The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-20


best law that It could secure from
the Legislature. but the Kentucky
court declared the law to be uncon-
stitutional and the United States SUI
preme Court upheld the decision of
the Kentucky court West Virginia
has passed stringent anti-shipment
laws. but these laws have been In the
courts from the time OF their adop-
ltion. The lower court did not sus-
tain the West Virginia law. but the
! United States Circuit Court, sitting In
Richmond. did sustain the law at
every. point. and the appeal of the
sliquor traffic is now before the United
States Supreme Court. which failed to
render a decision last spring, but is
expected to decide the case next fall.
North Caroiina's Experience.
The most striking illustration of
1.-THE difficulties which beset the pass
age OF a satisfactory law is found in
our sister State of North Carolina.
North Carolina voted dry" by a rpa-
jority of over 10000 According TO
the editor of the Evening Journal
that should have settled it, the Gen.
4 eral Assembly should have passed
stringent prohibitory laws But not
so. The great fight of the liquor
traffic IN every prohibition State Is to
prevent the passage of effective pro-
hibitory legislation, and the traffic has
fought in North Carolina from the
1 day prohibition was voted by the peo-
| pie. In the North Carolina Legis-
lature last winter the Anti-Saioon
/ League demanded a stringent anti
shipment law, and the House of Dele
gates passed a law. but the Senate
defeated the bill and the present COM
promise law was enacted restricting
shipments to two quarts every
! fifteen days Now one of the North
Carolina circuit judges has informed
the grand jury that the law Is un-
constitutional, so far as it applies to
personal use.
| From the above II will be seen why
the writer cannot relieve the great
anxiety Of the editor of the Evening
Journal as much as he would like 10
do so for he knows that the editor of
the Evening Journal Is deeply inter
ested in the provisions of the pro-
posed law. 1T liz greatly to be hoped
that before the meeting of the Cen
eral Assem- bly, of 1916, the court de-
cisions will have so clarified the stu
'ation that we will be able to present
a satisfactory law which will stand
1.-THE tests of the court
The Present Duty.
In the meanwhile the greatest
obligation which is upon the prohi-
bition workers of Virginia is to see
to it that in every case where there
iis a contest for the Senate or House
of Delegates between two men, one
of whom voted In the last General
Assembly against the Enabling Act.
and the other of whom voted dry"
that the man who voted against the
! Enabling Act be left at home. The
experience of other States is con-
elusive evidence that the vote at the
polls does not settle the prohibition
4 question. 1t does settle questions
with almost every other set of peo-
pie. except the brewers and the dis
ttillers and their allies. But they fight
on. They work through their lobby
in the General Assembly. and by the
help of men who have been elected TO
the Legislature on n pledge to the
voters that they will stand for pro-
hibition legislation. but who at heart
have no sympathy with such legisla-
ition, they manage to pass a bill with
fsuch loopholes that it cannot be fully
reinforced or will not stand the test of
the court
Prohibition Issue Paramount.
II Is utter folly to pay any attention
to the clamor of the wet" news
papers who fought prohibition bitter
ly last year, when they now proclaim
that the prohibition question is set
tied. and that candidates should be
detected to the Legislature regardless
of how they voted on the 22nd of
september. 1914 The prohibition
lquestion is a paramount issue in the
next session OF the General Assembly
land those dry people who think
otherwise will realize their mistake
when the General Assembly meets.
/ have no idea that the above
statement will be satisfactory to the
editor OF the Evening Journal, but I
shall not be greatly disturbed because
OF that fact. as nothing that ] have
written for the past ten years has
been satisfactory TO that gentleman.
Perhaps he may enjoy reading the
Temperance report passed unanimous
ly by the Farmville District Confer
ence. which report discusses fully the
. present situation and the necessity for
Ieiectingv thorough and g honestly
"dry" men. especially to the Senate
OF Virginia. That report is appended
Ito this letter.
u JAMES CANNON, JR.
(The report mentioned appeared in
THE Virginian of STANDARDIZATION,