The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-30
LOCAL OPTION IS
ONLY SOLUTION
Former Prohibition Candidate
for Presidency Tells League
of His Conversion.
MAKES STRIKING ADDRESS
Law Observance, Says Mr..
Woollcy, Needed More Than
Prohibition or Tariff Reform.

Progressive local option, I am con-
WINGED. is the one practical way OF
dealing with the liquor problem. l
have in my time stood uncom promis-
ingly for Statewide prohibition. Fro-
gressive local option. must confess. Is
a better plan than my own. ano l nave
no need 10 defend my conversion
Shcrn Of strikingly convincing,
albeit somewhat lengthy. argument that
led up TO IL. this was the advice Drousht
last night 10 the Virginia Division OF
the Woman's Temperance League OF
America. in annual convention as
sennbled by John G.. Wooiley, candi-
date in 1910 for the Presidency OF the
United States on the Prohibition ticket
and recognized authority on the tenn
perance problem
In progressive local option the speak
er saw an instrument at the disposal OF
the temperance cause. which VIII re
deem the discouraging failures whIch
have met attempts 20 impose pro
hibitive measures on the basis OF state
wide areas II was none the less sure
he said, and was far more stable De
cause il rested in all cases upon local
majority in it's favor.
Derides High License.
Mr.. Woolley regarded as particu-
larly fallacious the Argument that sys-
tenn Of high Licensees VIII eventually
thorttle the saloon and rid the country
of the liquor evil. The very laws
which give the traffic a legal standing
he said. automatically pave the way
for its ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Under the
license system the grog-shop Keeper OF
the early days who conducted MS pusl-
ness in a back room on the alley, mas
developed into the political boss en-
in =
the main thoroughfare- =.
The only visible way out of the IL
censing morass into which we nave ram
en-" said Mr.. Woolley. inforcing his
earlier utterance. is progressive local
option. 1t will kill the traffic here
and clean up conditions there. And
then when we see it's effects all around
us. we will all get together some Tues
day after some first Monday in NO
vember and drain the whole swamp
dry"
What the country stood to-day most
in need of. however, said the speaker
was not prohibition. tariff reform, free
canal tolls, or recasting OF the cur
rency laws but revival of old-fasn-
toned British Iaw-honoring and law
obeying by the people. both in and out
of office. The absence OF this, ne re-
garded as the most disquieting symp-
tom of the day
safety OF the FeOpie.
In the interest of the nations well
fare. said Mr. Woolley. the law-making
powers should again resurrect from ap-
parent oblivion the maxim of the law
makers of old-"The safety of the
people is half the law. With TINS as
the criterion. he said, the present
laws licensing the liquor business stood
indicted. according to the census on
30 600 % counts.
Mr.. Woolley called upon a store OF
observations in this country and abroad
for instances of the baleful effect which
follows the use of liquor. His recital
was dramatic and abounded in Smiles
and figures which caught the imagihd-
ton and held II.
There can be no such thing as tenn
perance, he said. in the use of liquor
Temperance in that sense, he said. is
the idiot in the family of abstract
nouns" He told of the handicap OF
the topper on the operating table
when health and death engage in the
tug of war" he said. Liquor pulls
ALWAYS on the grave-end of the rope.
The speaker concluded with review
of the temperance work of the past
hundred years, drawing from ~ the
hone that the day IS not far distant
when the law-making powers OF all the
States will revoke their licenses TO the
omen saloon and outlaw the liquor
traffic entirely. The action of railroad
and other large corporations in demand
ing strict eobriety of employees holding
positions of trust, he thought, INDICATED
an economic awakening to the evil
which will aid in bringing about the
reform
Holds Three Sessions.
Tho convention of the Virginia
division of the Woman's Temperance
League of America, opened formally at
10 o'clock yesterday morning in the
auditoriun of the Seventh Street
Cbristian Church. Rev. j. NJ. Row
land offered prayer Mrs William
Hodges Mann made an address OF
welcome and was followed by Mrs
a NJ. Jobson, who presented the presi-
S;a,+-s report There was another ees-
sion in the afternoon. and one at night
Nth MIR. WooIley's address as the fea-
ture-
session was paper on the SUBJECT.
.Who is responsible for the saioonr
presented by Reverend Asoury Cnris-
tan. and one on Total abstinence
from the biblical standpoint, read by
Mrs John Lindsay. Mrs. Imogene
Austin read a report OF the Washington
.co,ference. and Mrs. NJ. f. Strother
read a paper on the subject, Dues
shall we do away with individual
duesZ" Miss Florence DdhseJ Sang
solo
The afternoon session opened with
meeting of the board of directors at
? o'clock. Mrs J. J. Wicker led the
devotional exercises. which opened the
business meeting an hour later Inc
feature OF the session was forcefut
address by Mrs J. j. wiltshire. or tne
s,rb,ecf How can we protect our girlsy'
The night session was presided over
h. Rev ". J. Young. ID. d. OF Cen
tensry Methodist ChuDch- Lieutenant
C;overror =. Taylor Eilyson presented
MT. WoaIlcs the speaker OF the evening