The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-06

/ OF inefficiency of government. or to
deMpise government. which is anarchy.
/ All law against evil Ia prohibttory.
| 1t is not designed to make people
! good for goodness is OF the heart and
here the law does not enter, It Is to
prohibi from doing wrong. All pro-
| hibitory laws are violated. What, then,
! shall We repeal them because they do
not prohibit? VIII men advocate the
repeal of the law against stealing be-
/ cause some steal? Or shall we do away
1 with the law against arson or murder
because men violate It? What sane
/ man would take such a position? No,
we punish the violator and teach the
majesty of law by Its enforcement and
not by It's repeal.
Must Obey Law.
The Local Self Government associa-
! ton. which poses as the defender and
champion of the liquor trafiic. says
! prohibition won't prohibit What do
T they mean? Do they mean to argue
/ the weakness of law and the Insult
I cheney of government? What do they
mean? DO they intend 10 despise Law
and make a mock of governme nj?
! Surely they do not intend to breath
j the spirit OF anarchy.
: that the liquor traffic Is so lawiess that
I II will DEFY law? Bandits and high
/ waymen deded law, hut they were
] broken up and sent TO the peniteu-
tiary or the gsllows Pirates on the
/ high seas Knocked at law, but the
/ navies of the civilized world shot their
i fraii barks through and administered
+ to them their just deserts II the liquor
/ traffic is such criminal as to defy
/ H..
+ who do these gentlemen mean
when they say. Prohibition enacted by
/ the sovereign people will not proht
i bit?' DO they mean that Virginia is
SO debased that she will not enforce
her laws, or that she is so weak she
| cannot enforce them? IL not Virginia
as civilized aud as effective in law
! enforcement as Chna9 The Times
] Dispatch Of last week had an editorial
commenting China fer the suppression
of the opium traffic. In eighteen months
she had prohibited and hanished the
opium business. Ninety per cent Of
opium smoking had been stopped said
i the Times Dispatch. is the liquor
habit any stronger than the opium
! habit? II China can prohibit and
! make effective, her law against opium
| cannot Old Virginia enforce her pro
hibitory laws? VIII the gentlemen Of
the Local Self -tiovernment association
who pose as the defenders and cham
/ pions of the liquor traffic, rate Nir-
ginia's power of eovernmen below that
Of China, or the provinces Of China .
We wish TO know just what these gem
tlemen do mean. Are they ready 10 sav
+ that the officials Of Virginia are so cor
rupt that they viii violate their solemn
oath and refuse To execute the law, or
that they are set of weaklings and
milk sops. who have not the ability
TO discharge the duties OF their otice
They would not be guilty Of such IA
rash and untrue statement Then II
the laws are put on the statute book
and our officers are true and capable.
why will not prohibition prohibit?
Close On Sunday
HAS the LEGAL Self Government as
ISOLATION. which poses as the defender
and champion Of the liquor tratfic. con
sidered that -twentieths of
1.-THE State of Virginia is now under
Statewide prohibition ali the time (and
the law Is enforced as well as ans
other prohibiting law. and that ali OF
the State IS under Statewide prohibi-
ton nearly one-fifth OF the year, Rich
mond included? Where was the as,
ISOLATION when this prohibitory Law
was passed? Richmond and all Of the
State OF Virginia is under Statewide
year (R!chmond has not always kept
her saloons closed on Sunday until the
penalty for violation became so heavy
that the liquor people were afraid tC
violate the law, and on election days
and Christmas day tho sale of liquor
is prohibited by Statewide laws. not
local option. and between certain
hours of the night the sale of liquor
is prohibited What does the Local
Self Government association, these
friends of the liquor traffic, say about
this Statewide prohibition law
acknowledge that II does not prohibit
Nearly every week fer years men an6
women have been hailed TO the Police
court for violation of this prohihi,ors
law. Every week the police catch g
bootlegger or blind tiger in the city Of
Richmond What does the Local Self
Government association advise, the re-
! peal of the law prohibiting the sale OF
liquor Sunday and other days because
prohibition does not prohibit in Rich
mond? Who dares TO advocate ouch a
thing? Would they not say punish tbs
violators and vindicate the majesty OF
the law How can they be consisten,
and fight Statewide prohibits-- in one.
twentieth of the State and four-hfths
of the time because the law will be
violated. unless they advocate the re-
twentieth OF the State and over the
whole State one-ffth Of the time
What DO they mean. then, when they
say "Prohibition won't prohibit. OIL
prohibition don't prohibit"
virginia will, through her sover-
eign people. adopt prohibition Septem-
Der 20, in spite OF the followers Of the
Local Self Government association