The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-10-03
AGAIN, LIFT Us HAVE PEACE

,icws Press. in second editorial on prohibition
and politics.
our contemporary position is logical and
t'nnable, ard is supported by the Daily Press.
a0d by all who believe in majority rule.
THE volt In the latc election on Statewide
prohibition was in the nature of an instruction
to the mex legislature and every senator and
delegate will he bound by it as moral obliga-
ton. That goes without saying, and the man
who voted against statewide would be surely
bound as the man who voted for 1t. The issue
submitted to popular vote and it was finally
and effectually decided.
But afe inferred from what our contemporary
and some of its correspondents said that a
movement foot to bar out of the legisia-
ture all citizens who voted against Statewide
prohibition in the recent election. One of these
CO respondents said In terms that ii behooves
each and every city voter in the state OF Nlr-
einia before casting his ballot in 1915 for State
officers To know that the candidate for whom he
is voting ms fought shoulder TO shoulder with
us through this campaign
+ THAT .dea reduced TO practice would result In
the organization of a prohibition party and We
desired to know Of The Nirgnian, which is the
mouth piecc of the Anti-Saloon league IT such a
thing was really contemplated. our contem-
porary says no. and we suggest that II exclude
fFom itstf2}umns all such mfsehieenns t"addie-
prohibition has a notable victory in
virginia and It's opponents have been profoundly
good citizens are in favor of giving State
wide fair chance and Of enactng such laws
as may be necessary TO enforce IT. We can
sec occasion, therefore, for these insinuat-
ing publca lions In The Virginian. as though
there were some deep laid plot on the part of
those who voted against Statewide TO throttle
il in the legislature. Let us have peace
We agree. We all want peace, but we do not
want the peace that comes from sleep. from
!ethargy from neglect. from failure to keep
our eyes open to the facts they exist and
the situation that must be confronted In vir-
ginia.
great majority of virgnians have stated
their absolute and uncompromising opposition
to the saloon. They have placed the question
If prohibition In the rank of issues on which
the mind of Virginia is made up, and her
opinion expressed The general prohibition law
is assured on that let us have peace.
No man can shut bis eyes to the fact that
there Is yet and will continue for some time
to be question which there must be no let
ting down of the bars. The liquor interests are
active and wideawake. They do not and will not
overlook any opportunity by subterfuge and
evasion to make apparently tiny openings in the
wall of Virginia law and trust to their unbending
energy to stretch those riffs to chasms
The question before Virginia today is that
OF seeing that her will Is made effective. The
bc made clearly evident at the first opportunity
as deliberate intention to defeat as far as pos.
sible, the enforcement Of the will OF Virginia.
That VIII Is unquestioned and unquestionable.
The chief effort of Its opponents will be to dis
credit it by making possible the infringement
% laws passed to enforce prohibition in Vir-
ginia.
The Ffrginian is not unduy alarmed over the
prospective fate of such endeavors The only
danger Is that the people of Virginia may be
ialled into negligence by the continual rocking
of the cradle of peace until all interest in the
actions OF the liquor traffic will be lost by the
false feeling that the entire issue is over and
settled. The object of the liquor interests now
Is TO bring the general prohibition law, upon
which all agreed into disrepute by the
passage of insufficient laws for enforcing 1t
and thereby deny TO 1t the position Of respect
anu HuLOT lidt IL SHpulU HpAu duoIS SiTSfHiduS.
hat position 1t attain only by the passage
Of the most adequate and intelligent enforcement
laws possible. The Virginidn proposes to see
that no virginian is ignorant of the necessity
for making prohibition effective. For this are
we chiefly concerned. and it Is this that we feel
must be Kept before the people of Virginia
that the prediction freely made by the opposi-
ton press as to the disrepect for the general
prohibition law engendered by inefhcient en-
torcement laws may be shown to be as ground
less as their fears Of the results OF the general
law.
II has been estimated that II all the Chinese