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

XLMxR4 docs moi &AEIf Win " Attc ~
pponr1cility of the enactment Of Law.
II d IN no sense Legislative act. The
y Gubnissiony OF the amendment is
z purely d ministerial act and should
s. b8 performed By Congress whenever
reasonable demand is presented. No
nxoendment TO our Constitution mas
been petitloned for 30 fnsistently ana
VI % many people as this one. nence.
Y Ii cannot be denied on the ground tnat
nafactent iateresf is not manifested.
4 t,eTn deny it on the ground that II IL
Z II question for the states to settle " 10
Assign II TO q position OF less I'M
portance than is now accorded to the
Il hattie tick, the boil weavfl, tainted
q meet or the hookwcrnn. Some OF the
gentlemen who insist that the liquor
e ffAfac. which is everywhere ac-
~ 4rowiedred TO be o national crime.
should be handled by the States alone,
are the ioudest in their demands tor
Ia Federal remedy when any one Oh
the above evils makes Its appearance
4~sn their particular community. Inc
Il trouble with these gentlemen IS they
d Wppose submission because, LOT res
& sons best known to themselves, they
= want TO protect the liquor traff3c and
are ashamed TO give the real reason
: for their opposition There may be an
honest difference Of opinion on the
question OF national prohibition, out
there can be no honest difference OF
E spinion as TO the ministerial duty ol
-sr4songress to submit the joint reso!u-
Z zion TO the States for action under
: sssheir constitutional prerogstive. Let
AZ be clearly understood that the Anti
4. saloon people do not ask any party
n or candidate to declare for nauohai
prohibition. hut they do ask that every
candidate for Congress and the nitea
Z Etates Senate and for President shall
declare for the principle OF retertihs
e this important question TO the states
n q harmony with our constitutional
provisions II they are afraid 10 TRUST
fhe people of the several States. the
/. people should be afraid to trust tnehA
First Proposed Thirty eight Years
Ago.
More than thirty eight years ago
Fx-Itnited States Senator Blair OF
New Hampshire, presented 10 thc
4 United states senate the first PROPOSE
Il zion for national prohibition. lhat
4 uroposstion died in committee, thouEh
ss some of the members of that commit
Il Gee who were opposed TO pronfeition'
favored reporting the measure 10 the
states although there was not tenth
cha demand for it that there is at TINS
time. One Of the ludicrohs angles
!. through which this propaganda must
now be viewed is that the liquor advo-
urho used 10 strenuousiy oppose local
Y, I. option and statewide prohibition. are
n new, as we press the battle Tor ma
IN &sonai prohibition. the most strenuous
n advocates Of local option and are par
tscularlv insistent that the area snail
not extend beyond state lines
Al distinguished Congressman with
loud voice assured us on the twenty
second day of last December when the
! question was being considered DF Con-
rress. that the proposition would re-
Il. ssetve more votes on that date than II
would ever receive at any subsequent
i time. and that II would soon cease TO
" be an issue at all. The difficulty with
the gentleman's prophesy was mat ne
s,yerestimated the supposed far-reach-
ing influence ~ the opposition TO the
measure by himself and leaders Under
= wood and Mann. His diagnosis OF the
il vitality of the movement was fauity:
~ movement which fer hundred
1. wears has rooted itself in the heart oil
the church and the conscience of the
ueopie. and which received clear
rnaiority OF eight exclusive OF pairs,
the fsrst time II got a hearing in the
open forum Of Congress, does not liza
Il down and die at the behest OF It's
enemies. To all such we wish to say
4. you had as well try to stop the mouth
OF Vesuvius with wtsp OF straw, or
:. turn back Niagara with child =
& hand, as to stay the progress OF TINS
mighty movement.
An Historic Date.
December ~. 1914. will always stand
as a historic date in the calander of
4 the nations life. 1t was the day for
the consideration of the Hnhsnn=shsp=
pard joint resolution on the question
: of national prohibition. The commit
a - At FsA,s NJ n
hearing and the growing interest on
both sides had become intense. AT
sac o'clock in the morning the doors
of the gallery of the House were
thrown open and in few minutes
every available seat was occupied and
the corridors were Allied with anxious
adherents of either side. Promptly at
10 o'clock the gavel fell calling the
House to order for two hours' debate
a. to whether or not the rule granted
Nv the committee would be accepted
Nv the House. The two hours debate
was utilized more for the discussion of
prohibition and anti-prohibition than
IS TO whether or not the rule would
u preyail. II was adopted. however, al
most unanimously. by viva voce vote,
10 everyone know il would be. Then
came eight saours debate on the main
. tssue---four hours allotted to each side
81 CONGRESSMAN HOpspD teu lot the pro-
hibition forces and Congressman
~ Mann. of Chicago. and Underwood, OF
!. Alabama, for the liquor interests. 1t
was a great debate. at times persua-
4 &aye. earnest and eloquent. and again,
rising TO the fury of tornado II swept
the hall like hurrican in the forest
The opposition brought out what were
II supposed TO be their heaviest guns
Y 3arly in the discussion--Judge Henry.
& #nf Texas, chairman of the rules COM
mittae: Mr.. Underwood. of Alabama
Democratic floor leader; and Mr..
Isl Mann. OF Illinois. the Republican
leader. The speeches of these men
must have been disappointment to
the liquor people. whom they served.
Tor they utterly lacking in mater.a,
that had not already been exploded in
I nearly every county option campaign
n dn the country. Mr.. Henry's speech
was bonn bastic an dexplosive. having
no effect except to I'LL the air with the
4 lima gtnary smoke of burned gum
nowder Mr. J'nderwoods speech,
living II the best construction possible,
s. Vas q strained effort to deceive by mis-
and to furnish material
u Tor the liquor propaganda Mr., Under