The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-25

citizens affected by the passage Of law shall
vote upon it." II the Times Dispatch can show
that every person who will vote upon the ques-
ton OF Statewide prohibition is not affected by it,
that paper will have done more than even the
Trumpeter, liquor department Of the Evenin0
Journal and the Local Sef-Goyernment league
Ia do themselves for the stock argument Of
those staunch defenders Of the saloon has been
that Statewide prohibition will affect every
citizen Of Virginia to such an extent as to raise
his taxes. This. OF course, they have been I'M
able to prove. for no one can show where State
vide prohibition or local option has ever raised
tax rate. Perhaps this is one of the economic
arguments the TimesDtspatch has over
- allowed"
Every citizen of the State of Virginia will be
affected by the adoption OF the law. because the
saloon IS entrenched behind the law of the State
Of Virginia IS there because OF the votes Of citi.
gems Of the entire State, because the State of
Virginia Is partner with the liquor traffic by
reason that she licenses the saloon. participates
III its profits. and takes care of its products.
Therefore it Is that the peopvc of Virginia at
large. every one of whom is affected by the pro
posal for Statewide prohibition. are the ones who
will vote upon it.
The Times Dispatch has evidently progressed
from the day when II said that every man has a
right TO drink liquor 10 his comfort" for it now
says. II man is compelled 10 conduct himself
IN conformity with the ideas not of his own
fellow citizens among whom he lives =
but, according to the notions Of people who live
auart from him" This Of course IL a
direct admission Of the fact that the viii Of
the individual the personal liberty Of the liquor
hrnker must give way to the good Of the com
munlty, and from this statement IT is only logical
tn say that when that community IS the State,
then the individual must conform himself TO the
viii Of that community
To al Of these contentious The rrq,rian
makes no further reply than that made by the
Tunes Dispatch itself on August q when it said
Where the mental. moral and physical welfare
Of children is involved, platforms and political
tcnets lose their significance"
The point to which The Vtrqiniqn invites par
ttcular attention. however, is this statement:
"F any community o. this Commonwealth d.
sires. 10 abolish the licensing plan Of dealing
NTH the lqUor question, let that community pro
coed to ererr3e IFS rtaht TO treat local problems
locally but that community has no moral or
upon other localities"
The right to treat local proDems locally is
exactly the right that the people Of Virginia
striving for-the right they are demanding shall
be respected by the wet sections of this State
and the right that The wet localities are per
sisently denying TO them The liquor centers
OF Virginia refusing to respect the will and
desires Of the local communities Of Virginia
The liquor traffic knows no law save the law of
fear; 1t respects no right save the right of might,
and 1t will not and dare not lei the people of
Virginia control their own local affairs as to
them shall seem best
The rtrGinion quite recently printed letter
from Straus-Gunst & Company one of the largest
liquor houses In the State. which letter specin-
cally offered to sell liquor to a citizen in the
dry territory of Winchester knowing and stating
Lat 1t knew, this liquor for sale in locality
which had exercised its right to outlaw the
saloon. That Is the kind of thing that the liquor
traffic il emboIdened TO do by the protection of
the Ttmcs-DtSpdtch and its allies and that Is
the kind of thing that has aroused the men Of
Virginia to the need of vndicatng their right
to govern their own local affairs by denying the
legal right of the liquor traffic to debauch and
destroy her citizens
Every iocaIjtp If II desires to abolish the
EqHor traffic has the rtGht 10 treat local problems
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