The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-19
Governor Stuart Afixes
Signature, and Bill
Becomes Law.
NO STATEMENT
MADE FOR PUBLIC
News That Chief Executive Has
Signed Is Conveyed 1mmedi-
ately :. to General Assembly.
Prohibition Forces Will
at Once Circulate Pc
titions for Election.

Governor Henry C. Stuart signed the
Williams enabling act providing for a.
state election the question of pro-
hibition. at 1853 o'clock yesterday The
signing of the bill was without for
malities. and was In the presence only
OF Secretary Forward and Assistant
Secretary Martin. Attorney General
John Garland Pollard had just left tho
Office OF the Governor, but neither Mr..
Pollard nor Governor Stuart made any
public statement In regard to the bill.
Secretary Forward communicated the
fact that tho bill had been signed to
Senhtor Mapp and Dclegate Williams
and announcement OF the action OF tho
Governor was made on the floor Of each
house shortly before l o'clock
In brief, the enabling act provides for
an election on September 90, on pc
tition TO the Governor OF approxI-
mately $4,000 qualified voters. in which
tho ballots shall read FOR State wide
Prohibition" and against State wide
prohibition" In the event Of the ma
jority being for prohibition the Gov
ernor Is to make proclamation of tho
fact and the licensed sale Of liquor
on and after November |, 1916, will be
illegal. Should the majority be
against prohibition. the present stat
utes providing for prohibition in coun-
try districts and for local option in
towns and cities, shall be continued in
force.
VIII Circulate Petitions.
Leaders OF the dry" side, through
the AntiSaloon League OF Virginia,
will begin at once the circulation OF
petitions to secure the necessary num-
ber of signatures of qualified voters to
petition for such an election AS soon
us the present session OF the General
Assembly has adjourned, the interests
affected by the passage of tho bill are
expected TO bring court proceedings
| to test Its constitutionality, and inc
legality OF its passage, both of which
were called into question before the
Governor.
Ends LonE-Drawn-out Contest.
From the standpoint OF the Anti
Saloon League. the action of the Gov
ernor marks the successful elimination
OF long -drawn-o contest Tho
league, at Il meeting held at Broad
Street Methodist church III the winter
OF 1910, definitely determined that 1t
had made as much progress as could
be effected under the Mann local op-
ton law, and flung out its banner for
Statewide prohibition. AT the 1910
session of the General Assembly the
Byrd law of 1908 was strengthened in
many particulars, but the Strobe en-
abling act failed. The enabling act
was made an issue at the session OF
both newly elected and at that time
the bill passed the House, but failed
in the Senate. Having devoted much
of the time for two sessions to consid-
Grafton of one bill. House leaders for
and against the measure this session
agreed to call the matter up at once
and dispose of il, and the House passed
the bill early in the session. The SEN
ate concurred. with many amendments.
which were the subject OF conference,
the conferees accepting Senate amend-
mentS as TO exemption OF manufactur-
ing wine, beer and cider. but refusing,
the proposition to have the ballots
marked "for Statewide prohibitions
and FOR local option" which many
thought would be a fairer way of sub
mitting TO the people clean-cut issue
rs between the present method of regu-
lating the liquor traffic by local OPP
! tion and the proposed modified form
of state wide prohibition. After some
sparring for time, the House adopted
the conference report by a safe ma
jority In the Senate the vote stood
10 to 10. and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Ell
Tyson voted aye, making it 20 to 10.
The point was promptly raised that
the bill required a majority OF all the
members elected to the Senate. o.
twenty-one votes, and statement i'm
support of that contention was fled
with the Governor by Senator N. y.
Early, Jr.
What Bill Provides.
According to the text OF the bin
as signed by the Governor. whenever
such OF the qualified voters OF the
state as shall be equal In number to
one fourth uf the number OF persons
voting at the last election for Cover
nor and State officers shall petition
the Governor for an election. the Gov .
crnor shall, within ten days after re-
ceipt of certificate from the Secre-
tary of the Commonwealth, showing
tho filing of such petition. and noe
less than sixty days before the fourth
Tuesday in September 1914. issue a
writ for a special election to bo held
on that date. 1t wfll he recalled that
there was only nominal contest and
the vote last November for Governors
was abnormally small. The above
clause gives the proponents OF the bill
until July 22 to secure approximately
lS0 900 signatures of qualified voters
desiring such an election, 1t is stated
that the ti-Saloon League already
has assurances that these signatures
can be readily obtained. Amendments
providing for examination or these
lists to determine IL signers are qualI-9
fed, were rejected but the bill pro-
vides that IL any person knowingly and
willingly signs such a petition, with.
out being legally qualified TO do. so, II
he shall be guilty OF a misdemeanots
and be fned from So to $50.
Imposes Charge on Each County.
The Governor is 10 give notice OF
the proposed election and the expenses
OF the election are to be borne as In
the case OF other elections This clauxs, =
IL is stated, imposes u charge on ths 4
city OF Richmond OF from 5000 tn
$1,000, and on the various counties and
cities OF approximately S30,ouo. Mo-