The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-23

DIR. James Cannon, Jr.:
When in 1912 the senate Of vir.
ginia defeated the enabling act which
had been passed by the house OF del
majority. the legislative committee
Of the league, after mature considera-
ton, outlined a definite policy with
one distinct aim.
Virginia Dry on May 4, 1915.
\ The policy adopted was comprehen-
sNe and sufficiently elastic to meet
the possible contingencies which might
arise.
The first step was determined by a
fact which could not be altered. The
senate of Virginia, which refused TO
pass the enabling act IN 1912. would
be composed of practically the same
members In 1914. Any plan must OF
necessity be dependent upon that fact
The first step. therefore. was an APP
peal from the decision Of the senate
back to the people in the various
senatorial districts for fresh instruc-
tons concerning their wishes that the
senators who voted against the bill
might know whether their action was
in accordance with the wishes of their
constituents
Enabling Act the Issue.
Therefore, from March, 1912. to
November. 1918. the Anti-Sa1oon
league concentrated all its efforts and
made the enabling act the sole issue.
All other questions have been sub
ordfnated to this one proposition.
shall tho people OF Virginia be given
the opportunity to call an election to
determine whether the State OF Vir-
ginia shall license the sale OF intox
icatAng liquor?'' And from the
mountains to the sea. from tho pulpit,
from the floor OF conferences and as
sociations. by pamphlet. personal let
ters, through the religious and Sec
nlar press, this single question has
been discussed until In every section
OF Virginia the voters Of the State
clearly understand that this and this
alone In the issue.
The right Of the people 30 call such
an election was denied by the senate
OF Virginia by q vote OF s to "a.
Those who voted in the affirmative
were Messrs. Blanka. Crockett, Cum
mings. Edmondson. Featherston.
Gale. Gravatt. Mapp. Ro2all. saunders
Smith, Tavener. Tucker. Walker. West
and Rinehart- Those who voted in
the negative we're Messrs. Bowers.
Brock. Caaron. Drewry. Early. Echols,
Fletcher, FolkeA, Garrett, Hartman,
Hart. Hobbs. Holt. Lesner. Massie,
Moncure. Montague. Parr. Paul. Rison.
Sowder Thornton. Watkins and Wen
denburE-24.
From personal information OF che
situation in the various senatorial dis
trscts the legislative committee stated
in the report submitted to the con-
ventfon in Roanoke in 1913, that 1t
ala not think Senators Bowers. Brock,
Catron, Early. Echols. Fletcher. Hart.
Massse. Moncure, PArr. or Walking
properly interpreted the wishes OF the
majority Of their constituents In their
49, - trSpt
this was true also OF ono or two
others who voted In the negative
We wish TO be understood. We do
not declare that these senators Ia
every case knew that they were vot-
ing contrary to the wishes OF a ma
iorfty o1 their people. but we were
fully satisfied that a majority Of those
named above did not properly IN
terpres the views I'd a majority Of
be the purpose OF the league 70 make
this fact SO plain that no fatr-mfnded
man could dispute it.
Enabling Act Men Chosen.
The work Of the league has, there
fore, been concentrated very largely
upon the one thing: namely. 10 elect
In the senatorial districts represented
by che following senators. members
OF the house of delegates favorable
cate in the only possible way to these
senators. the wishes OF their people.
as expressed not simply by petition
or leetera, hut by their votes at the
polls
The Result
The result ie az foiIowB:
Second district---Scott. Lee and
Wise. Senator Catron; members OF
house OF delegates elected November.
1918, Jno. Fl. johnson. r. l. Penndng-
ton. Jno. w. Chalkley. All reported
as favorable to enabling act.
Fourth Observation-Disclosures county,
Montgomery and cities OF Roanoke
and Radford. Senator Hayt; members
of house OF delegates elected Novem-
Der. 1919, Messrs. r. III. Villa O. l.
Stearnes, r. @. Flanagan. All re-
ported as favorable to enabling act
Sixth distr5cA-Carroll. Grayson
and Patrick, Senator Parr: members
OF house Of delegates elected Novem-
Der, 1918. Messrs ]. r. Branscomb.
against. and H. c. Weaver and Book
er Dalton for enabling act.
Eighth district-Rockingh arn, Sem
ator Paul; members OF house OF dele
gates elected In November. 1918.
Messrs. George ". Earman. Charles III:
Rolston, reported as favorable to
enabling act.
Ninth distr1c4-Au9usta, Highland.
and City Of St&Nnton, Senator Echols:
members Of house Of delegates elected
in November. 1918: Messrs. ]. III. c.
Grasty, Herbert J. Taylor and Jno.
w. stephenson. All reported favor
able to enabling act.
Eleventh district-FauQuier and
Loudoun. Senator Fletcher; members
of house OF delegates elected In Mo-
vember. 1918: Messns- w. N. Tiffany.
b. +. holland and J. O. Daniels report
ed favorable to enabling act.
Thirteenth district--Spotsylva
Stafford, Louisa, city OF Fredericks-
burg, Senator Moncure; members OF
house of delegates elected November.
1913: Messrs r. I. Gordon. 8. r.
Powell and J. o. Heflin. All re-
ported favorable to enabling act
Fifteenth observation-disclosures, Madi-
SON, Rappashannock and Orange, Sem
ator Bowers: members OF house of
delegates elected in November, 1918:
Messrs II. b. Smith, w. w. Field and
Geo. L. Browning. reported TO be
favorable to enabling act, and r. r.
Leedy. reported to be against enabling
act.
Sixteenth district g oochland, Pow
hatan and Chesterfield. Senator Wat
kins: members Of house Of delegates
elected In November; H 3.- Meeafss
w. W. Baker, f. r. Hughes, reported
favorable to enabling act, b. M. Boni-