The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-27

win not permit us to do as long the au-
thorities sell Intoxicating liquors on the grounds
and the resolution further requested the board
of directors to abolish the liquor selling as a
matter of respect for the conscientious con-
WELL but cannot attend II intoxcants sold
there. This resolution did not call upon peo-
Pile to boycott the fair, but called upon the d.
rectors to make 1t possible for us to attend the
fair.
Up to the present time the board Of directors
has shown no signs whatever of yielding to the
requests of the churches in this matter, al
though the position of the churches has been
supported by number of the daily newspapers
of the State, and the important fact In con-
nection with the invitation of the president
is that there Is strong protest against the man
agement OF the fair that great church bodies
have declared against the way in which 1t Is
conducted at present and that many OF our
best citizens have declared that they could
not attend under present conditions. The pres
ident should be fully apprised of these facts
and his decision should be made with rull
knowledge of the same,
And it must be fully understood that the
! issue Is not the broad question of whether
intoxieants should be sold anywhere or at any
time. 1t Is true that very many of the people
who oppose the bar rooms on the fair grounds
are opposed to the sale of liquor anywhere or
directors of the fair is that the fair ground Is
not suta BILE appropriate place for the sale
gather there composed not only of grown men
but of women and young people and even
small children.
! Daily newspapers which have not opposed
the saloon business in the State have recognized
the justice of the protests made by the churches
on this subject.
4 The Danye Register says: I'VE have grave
doubt to crowded fair ground filled with
women and children being fit and proper
place whereat to dispense liquors.
! The Newport News Press says: "A public fair
Is UNIT a place to peddle intoxicating drinks
as ferry boat, Nor can we see any reasonable
excuse for running drinking saloons at such a
place. 1t advertises to run a fair for the
public benefit and invites men. women and
! children to come and the exhibits and en-
/ varied attractions.
quor is offense to large number of its pa
irons and menace to order. The organi-
zation Is going far beyond its mission and
serves good purpose, but only evil when
/ T. engages in the saloon business.
fair ground is not AT place for the sale OF
Intoxicating drinks"
| The Norfolk virginian- Pilot has been
declares with emphasis that the State fair is not
suitable place for the sale of liquor. An ex-
tract Is given from its editorial. entitled Con
ira Bonos Mores." ut Is required that the courts
empowered to issue license shall be first con-
WINGED that the place is suitable, convenient and
Inappropriate for the conduct Of such business.
Saloons are not to be chartered within certain
prescribed distances of places of public wor-
ship. schools and colleges. and intoxcants are
not to be sold election days. etc, The policy
of the law is to protect the public peace and or
der well safeguard the morals of the
| from unseemly Interruptions. Times and places
where extraordinary crowds of men, women
and children are TO be gathered together for pur-
poses Of amusement. instruction. politics. or
what not are the very last where the dispensa-
ton OF intoxicants should be allowed. In this
view of the matter 1t seems to us contrary to
the spirit of the State law that the special
privilege of selling liquor on its grounds Of
exhibition should be granted an agricultural
fair association as that such license should
be issued to a Chautauqua society or cir
Gus company to any other concern offer
ing attractions for the gathering together tenn
porarily OF heterogeneous multitude OF all
sorts sexes and ages of visitors. To this ex-
! tent and for reasons easily adducibfe from
what has been said above we do not think
that authority should have been given to the
management of the State fair at Richmond 10
open bars upon it's premises that the man.
agement should adhere to the purpose OF OPP
Grating such dispensaries In the face of earnest
protest from thousands OF the citizens on whose
good will and patronage the success OF the
fair institution representative OF the farm
ers and farming interests of Virginia so largely
depends We are by no mean cure that the
pecuniary returns of the approaching exht-
the sentiment of a substantial proportion of
biton will be any the greater for the outraging
the farming community: but even II mistaken
on this point and II the attendance and gate re-
Iceipts are TO be larger than II ardent spirits
were not obtainable the grounds we are
firmly Of the Judgment that from no defen-
sible point of view is the place suitable or
appropriate for the location of saloons for the
sale of intoxicating beverage.
| The fact that the State Fair association is de-
face of the protest of the enlightened Christian
sentiment of Virginia, including not only those
who oppose the sale OF liquor at any place or
at any time, but those who object TO 1t at this
special place this Is the issue and it is proper
that the president of the United States should
have these facts before him when pc receives
THE invitation from the committee 10 visit the
State fair The directors of the fair know that
If they secure the presence II President
Wilson many thousands Will go to the fair to
! honor the president and to hear him speak.
who. under other circumstances, would stay
at home. and they very shrewd and very
wise In their day and generation.
II Victory for the Enabling Act
L Whatever might have been the opinion of
anyone concerning the position of the State of
/ Virginia upon the passage OF enabling act,
L no honest man question that position any
II longer. Not since the writer has been engaged
i in public temperance work in Virginia have
the liquor forces made more determined ef-
fort than they have made during the past sum-
mer The claim was made at the last general
assembly that the house of delegates did not
represent the wishes of the people in the pas
sage OF the enabling act, and the senate OF Vir-
ginia killed the bill notwithstanding the over
wheming majority given to 1t in the house.
The Anti Saloon League of Virginia appealed
to the people to send back house of delegates
favorable to tho passage of the bill. The Ii
quor forces began systematic campaign in