The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-28

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hibited BY Statewide law. Rich
mond factories and parents cannot
isgaliss child labor By majority vote.
The, Sunday law u . law Of the State.
Richmond may violate Il and her
policy may wink at the violation.
but Richmond cannot repeal the law.
The law against houses of prostitu-
ton 10 q Statewide law. Tho wes
newspapers Of Richmond and the So
looms and the police of Richmond
may ignore 1t, and protect the houses
and their inmates, but the law Is
State law. The State law prohibits
gambling. and the citizens Of Nor
folk county and the authorities OF
the State Fair Association cannot
change the law, although they may
allow II to be violated.
All these are Statewide laws, and
yet they interfere with the personal
conduct of individuals, and tell even
the members of the Virginia Local
Self-Government Association that
they cannot have a saloon open on
Sunday, or election day, or after
midnight (what right has the State
to cut of the drinks Of Richmond
men on Sunday. or election day. or
after midnight!); that cocaine can
not be sold to them: that they can
not gamble; that they cannot work
even their own children except ac-
cording to the State law.
State Health Law.
One Of the clearest examples Of
the policy Of Virginia as to local
and State legislation II found in the
law concerning public health. The
Virginia law declares (see Pollard's
Code, Vol. I. page $50: THE State
Board of Health may annul or mod
ify an order, regulation, bylaw. or
ordinance of local health authorities
concerning a matter which in its
Judgment affects the public health
beyond the territory over which the
said local authorities have jurisdic-
ton"
Here the State indicates the true
dividing line between a local and a
Statewide Law. The local health
authorities are given Jurisdiction in
all matters which pertain to purely
local interests. But whenever ty-
phoid, smallpox. dyphtheria. cholera
appear In any community, the State
Health authorities are given author.
ity to enter any city, even Richmond,
and annul or modify any order. reg
ulation, bylaw or ordinance, which
in its Judgment affects the public
health beyond the limits Of Rich
mond. The Local Health Board of
Richmond may consider itself better
qualified to handle the situation. II
may indeed oppose vigorously the
decision OF the State Board OF
Health. but its Local Board Is pow
erless. Why Because the Public
Health is affected beyond the city OF
Richmond. and the State Board is
given authority to protect the health
OF the rest of the State from any
epidemic In the city OF Richmond,
and can do 80 through Its own Off
GERS over the protest OF Richmond
local authorities.
For example, if Richmond should
have an epidemic OF smallpox, and
the local authorities, thinking that
strict quarantine would interfere
with the trade. or the comfort and
convenience OF Richmond citizens.
should be lax in quarantine regula-
lions. the State Board of Health
could step In and order and enforce
rigorous quarantine regulations to
protect the rest OF the State from
the Richmond epidemic.
What becomes OF the right Of
Local elf-Governments II has dis
appeared before the right of the
people OF the whole State to be pro-
tected.
Statewide Prohibition Protects State.
so Statewide Prohibition would
protect the people Of the entire State
from the saloons and shipping
houses OF the city OF Richmond. A
majority OF the citizens OF Richmond
may prefer that these places be IL
censed. they may want a convenient
place at which to purchase liquid
poison: they may want the revenue
which ia paid by the saloons from the
great profits made from drinking
men, taken In large measure from
the pay envelopes Of working men;
they may want the rental OF the
houses used by saloons and liquor
houses, and by their assistant de-
hauchers OF young men and young
women. the houses OF i'll fame: they
may want the advertising Of saloons:
they may want tho hank deposits Of
the liquor houses: for theec and
other reasons they may want the sa-
loon, despite all Of its evils.
Statewide Evils.
But the evils which flow from the
saloon are not and cannot he con-
fined within the corporate limits of
the city OF Richmond. They flow out
of the city and are carried to the
far corners OF the State. Richmond
men I'LL themselves with intoxicants
and 70 out OF the city to the sur
rounding counties. with befuddled
brain, carrying liquor in their stom-
achs and In bottles. Visitors to the
city fill themselves at the saloons
and carry Jugs and bottles to other
parts OF the State. The sons OF
country homes coming to Richmond
are as Gen. Lee declared. 's1ured to
destruction by these traps" The
liquor shipping houses scatter their
advertising broadcast through the
State and send their circulars to
negroes and TO school boys and pour
intoxicants into communities which
a - rrrraaN "a strong drink and TINS