The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-06
Interesting item that.

crlcK county, MA. interesting item tnat.
Let's sem Inn, There must be some
thing else than war. oh. yes Illinois has
a new banking system, Ontario is enforcing
Il law against butter adulteration. q water
main burst in New York and Hooded some
collars three times as many names as were
needed have been secured in support of
Whitman's gubernutorial candidacy in New
York, the Cherokees have held their last
tribal conference at Okmulgee and gone out
of existence. IL girl in New York was lured to
a Chinese den by the proprctors white wife.
and Roosevelt says something other caus-
tic about Mr.. Barnes.
Certainly, there is something besides war
news. For instance cat in Colorado is
mothcrnS two young caglcts fallen from
nest and a snake III Kalamazoo started on his
own tail and swallowed himself so tightly that
he couldn't be pulled loose by an agent of the
Society for the Suppression Of Cruelty to
Animals. It's rcstful tc change the subject
as we said at the opening Of the second para
graph hereof
And while we arc changing the subject.
permit us to observe that baseball is dra wing
greater crowds than ever. and. that being the
case, what's the use of worrying about war?
Moral Rcformcrs Should Not lie Insinccrc
THE advocates Of Statewide prohibition
cannot purge themselves of the charge
of insiLcerity. which has been so widely urged
against them by a counter charge of the
same sort. The terms OF the enabling act
are proof enough of prohibition insncerity.
whereas. the defenders OF local self govern
ment wish to retain the right for each com
munity TO handle the liquor problem as to
them seems best. position which honest men
can surely maintain without laying them
selves open to the charge OF saying ono
thing and meaning another.
The State-widers believe that alcohol is
ruinous morally and physically. to those
that consume il. just as vegetarians make a
like contention with respect 10 meat The
prohibtionists, ii sincere. would seek the
abolition OF alcohol in every form and the
vegetarians would seek tho determination of
every animal whose flesh is used for human
food. What the vegetarians would do if
they got chance no one knows although
there is proof enough that every successful
effort by the liquor prohibitionists is vel
coined ny vegetarians quite much as it is
by the antitobacco forces
The advocates Of Statewide prohibition do
not. as they must if they are sincere seek
the total abolition of liquor production in
TINS State In palpablc attempt 10 play
poltlcs TO placatc opposition and get votes
INC authors OF the enabling act inserted a
ci"uso providing That firms now manufacture
ing wine are to continue unmolcsicd and so
100 are the brewers Of beer containing not
h"ic 'hdh E" - per cont OF alcohol. 4 poi
son Is poison. no less in wine or beer than
IN whlSkey and brandy. If it he wrong 10
manufacture one. it must he wrong TO manu-
lacture the others. Moral reformers arc
properly expected TO be above immoral truck
ing to vote-catching lodges at the expense of
their moral convictions
Nor is this all Not coutnnt with f,rnr
ing TWO forms OF the poison as compared with
TWO others. the Statewide prohibitionists are
In ~.
SIDE the state OF Virginia. The wine and
'cer produced i'll Virginia must not be CON
sumed in Virginia. but must BIO Skinned bn-
yond lis borders \. b., a manufacturer of
wine. is Il respectable citizen pursuing law
inl vocation. but G. D.. his next door neigh
Dor. is n criminal and an outcast if no ,t J
tempts to sell A. BIS lawful nroduct ana \
Is. himself changes his character OF law-a Nil
ing citizen the moment he attempis Ia coil
the wares which the law tolls him ba h,s ,
perfect right to manufacture If no soils hi.
goods IN Alabama he remains a rosoectobIc
cittzen IN the eyes Of this queer law He is
liable 10 arrest and punishment AS law
breaker II he sells III Virginia what Virginia
law authorizes him to produce in Vireinia
RMS IS diSpassionate statement of fac,
coming from any set of persons such a law
would he too anomalous for considerations
Coming from persons who confess themselves
animated by higher moral principles than the
rest OF the population. the proposal is pro-
ioundly shocking. II becomes even more So
in view of the widely entertained belief that
IT is not tho intention of the Statewide Dro-
hlhlhonlS,S TO permit the manufacture of
vine and beer to continue very long if they
are successful Oh September %.