The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-11
TUESDAY. AUGUST Il. 1914,
CONTRADICTIONS.


However difficult AZ enforcement rs pro
visions may be the principle embodied in the
1sgirner-Owen bill prohibiting interstate com
rnerca in the products Of child labor, which. ~
Is unde-~t ood, will be %avorahiy reported IVY vas
house committee labor will he Endorsed even
nv the most rigid stieklers for Sf&tes F'Fht8
where the. mental. moral ana physical welfare
Of chimrentis involved platforms and political
-enets lose4 their significance
The editorial quoted above was not taken from
thescofu1rl-s Of The Yarctntan- II was not taken
from any prohibition newspaper In this or
other, States Its origin has no connection with
the rnurement~for Statewide prohibition in Vir'
g,,sa tn,eA Il is fully broad enough TO contain
every contention that has been made In behalf
OF the ratification Of the Virginia enabling act
THE editorial appeared at tho top Of the edi-
torial column Of the Richmond TimesDtspdteh
In its Issue of'Sunday. August o It's conclusion
Is logical and concise. It's premise Ia unquali.
fed approval Of a law in which the average
mind can make no distinction from tho present
proposition for Statewide prohibition IN Viz
r.aia. The TimesDtspatch however is the arch
enesnv the Statewide prohibition law and has
asea ~ influence. both editorially aud other
wise. to dafca; the passage of the Statewide pro
Aiaiton Iew
Gnly 81 few changes in the words Of the edi
toria VII serve TO- make It the strongest cam.
paien material the temperance people Of the
stat could wish So changed IT would read:
However, difficult Of enforcement Is provisions
laay be. the principle embodied IN the enabling
act prohibiting inter-city commerce in the
products Of tire egalized liquor traffic which
i. is understood VIII be favoraby decided upon
lv the sovereign voters of Virginia will be EN-
dorsed by the most rigid stcklers for local self
government rights Where the mental, moral
ond phpacql ,eelfarc Of children Is tnroIce3,
platforms and political tenets lose their st9nf
canoe
The Times, Dispatch and other wet papers OPP
pose Statewide prohibition because prohibition
dont.prohibii" and because they claim THAT wet
sentiment In Richmond and other cities OF Vir'
ginia will make It difficult Of enforcement. Yet
the T4ases Dispatch says of this other law. which
is Of so close kin TO tho Statewide prohibition
law as TO defy discrimination In the principle
underlying the two .howcver difficult Of
yoycementa IFS provisions may be The principle
enbodtedsin the e bill prohibiting Interstate
comrueree's " will be endorsed by even the most
rigid stfckaer for States rights" These state
nents, are extreme enough; they absolutely re-
flute the choice arguments Of the most ardent
opponents OF Statewide prohibition. including
Che. TinacsD4spdtch; and adr3t every contention
that ,hazsa,eerl,n made for the proposed law.
an r,4+
rvfor-ner. no fanatic" has ever laid down a
broader, a more srTeeping or absolutely
uncomprou13sing platform than that given by
The Ttmes.Lyspdtch%in It's official utterance when
4. makes the assertion that Where the mental
moral and physical welfare Of children ia an
volved platforms and political tenets lose their
efg-1itioance>'
The trnth In that THE Statewide prohibition
movements essen ta1ly and 1ndtsputahly moral
movement. The contention Of the temperance
people alhover the State has been that this ques-
ten must Ne taken CUT % politics and decided on
SIS merits TIE ministers OF the church and
Che official church bodies Of the land have all
united in the crusade because this Is distinctly
and essentially a moral movement in which the
mental moral and physical welfare" Of the whole
State and nation are involved. II is not an issue
81 politics or political principles. but an issue
az for against" the saloon. and while the |
7'mes-Dspatch and tn companion allies OF the
ieealized liquor traffic may dodge the issue all /
trey please. they cannot obscure the fact Of thef
Intensely moral character u the issue that Is
alone mp for decision the 22nd Of September
when the voters Of virginia are giving ample
warning that they intend to abolish the legallzcd
saloon however difficult Of enforcement It's
provisions may be-" because "the principle efu-
bodied in the enabling act win be endorsed hy
the most overwhelming majority in the hstor,
Of Virginia, and when "evcn the most rigid
sticklers" for local self1government viii De
convinced that where mental moral and plysi.
raj welfare Of the State Of Virginia Ii involved
platforms and political tenets lose their Sig
nificance."