The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-10

and by this deeper truth" is meant
| the body Of motives and principles un-
DERIVING the whole TEMPERANCE prob
lem
recent issue OF your paper giving
an account OF the meeting of the Anti
Saloon League at Roanoke contained
the following statement, made by Mr.
Jordan author OF the enabling act: I'VE
want to know how he Governor Mann)
stood. And ii is this 10 which | de-
sire especially to reply
1t is said upon good authority, by
our fruits shall We be known" Then
what are the fruits" by which we are
to judge In this matter? Have we any
better index than ones own dcclarn-
ton through speeches on formal and
Informal occasions; ones own prac-
tices in public and in his home life,
Sand fights waged along lines of legis-
lation and results wrought? Seem
ingly some OF us wish to force upon
others conditions which we ourselves
would not endure. We depart from
our early training, do unto others
as we would that they should do unto
U.S. and make our motto. do others
as they might do you, but do 'em fust"
Examples are far moro potent than
precepts, and should all those really
interested In the ultimate outcome OF
the temperance movement set the same
example as to It's use as has Governor
Mann, the results. I venture to say,
would be exceedingly striking. The
example OF total abstinence, coupled
with earnest effort against, would
eliminate the saloon from many CEN
tres where IL is yet operating
Governor Mann has In all of his
Temperance talks" heard or read by
the writer. always voiced the princi-
pie of local option. which is 80 dear to
our Anglo-SaXon nature. This prin-
n nj lie md oh
priceless legacy from our Teutonio
forefathers and something necessary
to our existence as purely demo-
cratic social and political organism,
and but few have more clearly COM
pretended and cham pioned more strong
~ and effectively this conception than
has our present executive.
What has the Mann bill as It's fun
damental basis? And what effect did
this. together with the rest Of his leg,
islative record, have upon his rise to
his present position? IT, as his record
shows. he has stood throughout for
| the principle OF local option, does it
not clearly indicate that he believes
in public sentiment as a necessity I'm
the execution OF law and the preserva- :,
ton Of peace? Does it not show that
he believes the power TO enforce mus,
be Identical in eodum loco with the
power TO lay down the regulation-in
other words, that he is a strict adj
herent to local self government, hav-
Ing people govern themselves in mat
ters of local concern? He knows that
government derives It's just right from
the consent of the governed, ana that
without this consent no government
can be really effective.
& If the foregoing be true can a man
with such a record behind him-which
is the result OF years Of thought and
labor--be n party to fight for a total
ly different fabric? Must not the con
ditions change, and change notably.
before such shift is warranted? Does
any one claim that conditions have so
changed in the past decade and n half
that our fabric OF government needs to
be changed? If So have yet to hear
about 1t. IF conditions have not mate
rally changed-and don't believe
they have, and Governor Mann has
shown no evidence of such bclicf-.on
| which side are we to reason that he
stands? And should he stand" other
wise in the face of evidence?
His chief aim--like that of multi
tude who opposed the so-caJled en-
abling act at the last Legislature. md
who will probably continue to oppose
it--has been throughout Identical with
tho aim of the advocates of the state
wide" movemcnt-the elimination of