The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-09
PEOPLES FORUM
Pulling the Tigers Teeth: Or Criticisms of the
Napp- Pennington Bill by Certain
Absentee Rcfofmers.

Editor The Yirginian:
Sir.~=In every war there those who are
at the front, facing the enemy. They know
exactly where the enemy Is what his strength
is; how he is entrenchea and fortified
On the other hand there are those back At
home, far from the field of battle who have
their ideas Of how the thing ought to be done,
and are impatient of any variation from their
own idealstic methods and conclusions They
are Just sincere and honest but they lack
the first hand touch with the situation.
Just now there is discomfort among the
absentee warriors with the manner in which
1.-THE temperance fight is being waged in the
present legislature The Mapp- Pennington ship
ping bill is the occasion Of some criticism,
The measure is by means perfect. Neither
rs the enabling act. 1t does not meet the de
sires Of the friends of temperance anywhere,
II passed 1t viii only he partial victory
But the issue which meets the leaders Of our
temperance movement Is This or nothing And
the leaders very wisely conclude that 1t is better
this than nothing
All reform goes on that principles. The
idealist who takes the uncompromising stand
Of "all or nothing usually ends by getting
nothing. The wise. practical reformer who
takes the stand, so much today and more to-
morrow gets today and tomorrow too.
The idealist must assemble his platform. get
everything In place, and a fair field and no
distractions, before he lays a plank or drives
q nail. The true practical reforIner. nails down
.tvery plank he gets it, He knows that when
it is nailed down it will likely stay there. More
over it forms footing for future contest Re-
forms do not go backward. Every inch gained
is likely to be permanent acquisition.
Some Of the friends Of prohibition are scan
dali2ed and grieyed over the provision in the
Mapp-Pennington bill, permitting shipments of
one gallon Of liquor for personal use The an
swer Of Or. Cannon, the State superintendent,
is a very simple one--it cuts into the heart
of tho whole matter; IT Is the best we can
get from this legislature"
But why not try for better bill, saws the
Idealist, or absentee rcformer. The man at
the front who knows the situation says in
reply: 'i}ut why waste good ammunition on
the face Of a soil dynamite CLIFF" Tho leaders
Of the Anti Saloon league know that any at
tempt TO get a bin absolutely prohibiting the
ordering shipment IF liquor to any person
or in any quantity would not and could not
pass the present Virginia Legislature Any at
tempt to do so would simply he waste Of time
and cffort-~shooting away good ammunition
against the mpreEnabfe face Of granite cliff,
And anybody that insists on such measure
is simply paltering over the impossible
The Anti-SaIoon league and the temperance
people of Virginia are to be congratulated upon
the fact that they have men In charge who
refuse to be stampeded into any futile grasp
ng after the stars, bnt who keep their feet on
solid ground and fight like tigers fer every
thing in sight.
1t is insisted Ihdt the dtLpp"f- el3ilt{A2tpn ON
ought TO have more teeth in it." That is to
mistake the purpose of the hill. The purpose
of the bill is not to have teeth or TO show them.
1t Is to draw the teeth of the liquor trafic. That
is the test of its value or efficiency
Does it draw any teeth? Does il draw ANY
teeth not does it draw all Of them. Let us
see.
First the liquor business, through its ship
ping privileges is gnawing at the Vilals of our
youth AS it is any boy who gets mold OF a
COPY of the Times Dispatch can read in its
advertisements how to order liquor, for himself,
and the liquor house viii ship 1t TO him with
out question delay.
The Mapp bill pulls that fang.
ANY student Of any of our Institutions can
order liquor and have 1t sent to him direct pay
on delivery, aud find every facility at hand for
getting drink without Identification or him
drance
The Mapp bill pulls that fang.
| ANY man of no repute or standing in the
community can order liquor for hoot-legging
purposes or the maintenance Of a speakeasy in
any dry community. Every facility is now Of
| fered for this C1andeatine traffic
The Mapp bill pulls that fans
/ ANY citizen can order for his use any
amount Of liquor he may desire lo can do it
easily privately conveniently and securely. The
Iouor dealer can reach him through the mails,
Through the Times Dispatch and other liquor
aournals: can ship him c. @. H., or any way
ITO please the customer.
The Mapp bin SAWS THAI III Sh half way
off
To be sure, it doesn't pull it clear out by the
roots But il saws ii off That much Is clear
gain. 1t provides for clear Identification for
every customer That cuts out the minor, the
student and the hoot-legger. II establishes a
bona hde transaction between a responsible cit-
zen afd The seller. 1t eliminates all other doubt
full and Illegal transactions
It does infinitely more than that; II throws
the Initiative back upon the ~man who wants
NalIor for his private use and takes 1t
from the man who wants 10 sell il for his
own private gain The open saloon and the
mail order house. at present constituted and
carried on, is a vast system of solicitation and
pandering. Through newspaper advertising,
Through the mails, by personal agents thes traf
fc reaches ont after trade. The Mapp bill, in
harmony with tho Webb bill, says to the liquor