The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-21

/ To put IL VERY pfGcuChtkSs the EEi-
ltatioas Of the temperance question Is
tho process of exercising the PROPOSE
fion FOR its own good, ana the AtlrfanE
up Of the people to their danger from
/ tie traffic in strong drink. Let the
arm remain inactive for given length
of time and the muscles become hahby
and the member Is proportt9nately
weak: let the temperance question re-
main dormant for q time and IL ts
shofn propostionatelY OF its Interest
and Tower; let the people become IN
different or careless about IT, ana they
weaken IN like manner
I Tre-emineRtly the Antt-Saioon league
is an agitator. It's opponents are agi-
tatoFs 1t lives and moves and has
its being In asitation--and woe be unto
the temperance advocate or dry com,
munity that rese0ts a constant ana
The man who has fallen faint and cold
in the snow may not at hrst be com
scs0us of the agitation of his body, tho
vigorous rubbing necessary TO revive
circulation; and as the blood, warmed
hy the process, begins to course
through the veins and produces prick
ing sensation, he may be inclined 10
recent the treatment but the very
ching he rcsente is that which saves
ais life. So with the individual on the
temperance question. Let him remem-
her that If he reSeuts Anu-Saloon
league agitation he repels that which
tends to save and conserve his temper
auce life A family sleeping peace
fully may be overcome by escaping
las vigorous treatment is essential
10 their restoration TO consciousness
and health. This may not be pleas
amt, aud they may he inclined 70 say
~ han partly recovered, Let us nloneF
Rut the treatment they dislike has the
curative power In tt, and its persistent
application is the thing that saves. so
70 community. we'll satisfied with what
~ terms it's ideal dry condition" may
gradually hecome asphyxiated by over
confidence, forget to pay poll taxes
KEEN az appropriate instruction on the
Stature Of alcohol, let the liquor men
UrEantze their young men into CLUBS
and woan them away from temperance,
of the saloon--and when found almost
dead By th1 Anti Saloon league and an
effort 1s made TO bring them 20 some
times. and toe often, the first evidence
of returning consciousness is sort OF
&goWl and a Let us alone, or we
can manage our own affairs etc They
forget IN such instances that the eX-
pefiencc Of the Anti-Safoou league dem
ans3Fates that Il community. no matter
how good IL may be- unless constantly
pEitated on the temperance question,
way be lost ia fhe cause. and almost
invariably the loss is charged up by
he public and the enemy 70 the Anti
saloon league, NOT TO the carelessness
and indifference Of the community.
udvfce lis not followed? What's the
use in having an Anti-Saloon league II
its experience is not recognized ana
{ fact is, 1t is better, SIS we march to-
ward Statewide prohibition, to lose a
local fight with the Anti-Haloon league
than TO win one without 1t. The truth
Of this statement il obvious to the far
seeing and thoughtful man.
! The mediums of league agitation are
chiefly two in NUM- Der, via; the spoken
word and the printed page. 30 to
speak, hot air. by, the speaker and
hot stun from the press II ~
the people are Instructed, but there are
other Important avenues by which the
people are to be reached by tho league.
Agitation ia the exercising of the In
dividual, the stirring up awakening OF
( the community. But information is the
lnstrumentality through which the agi-
tation is done, so we come. then, to the
/ Information.
! An informed people are an awakened
peopa@. they are aB Interested people
n responsive and an active people
Faith cometh by hearing, and hear
ing by the word of Cod; Readine
mBketh n fun man" are spiritual and
( literary axioIns; and these are Just al
true In reference to facts about tht
battle for liberty against the saloon
The illtterate man, the hardest to lead
the uniformed man III usually very In
different 10 the most powerful appeals
70 reason and conscience. But give us
tho educated man. and as a rule he /.
tractabie, give Iis the informed man
and he responds to Intelligent approach
one Of old cried out for the Lord tina
the people were dying for lack o.
knowledge. IT was not because there
was no knowledge for them, but tina
they were either unwilling to receive
III or else had not been reached by IL
We do not hesitate to affirm that tt Il
not only the lack Of Willingness o
many to learn about temperance, hu
the larger lack of general knowledge
concerning the subject that creates th-
greatest single problem OF Temperance
reformers IN Virginia or the nation to
Gag ~ ~ not so much that the peopi'
do not want tn know. but that they ar
mot being informed about the creates
mnral movement ~ modern times
AS an Illustration of this the write
has tested 4 large number of congre
cations IN country. town and city sine,
November az TO their knowledge of tn,
great prohibition victory OF $4,000 ma
per cent Of amy congregation knew o
thls most unprecedented victory 70
Statewide prohibition In the history o
this country.
The question. here. arises, why wer
not These people informed? Why ar
not thu people generally informed
several replies may be suggested.
tors
Second. They are not told by thei
political leaders.
The average newspaper, few peopl
comparatively subscribe to their churcl
papers, and still fewer 10 the Virginia
The chief reason the preachers d,
not give the Information liz becaus
the sources they usually rely upon 70
temperance information do not max
a special effort to get or publish IL
except those preachers who may h.
Uniformed, hut are afraid of some liquo
advocates IN their congregations. Thi
u ALEC true. regarding the polltica
leaders, except those who despise tn
Anti-SalUon league and don't want tn
people to have the truth.
But the principal trouble liz that tn
usual news agencies, especially tn
large daily papers In liquor cities an,
upon which the smaller papers rely 70
their news, DO not give as much tim
ar space TO the ever available temper
ianoe news as 10 Tbaw cases, Rosentha
murders Bcattie tragedies. Allen law
iessness, etc, etc. But let III be dis
A tinctly understood that the writer @
this paper fully recognizes the vafu,
and power of the press, and believes
that II has in il much more OF goo,
than bad but simply states the fact
as they appear to him after careful OBJ
sefs alton and examination AS an ex
offered, aet II be said that on the GIL
day of last Noven Der, when il was q,
wei known that West Virginia went a
least 20, 900 majority for Statewide pro
hthltlqn as that various candidates FOL
office received certain votes, the papert
generally had the information abou
West virginia tucked away on insid,
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