Evening star., 1914-07-19
CLAIMS OF VIRGINIA
DRYS SARE DISPUTED
Vets Express Confidence They
Will Win in Election
September 22.
RECORD APPLE CROP is
PREDICTED BY GROWERS
Ministers to Ask Congregations to
Remain Away From State Fair
Because Liquor Will Be Sold.

RICHMOND, Va. July .1s.-Just s0O
fewer persons signed the petitions for the
statewide election than cast their votes
for Henry c. Stuart for governor last
year. This was about 72,OUO and when
the lists were all received it was found
that more than 1000 persons had avail
ed themselves of the right to ask that
the people of the state be allowed to vote
on the liquor question and to settle it
once and for all for themselves. How
ever, only 63,936 names were certified to
Gov. Stuart, the others not coming to
the Office Of the secretary of the COM
monwealth in time to be included The
time limit was fixed for July 13. and
the office was kept open to receive these
at the last moment, but many of them
failed to get in and could not be in
cluded.
The day following the receipt of the pc
titions the certificate was presented to
Gov. Stuart to the effect that the requisite
number of voters had asked for the
election, and after he had been advised
on one unimportant point in connection
with the issuance of the writs he lost no
time in directing the holding of the cleo
ton September -. The notices were
put into the mails Friday and will be in
the hands of all sheriffs and sergeants
before tonight.
All Sorts of Claims.
Claims made by the vets are imme-
diately the subject of counter claims on
the part Of the drys, while the vets at
once declare that claims made by the
drys are not based on the facts as they
exist. One thing is defined in the fight
that shows that the people are taking
part-the republicans and democrats are
working side by side, according to their
inclinations. The drys are declaring that
the petitions reflect generally the con-
sensus of opinion on the subject and de-
clare that the state will give anywhere
from 10000 to 10000 against liquor. The
liquor men with equal emphasis are GER
tain that the state will vote for the re-
tention of liquor by safe majority.
However the claims may be, there is no
question that the chances for the sue
cess of the drys are regarded with favor
by the sportivey inclined, and they are
offering two to one that when the returns
come in the drys will be shown to have
prevailed.
So far there has been a solitary con-
fict as to the outcome OF the prohibition
fight. One OF the staunchest opponents
of the prohibitionists is Col. Alfred B.
Williams of the Roanoke Times. He
has Travelled extensively in the prohibi-
ton states to the south of Virginia. and
has written the conditions as he views
them and as ne 1ound tHeln. me pro-
hibitionsts declare that he has given
partisan view. and the Rev. B. Lacy
Hoge of the Spurgeon Memorial Baptist
Church, Norfolk, is alleged to have de-
clared in his pulpit that Col Williams
was the paid agent and advocate of the
liquor interests and that his accounts OF
the effects of prohibition were mislead-
ing and untrue.
Col. Williams. when he saw the account
of the sermon, at once took the train
for Norfolk, consulted lawyers and has
directed them to bring suit for slander.
asking $1,000 damages, and the papers are
now being filed. He wants to have the
case tried at the next term of the court,
beginning next week, and will ask attot-
neys for the defense to agree to that.
Mr.. Hoge is in North Carolina and can
not be reached. This is the first real
break in the contest thus far which has
been conducted along high lines on both
sides.
Record Apple Crop.
Apple growers in the valley of Virginia
have already begun negotiations with the
state corporation commission looking to
the movement of the apple crop in the
valley of Virginia Two or three OF the
large orchard owners have sent letters
to the commission declaring that the in
dications are that the greatest crop the
state has ever seen will be gathered this
season. that it is important that trains
be provided to handle the crop and asking
the commission to intercede with the rail