The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-06-23
Large Employers Of Labor.
Weary of Its Effects Upon
Men. Becoming Active in
Statewide Campaign
Petitions Are Out
For Election Call
Efficiency of Methods and Or
ganization of Anti-Saloon
League Demonstrated to
Doubters in Last Few Days.
Voters May Help

If any one has had any doubt about
the efficiency of the methods and or
ganization of the Anti-Saloon league.
the developments OF the last few
DAYS have been sufficient to remove
such doubt yesterday, on schedule
time, petitions calling upon the gov
ernor 10 order the Statewide prohi-
nltlon election on September 20 next,
IN accordance with the provisions OF
tn enabling act, were circulated
throughout The State.
The petitions were carefully pre-
pared and We're accompanied by de-
tailed instructions for their most EN-
Gent, as well AZ legal use. The Pc
titions have been placed in the hands
Of men especially selected. beforehand.
to circulate them The greatest care
is being taken to conform, not only
10 the letter, but the spirit OF tho
law While the Anti-Saloon league
appreciates the willingness of many
of it's friends 10 circulate petitions. and
gladly accents such services, those
services are necessarily performed I'M
der such rules and regulations as
NIL best conserve the, object in view,
and each helper works under the
specific directions of the particular
leader Of specified precinct or dis
trict. county or city.
Must Personally See Voter.
The person circulating the petition
must personally see the voter sigh
the petition. and when as many names
as possible have been secured. or ths
petition has been filed the circulator
must go before notary public or
Justice of the peace. and make af1i-
da vit thereto. only those persons who
voted or could have voted In the Mo-
petahar, 1913 election. are eligible to
sign the petition. Any person know
ing himself to he ineligible to sign
the petition. and attaching his sigma
ture thereto, makes himself haple TO
a tine for such act.
All the petitions must be In the
hands of the clerks Of the Circuit
courts of the counties or the Corpora
tion courts of the cities on or before
July s.
While 1906 names Of voters ars
necessary to call the a4ection. 1t is be-
lieved that with the organization eff
fecred by the Anti-Saioon league. such
a list Will not he difficult to obtain.
and il is further believed that sur
prisingiy large list Of petitioners will
he secured. Intense interest has been
manifested. IN every direction. in tho
undertaking, and the leaders OF the
prohibition forces are greatly en-
couraged by the manner IN which they
have been hacked up by workers
throughout the STATE.
Employers of Labor Active.
Men who were not thought by some
TO he especially interested in the pro-
hibition question are In the fore-
front Of the efforts 20 bring on an
election, and to help drive the saloon
from Virginia.
Time will develop greater strength
in many quarters than has been an
ticlpated by those who have not been
in close touch with the situation.
Some large employers Of labor. who
have not been particularly active In
selves "a becoming tired Of the effects
nj the saloon on their labor. and OF
The difficulty in the earlier days OF
the week in filing orders for their
produCts-~nunaber s Of their men hav-
ing dissipated en- a half Saturday
and through Sunday, and becoming
thereby unfit for proper service,
In many parts nf the state on Sum
dav, force ~ upwards IF ten men
gave impetus q the petition signing
movement. . In these regular feld
dav services not only were the prin-
cirles of prohibition, especially along
moral lines emphs sized, but the me-
( cessity Of having an adequate petition
, calling for an election before such
election could he held In addition
to these activities numbers of min
istars spoke upon the subject from
their puipits and gave larger interest
Ia the movement Not only was this
true 0f some puiuits in Richmond but
in many communities in the Common.
wealth,