The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-19
Or. CANNON ''SCOTCHtS'
RECENT News STORY
Anti-Saioon League Leaders First
Learned of Their Plans In COL
umn of Times Dispatch.
KNEW NOTHING OF PROPOSAL
superintendent of Anti Saloon League
says No Meestng Has Brcn Held for
Months tn Discuss Prohibition Leg
sslstion 10 BE Proposed To Assembly.

Ii has been "a id by some wise hest
that "a il better not To know So = - h
than 10 know SO much that r. not -.
Some time back The Nirginisn was
horribly t'scooped" by its morning
contemporary on news story telling
OF the proposed plan OF the Anti-Sa .
loon League and of movement to
create the office Of Prohibition Com
missioner Of Virginia. and then to
comfortably fill II by naming Rev. j.
sidney Peters therefor
] This story was an interesting ac-
count Of proceedings which had never
( proceeded" Of large general interest
10 the people IF Virginia. of the tenn
< peranc" people and lea ders especially.
/ ana To Rev j. sidney Peters in partic-
ular
tnforton ateIy for the newspaper
publishing the story. those who are
+ said TO have made the plans only
f learned OF them through the publlca-
1 tion mentioned. and the story is
/ 'seotched" brown by the following
: communication from Rev James Can
non. Jr,, which Is sufficiently self-ex-
pla natory
Text or Dr. Cannon's letter.
Editor Richmond Evening Journal.
My attention has been called To an
editorial In the Evening journal of
Saturday. September Ii. entitled
i Hurrah for Peters
This editorial takes for It's text a
statement which appeared IN the
! Times Dispatch the morning of that
! same day. and. proceeding upon the
utterly unwarranted. indeed utterly
: absurd, assumption that the statement
I of the Times Dispatch is correct. the
/ Journal proceeds To criticize with
varying degrees OF severity the United
4 States senators from Virginia. the
I General Assembly of Virginia, the
Rev i. sidney Peters, the Anti sa-
loon League Of Virginia and Rev
james Cannon, Ir.
The Times Dispatch stated; That
tire leaders Of the Anti-Saloon League
! have agreed en- the principal points In
/ the legislation for the enforcement OF
/ prohibition after November |, 1915,
witch they viii geek to have passed
/ ~ the General Assembly next year.
appears we'll understood In prohibition
circles The league will insist. 4 Is
said. upon the creation OF the office of
state prohibition commissioner ard
/ will propose that the General Assem-
bly, itself elect Rev +, Sidney Peters.
field secretary Of the organization. to
that position"
The Journal editorial begins as fol
lows According to the Times Dit-
patch Of this morning the Anti-ga
loon League. fou" months In adva nee
OF the meeting Of the General Assem-
bly,, has decided what we shall have
on the subject. Not only that. nu
four months in advance IL has decided
a the ha Mo-
will he ordered by the executive com
/, inittee OF the Anti-Ssioon League tc
= elect to enforce the law. This is o
sample of what We may expect under
> Anti Saloon League rule
When did the Times Dispatch be.
come worthy to be quoted or believed
/, on any matters pertaining to the An,
ti-Salo0n League or its movements
When did It ever tell the truth about
the league. It's plans, its policies or rs
= workers? Indeed, when did 1t ave,
fail TO wilfnlly misrepresent ths
: league For fourteen years II ha.
! villified and sandefed ard maliciousls
attacked the league workers not only
under the Bryan ownership. but t1.
$ der the present ownership also. Jus
: a few days before the August prima
= riss. in an article urging the voters &c
: ignore the prohibition issue in senate
. rtAf llStTlctSs III NUltn the IGAENe wa.
working TO defeat the wet" candl-
, dates. the Times Dispatch denouncat
, the league workers as profess ona
, howlers and whoopers. who were
. working to keep certain persecut ct
but highly vocal souls on the payroll.
The Times Dispatch is today as ma
! iicious and rs unreiia bic AS ever where
. the prohibition question Ia involved
: 1t is not true that the leaders OF IN,
the principal points IN legislation FOL
the enforcement OF prohibition" TIL.
: / leaders of the league have not hat
any meeting to discuss prohibition
legislation for several months and ar.
! not likely to do so until the United
: States Supreme Court hands down 1t.
= decision In the West Virginia appaa
! case. When they do meet they will
, meet in conference with leading mem
Z bers of the General Assembly to con
, slider the provisions of the proposed
2 law. and they have the right to do thi.
i.just as much as physicians or as edu.
Gators have the right to confer witt
! members OF the General AssemhI,
concerning laws for the State Board III
Health or the State Board of E,duca
ton.
Secondly. IT Is not true that the
leaders of The league have agreed &c
/ propose that the General Assem- bly
itself elect Rev. j. Sidney Peters
field secretary 81 the organization Ia
that position" | suppose that AS
have been for many wears the su,lerin
tendent Of the league. ! may without
| immodesty presume that ! am includ
ed IN the term leaders z"
Speaking for myself ! declare that
+ ! never heard the name OF Rev j sid
ney Peters suggested for the position
+ Of State prohibition commissioner un-
! til | saw il in the columns Of the
/ Times Dispatch and OF the Jou4na,
II has never been suggested In any
way at any meeting OF any committee
! OF the league. nor TO myself personally
by anybody. Now that II has been
suggested, do not hesitate TO say
that should the office OF State prohi.
I flt. commissioner he created. | cannot
think row of "A mar better qualified In
every way to do the work than Mr..
( Peters and should consider the State
TO be exceedingly fortunate to secure
his services II he should he willing ia
accept such q position. which without
4 having consulted with him on the sub
feet ! seriously Doubt
4 The statement therefore In the
I Times Dispatch declaring an agree
rnauf of he league leaders both tpop