The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-03
THE LEOPARD'S SPOTS

! (o1 The WOrmIikC writer In the
News Leader continues, 1T n under
stood that there will Ike but one szsn- !!
/ tlidate for this Office, and that the
candidate has already been agreed
upon by the prohibition forces. His
name Is the Rev. j. Sidney Peters, Tho
identity Of this candidate has bcssn
carefully veilcd, hut his name hns
been determined upon by the prOht.
bition leaders
This statement bristles with false
hoods. 1t begins with the same
sneaking, 1T is understood and con-
tains tho same cowardly generalities,
! such as "the prohibition forces and
! "prohibition leaders"
I, Not only has not the bill creating
! the office OF state prohibition COM !
missioner been even tentatively
drawn by the prohibition leaders of
: the state tas the article Under
stands'D, but there has been no con-
ference of THE prohibition workers.
/ or even of the prohibition leaders,
concerning such a bill.
/ The understanding" that there has
been is wholly imaginary, and the
writer in the News Leader knew IL toI
be imaginary.
1t is absolutely false that candidate
for the position OF State tax commits t
sioner has already been agreed apon
+ been on conference or agreement, |
either on bin or on & candidate for
J this office. The further statement !
therefore, that the identity o. this
candidate has been carefully yelled, |
4 but his name has been determined
upon by the prohibition leaders.
and his name IL the Rev J. Sidney
! Peters" is as absolutely false as Isl
! the other statement. The writer
ha t1ytth I'm INN "a <
presume that he Is one Of the pro
\ hihitjon leaders OF Virginia. and he
hereby declares that he never heard
the name of Rev. J. sidney Peters
7 suggested for the position OF State
prohibition commissioner until it was
I mentioned in the Times Dispatch AM
the Evening Journal Of September IL,
and with the exception OF the conn
inents he himself made in the Eve
) ming Journal and in the Christian Ad-
gocate concerning the publication OF
September II. and the remarks he
| made to friends at that time concern
! ing the publication he has never dis
cussed the matter. nor has it beer
mentioned in his presence In any way
until this publication In the News
I Leader OF November IS. 1t liz not only
false, therefore, to say that his name
! has been determined upon by the pro-
I hihition leaders, but II Is doubly false
I to say that the identity of THIS cam
didate has been carefully yelled" and
the purposs Of the writer in the -NaIS-
! Leader is to produce the impression
: upon the public that the Anti Saloon
League workers are preparing pro-
gram which they are ashamed to re-
{ veal to the voters, but which they are
carefully yelling to be disclosed at
: the last moment, too late to be check
mated or defeated. This is Islander
upon the methods of the league. and
the writer knew II to he SANDER
s when he wrote It. The league has
never concealed its program. It has
r always fought IN the open Even
= when every newspaper In Eastern Vlr-
: GINA was fighting 1t. mi.representinr
j., and slandering it. and the General
! Assembly was hostile the league open
! ly declared It's purposes concerning
a men and measures
: Why should it work behind closed
& doors today. ana veil Its movements?
Why should II hesitate TO declare its
e purposes to favor the creation of tho
$ office OF State tax commissioner
: Why should 1t hesitate to declare that
+ 1t believes Rev. ]. Sidney Peters would
: be a suitable man for this office
e Surely there is nothing improper.
: nothing evil. nothing to be ashamed
i of In standing both for the law in
I question and in expressing it's pref
> erence for q person to fill the office
q of State prohibition commissioner II
: the prohibition leaders had drawn
s. either the law in question, or had SET
d tied upon Mr.. Peters as desirable. to
} fill ar office, their purposes would
: not be carefully yelled" as the worTn-
( like writer In the News Leader de-
8 ella res.
81 The wormiike writer in the
? to he attached to this position. wirils,
{ il must be determined by the General
Assembly. should the office he Great
: ed. has been mentioned as $1,000,
Q This II eQuiva lent tO the salary COM
y manded by the Governor Here
: again we have the same cowardly
method OF statements. THE salary
$ has been mentioned as 5000.
I Mentioned" by whom? Why. by no.
: body but this slanderous writer in the
4 News Leader. The effort in this
e statement Is 10 produce the impress
E sion that the prohibition leaders are
( trying to establish an office with
: salary equal to that Of the Governor
of the State. or course the salary
of every office depends upon the
l., amount OF work that is to say. the
! duties connected with the office. and
. upon the type OF man who will he
: required to properly perform the du-
. ties of the office. There are treas
r urers and examiners of records in Vir-
. ginia whose compensation lie greater
81 than $1,000. Not because the Office
: is more dignffied than the office of
4 Governor. but because the State has
u considered the duties to be such as to
81 Justify the payment OF fees. which in
g the total exceed more than 5000. The
: prohibition leaders have not only never
4 had conference on this law. never
t have determined upon any candidate
for the office in question. but have