The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-10
Met THE ISSUE:


forces behind the Jordan enabling act and the
advocates of the lquor interests came In the
House yesterday The motion TO advance the
bill made by the temperance legislators in
pursuance OF wise policy which will seek
svery opportunity of pressing the Issue to final
decision Although the necessary t~o-thirds
vote 10 advance the bill on the calenaar
Got obtained, the ballot disclosed the fact that
u strong majority fn the House is In favor OF
The measure. As this paper h,-s advocated.
there will now be no let up in the perslstency
and aggressiyeness of the campaign for its
passage, The first motion Was defeated. al
though the vote itself showed coBclusiyely that
the bill viii pass There viii be other motions.
There viii be a reassembiing OF the friends OF
The bill. There will be agitation until 1t yields
to the favor able vote of which the House is cap
able
Yesterdays result in itself Is not surprising.
For the fight against the effort 10 produce
measure OF direct government to cute a partial
failure of representative government lie In its
nature a fight which seeks indirection rather
than direction.
1t liz fight of ambush. a fight of surprise. a
less Than all else decisive engagement The
people who make 1t desire above all things not
to get out In the open. There Is no intention
here of cutting throat. The manner and In
SEPARATION of this fight Is dilatory. the manner
and inspiration of slow starvation.
measure that proposes nothing more than the
power of fourth OF the suff agans Of Virginia
to petition for their right to instruct their
representatives IL in election 1t be shown
that they have an additional fourth and more
of the electorate with them. shall be done TO
resentatives seek to hide themselves the day
of battle?
Shall i, he permitted that moral cause
shall he done TO death TO please someone's
hypocrisy to bolster someone's f;midity with
sense of security from attack from either
quarter!
In matter such as this. where the real in
tArest OF the State and it's people Ia clear
~ aroused shall that interest meet defeat be-
cause someone is afraid to declare himself and
takes the means of delay 10 avert his declara-
ton.
The session OF the General Assembly Is now
half over mass of undigested legislation
lies upon its tables. In the natural order of
events it must pick and chose what will 1t
select for passage or rejection? Will IL by
technical rule put among the yiands discarded
at the end of the feast that one thing which
more than any other reflects growing and
swelling demand the part of the people.
WIN 1t ny in the face OF a real popular demand
under the apprehension that the people who
bake the demand fools and simpletons, who
do not unde stand what causes the smart on
their cheek when once they have been slapped?
Or will they come forward. with the fenr-
square manIiness tina, in any case carries re-
spect in its wake, and meet the issue and de-
eide IT.
THIS paper believes in the Jordan bill 1t
believes that 1t embodies principle OF value
and progress to the State. II believes that the
people OF the State are ready. at the first op-
porunity. to support and give 1t the seal of
sasesr sovereign power Of approval" But we
viii unhesitatingiy say for all who think with
ms and for that between the man who pro-
tesscs to support IT, but who conspires by post
ponement to throttle 1t, and the man who open
y opposes 1t, our sympathy Is with the latter.
Tepsd water turns the stomach of man Give
men. and with them 10 the Legislature
drink Of one sort or the other On Issue
IKE that raised by the Jordan bill, compromise
u the dish water OF policy.