The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-07
TAKE THE JORDAN BILL UP OFT OF ITS
ORuER---MHY NOT"


ORDER--WHY NOT"
Ii is occurrence by means infreauent
Tor legislative bodies to give important mea-
sures precedence over those OF secondary value
cent session that measures in which a great
many Of the people Of Virginia were interested
have been placed at the head OF the calendar.
We know of no measure before the
House of Delegates in the fate OF which so
many IT the people OF Virginia are interested
~ the Jordan submission bill In fair
ness to both vets and "drys" the mea-
sure should reach the Senate In sufficiently
coed time to give that body opportunity 10
give 1t due committee consider alton and to
discuss It on the floor freely.
II has been suggested that there is a sufii-
cient number of wet" men In the House to
keep the bill from being taken up out of its
regular order. We do not believe that this
has been established by an actual poll. At
fny rate as Ii is quite apparent that the major
the question the opposition to the measure can
Fain nothing BY delay.
We do not believe that there has besn any
Intentional delay In the consider alton of any
measure before the General Assembly. barring
III hour OF oratory on the part of Mr.. Cox In
measure We speak advisedly when we say
that the present Legislature of Virginia Ii as
fair and just body OF men as have ever gath
cred In Richmond They may not achieve brill
liant results. but we believe that when they
20 home next month they will leave record
unmarried BY scandal.
The people Of Virginia are asking but small
thing when they ask the privilege to decide
by popular vote great moral question. II
there be those who hold to the belief that the
sentiment behind the Statewide. movement Ia
ephemcrai. al tifcial and manufactured. "a ex-
pressed by one Of the attorneys for the liquor
interests In his argument before the commit
tee on Privileges and Elections, there are many
ways to sound public sentiment There il no
better way. however. of settling the whole
matter than to refer the question TO vote OF
the people upon whose shoulders the RESPONSE
b9Itty properly belongs. ii, aS has DeeH Iouuiy
proclaimed. the people Of Virginia do not want
4 Statewide vote, they will not sign the very
adequately guarded petition provided for in
the Jordan bill IT, however out OF every
four Of the qualified voters of virginia sign
the petition it would indicate that there Is a
sentiment to be reckoned with In Virginia
and it in the absolute knowledge on the part
Ut the opponents OF the measure that no many
virginians ~ twenty live per cent. OF the
electorate viii be readily found to sign the
petition that causes the hitch. They know full
we'll that the sentiment OF Virginia. while
neither noisily nor radically expressed is as
sti ong and as enduring as the eternal hills
themselves for the abolition of tho saloon.
They know that this sentiment is neither
manufactured nor artificial and they know too
that 4 4 impossible for Virginia 70 o.. continue
one quarter wet" and three-quarters dry"
Then let us have a full. fair. free. open fight
In the House and then In the Senate. eaca
side 'toting fair" with the other aud. when the
case has been brought to a close and the last
aye and may" counted the defeated side
win have no kick" coming and the world will
10 round as, usual