The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-24
CURRENT COMMENT

Rev. James Cannon, Jr, Dead Game Sport
In a general way of speaking. the test of
the sincerity of a principle is based upon what
the man who advocates It will pay for it.
That being true it ought to be generally
derstood that the Richmond virginan, original
champion of Statewide Prohi biton in Viz
ginia." is to he put down as having the courage
IF its convictions. 1t has certainly paid. Men
who rightly wrongly, considered that it was
worth while to close up the hreweries, and shut
down the disteries, and generally go on a de-
baueh such often afflicts prohibition com
munites in this case have seen fiji to go deeply
into their pockets in order to maintain news
paper which has had these ideas centrally in
view. The money theirs and they had the
right to spend 1t. and whatever you or we may
think about prohibition a panacea. have
to admit that the back of the Nirginan
have done a good deal more to protect the credit
Of their faith than most people have done
Hear the Vrginian itself talk about its recent
victory in the Virginia legislature, when the
enabling act passed
"A little than four years ago the Vir-
ginian modestly sailed forth In feebleness
treme upon the streets OF Richmond and dared
70 oppose the liquor traffic in beautiful
capital city and beloved State. At that time
we cursed and rdcule and hoycotted by
readers and advertisers, and the prediction was
freely made that If did not die a bornin
we would not live six months.
For four years the cursing ard boycotting
has continued. but the ridicule has ceased and
the Vrginian has not only survived but has
thrown itself into the fight OF the temperance
people to redeem this State with all of its virile
powers Often we have been admonished that
financial success would come II we would cease
our warfare on the unholy traffic One, at least
of the large. advertisers in this city has
pressed to one of the representatives of this
kpaper the brutal hope that might die, and
doubtless many others have wished it without
saying so to us. but have never wavered
Our competitors here in this city have helped
/ the whiskey people in and out of season
and profited by their advertising and by the
profitable advertising of their allied friends.
but the Virgnan has lived without them--not
without financial losses, TO be sure, not without
enormous losses, hut the patriotic and heroic
mon behind the paper have borne these losses
without murmur mplaint and the Nirginian
has been true to the people,
Every word Of the foregoing is the truth It
is stated. in fact. with restraint The Nirsinian
has been hammered from It's birth. It has been
attempted to -starpe-i 1t out and to thug II out
Even its newsboys have been assaulted. 1t has
been laughed at, as it says, and ridicuied. Yet
1t has to degree, carried its point. After four
years of struggle it has lived--at enormous
losses'-to its campaign Towering to frui-
ton.
1t may be said with great deal Of truth that
Virginia handles the liquor question about as
well any community on earth. Certainly
Richmond is a model town in that respect and
far more moral and temperate than most cities
in prohibition territory Norfolk we under
stand, has also been reformed and revised to
the point where decency and liquor are not ir-
reconcilable terms But the fact remains that
in the of the Virginian the precedent has
been created of band of enthusiasts actually
giving UP good money to promote a cause con-
sdered worthy without political lunches -
| jobs emoluments attached.
We may consider such money so much waste
but we are bound to admire the sporting spirit
of men. like Reverend James Cannon Jr who
had nerve enough to waste 1t the way thew
wanted to play itt-Columbia Is. C) State