The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-29

which operates to restrain the legislature from
BORDERING q Statewide vote on the liquor ques-
ton The sole reference to liquor Is In sectioh
So, which declares that THE general assembly
dispensary laws. or any other laws controlling,
regulating or prohibiting the sale OF infoxcatins
liquors" That this provision IN no way nm,ss
ablng act. but. the contrary. confirms II.
| lis, think. too obvious for argument.
\ The measure n certain to be again brought
before the legislature at Its session next win
ter, and. entertaining doubt az to its constitu-
tionality and believing that after years OF pup
arrived when there should be Statewide vote,
I hope that It will become law.
1t Ia needless to say that such q law (as
stated in your editorial last weekly would not
4 he declaration either for or against prohi-
bition, but would simply afford the voters the
opportunity to pass on and determine that ques-
r. WALTON MOORE
Fairfax, Va June 49, 1918.
/ II will be observed that Mr.. Moore not only
differs with Mr.. Oliver as to the unconstitu-
tionality of the enabling act but also as to the
advisa bity OF the passage OF such measnre.
He holds that the people should be allowed TO
vote on the question. Indeed. 1t Is hard to
account for Mr.. divers undemocratic attitude
in this matter--his Discrimination to trust the
people and his assumption of the right to
speak to their stead, for which. he says, ne mas
mo apology to make. .
/ Section of constitution declares tnat
"all power is vested in, and consequently DE-
rived from. the people and that public ser,
| Section Is declares that mo free government.
or the blessings Of liberty, can be preserved 70
any. people but by frequent recurrence
TO fundamental principles" !. e. the ascertain
ment of the will of the people. SO jealous were
the founders of the republic OF the rights OF the
people to rule, that 1t was declared in our I'm
mortal bill of rights and embodied in the 18th
section of constitution, that the rights
enumerated in this bill of rights shall not be
construed limit other rights Of the people
! rot therein expressed But Mr.. Oliver uor
which he has mo apology to make'D contends
J hA Cd IN
on this subject il their decision is not likely to
be In accord with his individual views. We can
not believe that the Democrats OF fair1ax coun.
ty ready to surrender their time honored
privilege. This is not question OF pronipition
I or anti-prohibition; the question u.s. Shall the
peoples voice Mr.. divers. control?
/ Mr. Oliver has not only violated funda-
mental Democratic principle. but places himself
in antagonism TO the Democratic national plat
form. which declared: I'VE again remind the
country that only by larged exercise OF the
reserved power Of the people can they protect
themselves from the misuse Of delegated power
and the usurpation of governmental instru-
mentalities by special interests" and the con-
lvention in contending for larger expression or
the voice of the people declared that our plat
form is one of principles which we believe to be
essential to our national welfare"
/ Indeed the distinctive feature OF true Democ-
racy is the rule of the people. Shall we sur
render this right to Mr.. oliver
! They are both excellent gentlemen, but we
are for Robey as against Oliver. because Robey
favors the enabling act. and Oliver doesn't We
don't know or care what Mr. Robey's position
/ is to prohibition anti prohibition. The
question for decision in this contest Ia, Shall
MIR. Oliver or the people rule?
/ The undem ocratic position of Mr. Oliver on
the enabling act, renders peculiarly applicable
the declaration of woodrow Wilson that ne
didn't want SNUG lot of experts to sit down
behind closed doors and play Prudence to the
people" There is a Providence to which am
perfectly willing to submit, says President
Wilson, "but as for other men setting up as
Providence myself. seriously object
II am one of those who absolutely reject the
trust he Guardianship theory. I
have never found a man who knew how to take
care of me. and reasoning from that stand
point out / conjecture that there isn't any
man who knows how to take of all the
people believe, believe in nothing
else, in the average integrity and the average
intelligence of tn American people and do not
believe that the intelligence of America can be
put into commission anywhere No group
of less than the majority has right to tell
me how l have got to live in America l have
never heard of any group of men In whose hands
L am willing to lodge the liberties of America
in trust If any part Of people want to be
wards, ifthey want to have guardians put over
them, am sorry because it will sap the man
hood of America"
Mr. oliver is the self-constituted guardian of
the people. Will they tolerate the guardian
manhood? or will they vote TO rebuke such
infringement of their rights and imputation
upon their intelligence?
Hon. George 3. Keezeil, one Of the leading
Democrats of the State, says in his announce
ment for the house of delegates in Rockingham
county, that he will vote for enabling act.
such proposed at the last session of the
legislature. because he believes IT Is a funda-
mental principle of the Democratic party that
the people have a right to rule, and, when any
considerable number demand the right to vote
upon any question which the constitution per-
mits them to do, refusal of that privilege
would be denial of their rights
! But friend Oliver is opposed to this
Fundamental principle of Democracy" and
would deny the people this right-Farfax
Herald