The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-28
TEMPERANCE TIDE
STILL ON THE RISE
TEN NEW DRY STATES PREDICT
ED BY DIR. CRAFTS IN RE-
CENT INTERVIEW.

| A half dozen States in the Union are
GENERALLY known to be on the verge or
prohibition, but not many people are
aware that the sentiments in Minne-
sofa, South Dakota. Iowa. and Mis-
souri,, is rising like storm tide, DR..
Wilbur F. Crafts, of the international
Reform Bureau. OF Washington, who
has been touring State Legislatures and
interviewing State officials, believes
that ten new prohibition States are in
sight. He calls attention to the fact
that ten wet States voted solidly for
national prohibition In Congress re-
Gently.
DR.. Crafts work among legislatures
lis primarily In the interest OF his
movement to compel Bible reading in
the public schools His plan LIS to
make exceptions in foyer OF those pu-
nils whose parents make written re-
quests for their withdrawal while the
Bible Is being read. He tries to inter-
est Catholics as we'll as Protestants.
On February DR.. Crafts addressed
both houses of the Missouri Legisla-
Iture and joint meeting of the Com
mittees on Education. Just previous
he had spoken in the Iowa Legislature
ito the Senate Committee ON Education.
and the day before that to the House
of Representatives OF the Nebraska
LEGISLATURE. Just previous to that he
had spoken twice to the Legislature of
South Dakota. In all of these States
and in the State capitals OF Minnesota.
Wisconsin. and Illinois, he interviewed
state officials, governors, attorney gem
serals, and State superintendents of
schools. From three legislatures he se-
tcured the introduction of his Bible
READING biIl and found similar meas
lures awaiting his support in South
dakota and Tennessee.
/ The strongest hope of this move
lment for Bible reading In the public
schools is the disposition of Protest.
ANTS. Catholics and Jews to unite on
the question: says DR.. Crafts. AT
Madison. Wisconsin. / spoke to union
meeting of parochial and public school
teachers. and in Oshkosh to union
ASSEMBLY OF public schools. They were
much impressed by letter have from
Cardinal Gibbons. which approves the
reading of the Bible everywhere by
Everybody, regardless OF the version.
! Il have also been doing everything
possible to stir up Interest in the
smith Hinges bill, just reported 10 the
House. which provides for Federal GEN.
sorshp of motion picture films A
resolution was introduced into the Mis-
souri, Legislature approving this meas
lure. Some of the Wild West pictures
incite boys and girls to crime. but I
find that in the West they are par
lticularly concerned because the life
of that section Is misrepresented in
such q way as to keep families. espe-
lcially of immigrants from coming to
1.-THE West for fear that they may be
shot by cowboys as they walk the
streets These picturess are viewed as
a joke by the average Westerner, but
They are taken seriously by many ig-
norant families, especially immigrants.
/ Prohibition Is Prosperous.
| The prohibition situation is excel
lent told the people of Nebraska
that there Is a prospect OF all the
States about them becoming dry, thus
making Nebraska q black lake sur
rounded by white mountains. getting
the drainage OF outcast liquor dealers.
/ believe they are going to adopt pro-
Inhibition IL only in self-defense.
| I'm the South / have been urging
isuch removal laws ms those of Kansas
land Iowa, which have made moral
measures in those States unusually eff
/ fective. Curiously enough. Iowa,
1 Through this law. has more state sover-
egnty than most of theS outhern States.
whose governors often confess them
selves to be mere figure-heads. Power
was largely taken away from the State
governors in the Southern States when
they were In the hands OF carpetbag-
gers, but 1t ought now to be restored
$50 that State may really have Sow
iereignty'' over rebellious cities. There
lis probably no one law which had
done SO much for the State OF Iowa as
the removal law. 1t made all other
laws efficient by putting on the attor-
| ney general the responsibility OF prose-
cutting all county. city and town off,
Ecers who are charged with failure to
enforce laws"
| After speaking In Nashville dozen
| times in two days. DR.. Crafts will visit
memphis and several other Tennessee
lcities. and then visit the legislature
and leading cities Of Kentucky. and
perhaps West vfrKfnAa. before return.
ing to the doors Of Congress where he
hopes to carry Federal censorship OF
motion pictures. the only moral meas
use OF nationwide application that
now has lighting chance, to pass
| before adjournment on March 4.
Should this fail this Congress would
have a bad eminence as the only Con-
gress In thirty years that has not Civ.
,ssea the country nationwide prohibition
iof some great evil such as poIygamy,
lotteries, white slavery and the like.
State censorship OF films DR.. Crafts
sfound pending IN nearly al legis-
latures he visited. but Federal censor.