to avoid
outright capture. Consideration OF the Jordan
Enabling Act was set for next Tuesday.
Next Tuesday will probably witness the pas
rage OF thu bin by the House. In the mean
time II will. in facsiBiHs cerbis. have come be-
Elections The House will have acted Its
members will have taken their stand. The
burden and the obligation will have been shift
Il "a 10 the Senate.
II il m the Senate that the liquor forces
place their confidence. To the Senate they
look 10 save them from disaster they SEC inn
pending They had hoped to save the Senate
/ the necessity OF doing this service. but they
have held IT In reserve. III the worst comes
10 the worst has been the liquor consolation.
.the Senate, at least. will stand fast"
win It? Senators are elected for four years.
They were elected last November. They VIII
serve In this General Assembly and In the next
the people, They are supposed TO DO imper-
vious 70 popular clamor." But suppose what
il called popular claInor'' Is demand from
the people which has been voiced for years,
which has grown with exercise, which swells
louder each time It has the opportunity TO
rake itself heard by those 10 whom It feela
It's right OF petition, over whom. finally, 1t
holds the power Of political l!fe or death. What
choice will the Senate make between the In
sistence OF these two masters, the Special In
seres,s Of whiskey, the Moral Conviction of
the People?
We have all along booked this assurance as
to the Senates action in the mouth. We have
influence was sought. through the attempt 70
d make gamble ON a matter OF the popular
~onscience We have felt, In word, that the
claim of liquor property in the Senate was
tar more fiction than fact, far more blum
than confidence That this belief had justi-
AeatIen wee proved yesterday when interests
friendly to the saloon revised their polls on
the attstude Of Senators 80 ~ omake the vote
d tie First there was never 10 be vote. II
there was q vote. the Enabling Act was to be
overwhelmingly beaten--had In fact, been beat.
90 In advance Non, II is tie. with reliance.
I we suppose. on the action OF the Lieutenant
Governor to reprieve the death sentence Of the
open bar BY his single vo,e
Thus far has the liquor enthusiasm. the
3 iiruor assurance. the professional liquor indif-
i ference, shriyeied and sbrunk. In case the
revised pom holds true. and there really is a
\ he, the Virutsica docs not fear TOR the manner
ID which j. Taylor Ellyson win cast his vote.
But such corcession Is more than It admits;
4 ~ ~ a coM}cssios- II liquor interests claim a
IA resi- assured that the Temperance forces viii
u hGve majority. All that remains is the duty
h y pseesing home victory already In sight.
cf ssdoubiing caation as confidence grows, Of
" S1laag blow on blow.
\ s1E VALUE or "a. VALENTINES.
DE ~ 1fttle III cool but today the Christian