The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-12
THURSDAY. FEBRUARY IL. 1918.
as SAUL AMONG THE PROPHETS"


Temperance in Virginia She Anti-saIoon league
has been bitterly opposed by the Bryan news
papers-the TimcS-Djspatch and the Nc~s
Lea6er-both OF Richmond. Both of these
papers fought the passage of the Mann law, both
at them fought the passage Of the Byrd law,
both of them shrieked Historically that Fir-
ginia vas about TO pass genuine prohihitory
laws In direct opposition 10 the time,honorcd
Democratic policy Of local option" both Of them
predicted dire evils 10 follow from the yielding
Of the legislature 10 the "dctaton" Of the
abonainable Anti-Saloon league Both of them
have reaped a rich harvest from the liquor
advertising which has SO lavishly polluted their
columns.
And yet both Of these Bryan organs have been
obliged to repudiate and deny all their utter
ances concerning these laws. and now they
actually have the nerve to denounce the pro-
posed Statewide Law. lest by the adoption of
that law the state lose ali tine good which it
mas gained from the operation Of the Mann and
Byrd laws One would imagine that such an
experience would teach these Bryan newspapers
to be less assertiyc and TO give public thanks to
the Antf>Saloon League Of Virginia fer the
benehoent results which these Bryan newspapers
themselves admit have followed from the pass
age of the Mann and Byrd laws.
But not so! Prejudice, narrowness intolerance
and egotism are the peculiar characteristics of
both these newspapers. and logic and con
sistency are both lost sight of in the effort OF
these papers to defeat the passage of the en-
abing act and 10 belittle Statewide prohibition
The rsrgiptan showed on yesterday now utter.
Iy Illogical and absurd was the position Of the
Ncus Leader in its contention that the issue
at stake is Local option VS. Statewide Prohibit
ton. for as matter Of fact the issue at stake
is prohibition in. Nineteen-twonticths OF Vir
ginia We. Prohibition in Twentytwenteths of
virginia"-that is Statewide prohibition. And
The Aeecs Leader did not dare TO attempt any
reply to the unanswerable argument OF The Vir-
ctnta on the question OF the fair form of the
ballot to be used in the Statewide election. But
driven from its absurd position on the form of
ballot the Ners Lcader adopts the favorite
policy OF the opponents of all advance in temper
ance legislation and holds up its hypocritica
hands in wellfeigned holy horror, because those
eavoring Statewide prohibition are not willing
to~refuse 10 accept anything they want, because
they cannot get everything they want And the
Nescs Lcader works itself into a perfect frenzy
and rants concerning Virginia honor and justice
and right, and the unlearned and unwary might
indeed be led astray by this hypocritical zeal
and DE led 10 excIaim: rs Saul among the
prophets" But this all fuss and dry. 1t is
but an echo of the clamor raised on the floor OF
the senate by the bitter opponents of the en-
abiing act in their denuneiation of the amend
rnent concerning wine and cider, which de-
nunciation was shown to be nothing but sound
and fury when thes6 same senators voted in
body for the beer amendment which was
Etrenuously opposed by the dry forces:
As on yesterday in discussing the form Of
ballot The VtrgiRian destroyed the Ne,os Lcadcrs
contention by a statement Of facts, so the facts
which We present will manifest either the
ignorance or the prejudice OF the Bryan organ
When the Anti-saloon league was fighting for
the Mann law and the Byrd Law it received no
help from the Tame&nispafch or the News
Lec1er II was denounced and criticized just az
IT is denounced and criticized today The Anti
Saloon league eudeayored at that time to bring
the manufacture and sale of cider and of domes-
tic wines under the operation OF the Mann law
and Of the Byrd law. by defining ardent spirits
10 include all mixtures which viii produce in.
toxieation, including wine and cider The great.
est battle in connection with the passage Of those
bills waged on the cider and wine clauses
and it was found to be utterly impossible to pass
any bill which did BOT exempt wine and cider
made from Virginia fruits from the operation of
the law. The Anti-saloQu league did not pre-
fer To tAt4statr v-f7lug bur #
took all that 1t could get, and as it could not
get bin prohibiting cider and domestic wines.
1t took the Mann law and the Byrd law as they
now stand because they were The best laws the
n Legislature would agree 10 pass. and who viii
rise UP today and denounce the Anti-Saloon
league for accepting the Mann law and the
Byrd law. Notwithstanding the cider and wine
exemptions
Tae situation IL exactly the same today with
ss-~sa