The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-21
ANTI-sALOON LEAGUE
OUT FOR SIGNATURES
Petitions Calling Statewide Election
on Prohibition Are In Gen.
eral Circulation.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR WORKERS
Must Personally Sec Each Subscriber
Sign His Name, and No Ono May
Legally Sign But Ono Petition.
To BE Filed in Clerks Office.

Petitions asking Governor Stuart to
call special election September 81.
for tho purpose of voting on the Ques-
ton OF Statewide prohibition will be
circulated by woIners of the Virginia
Anti-Saloon League beginning to-mor-
row morning in practically every sec
uon of tho State. Blank petition forms
ready to be signed by those eligible are
already In tho hands of anti saloon
leaders In different parts of tho State.
and local workers In tho league said
last night that they anticipate no
trouble In securing the number of
signers necessary to insure the holding
OF an election this fall.
Under the provisions of tho enabling
act, passed 1T tho recent session Of tho
General Assembly. which became n law
on last Friday. the petition must DO
signed by 1906 qualified voters. or, in
other words. tho petition must be
signed by as many qualified voters as
equal In number one fourth Of the votes
cast In tho election for State officers
In November. 1913. within less than
week the anti saloon workers bo-
heve that far more than the required
number Of voters will sign.
PETITIONS ARE TO he
FILED IN CLERI<'S OFFICES
Tho petitions must be filed in the
offices of the clerks of the circuit
courts OF the various cities and coun-
ties Of the Commonwealth, so that tho
certificates Of the clerks will DO In tho
Office OF the Secretary OF Common
wealth, and certificate of that fact be
made by the Secretary OF the Common
wealth to the Governor seventy days
before September 90, or before July II,
ms the law requires that tho Governor
shall call the election Mt least sixty
days prior to September 90. Tho law
be given ten days time IN which to
issue his proclamation, after he has
been notified by tho Secretary OF Com
monwealth that the requisite num-
Der Of persons have petitioned for the
election
Tho work Of handling the petitions
and securing signcrs has been under
taken b. the Virginia Anti-Suloon
League. The petitions have already
been distributed. and directions de-
signed TO guido those In charge arc
printed at tho top OF each Of the peti-
tion forms.
OBJECTIONS GIVEN
WITH BLANK FORMS
The following directions AFRO given:
FIRST. The person who is to make
afhdnvit TO the corrcctncss OF this ne
tition must personally see each of the
subscribers thereto, sign his name
thereon. and cannot accept tho state
ment Of any other person on this mat
ter. But other persons can accompany
him. and assist In securing signcrs.
Second All persons who wore
qualihed to vote In the election in No
venber 1913. can Sign the petition.
Notc-this does not mean those onlv
who actually voted. but those also who
could have voted had they desired
Third. The law forbids any per-
son TO sign moro than ono petition.
Fourth. Only tho name of the
sgncr should DO put on the petition.
DO not put the name of post office
precinct, county. or anything but the
name OF the signer on tho petition
Fifth. AS soon as tho person cir.
culating this petition has secured all
the signers he can secure, he must
make affidavit. as indicated below, be-
fore notary or Justice OF the pence
and deliver the petition Mt once to the
clerk OF the Circuit Court Of tho
county or city Ia which the siCners
live
s. Sixth. Petitions must not be signed
before June 10. and must be in the
hands OF the clerk of the Circuit Court
on or before July c."
ADDRESSED TO GOVERNOR,
hut STAY IN CLERK'S OFFICE
Each OF the petition forms has space
for the names OF nifty signcrs The
petitions are addressed ITO His Ex-
ceilency. the Governor of Virginia,
and read as follows: The under
signed petitioners. each Of whom here
by declares that no Is qualified voter
of the State OF Virginia, and that he
has not within the past ninety days
signed any other similar petition
hereby petition Your ExceIlency "a
call n State election upon the ques-
ton OF Statewide prohibition In Vir-
ginie. as provided for by the act of the
General Assembly OF Virginia passed
at Its regular session in tho year nine.
teen hundred and fourteen"
Tho campaign launched by tho Vir-
ginia Anti-Saloon League to secure
signers to the petitions which have
been sent out Will he a vigorous one
and il Is the plan OF the league 10 give
every voter in the State an opportunity
to sign If he desires to do go The
leagues organization. covering every
section OF the state, Is systematic and
complete. Rev. James Cannon, d. d.
IL the general superintendent in charge
with headquarters in Richmond. Each
congressional district. city, county and
precinct has superintendent. and IN
addition every ten men in n precinct
have n captain. League officers state
that the work Is thoroughly organized
in moro than 90 per cent OF the State.
BY reason OF the systematic or
ganization. the work of circulating the
petitions Will require only short
time. FOR the petitions VIII soon be
- 81