The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-16
THE AUTHORIZATION LEAGUE.

! We invite attention to the publication, our
first page. of the declaration of policy made by
+ the Authorization League of Virginia. That
declaration states that The League Courts Pub
lefty" but Ve feel sure that the people of vir
ginia Will agree with US that matter Of such
great interest should not be left in the dark and
that the League is entirely too modest in Its de-
sire 10 hide itself from the public eye. We note
also, that the platform states Members of the
League shall be known only to the temporary
officers, who shall not disclose their identity I'M
less they especially agree TO It," We presume
that Mr.. r. E, Cabeli and Or. Otto Meyer, whose
names appear as temporary officers. agreed that
! their names should be used.
/ The first fact that We would impress here and
now upon the people and the press of Virginia
is that unless they keep active and alive in their
efforts to make prohibition reality in vir-
e MIA, by the passage Of the best laws possible
and the election OF the friends OF prohibition,
and not its enemies. to make those laws. they
will find some day that they have been betrayed
and defeated in their will. The Virglnjdn has
been fighting the liquor business long enough 10
know that it is never safe to rest or to sleep in
#
day to the cry, The Philistines be upon thee
Sampson" and wake to find their fancied secur-
+ ity nockery and Their laws dehed by a lawIess
minority.
The Pirginiaa has been subjected to consider
ahe criticism by papers all OF which, by the
way. have always opposed prohibition). because
We have insisted that the prohibition law musy
{ he hv tf9 fria dc Nd M nv IL
We have been rather violently attacked by this
element of the Virginia press because of our de
mand that it was nothing more than logical that
men who fought prohibition should not he elect
cd to enforce prohibition. Some papers have
declared that We were clinging o a dead Issue
others that we were eXaggerating the situation
and that there opposition 10 the enforce
ment OF the VIII Of the people. To all such we
present the statement and the platform OF the
Authorization League. We ask that they
study 1t and examine its meaning. For our.
selves shall present several views of it and
endearor to show the people of Virginia that
We have been stating It mildly when We declared
that tho enemies Of the prohibition principle
were active and that in due time they would
be heard from. We put all Virginia on notice
here and now that this fight is not ended and
Will not be ended until the best laws are on the
statute books and the best officers in Office that
those laws must be wisely drawn and wisely exc
cuted, and that for these two ends to be attained
the men who hold Office must declare to the peo,
pie of this State what they think about prohihi-
ton. VIII they support and enforce the laws
desired by the temperance people and presented
through the Auti-Saon League and allied or
ganizatiQns viii they support the program
: OF the Authorization party and the liquor IN.
terests? That is tho issue that the people Of
this State must face at the next election. 1t is
more important for the welfare OF the State than
almost any stage of the campaign for II will
: show whether are 10 have once and for all
good Law and good officers. who will enforce It.
or whether such organizations as that announced
today shall be allowed to defeat the will Of the
! people and nullify the Law of the State Of Wiz.
sinia
We present just few statements from the
platform OF this nullihcation organization
and We request our readers to study their mean
} Ing Its special aim Is so repeal the presens
prohibition Law" The card Of membership
states: 81 do not intend 10 live under prohbl
tion laws, State rational. without ceaseiess
efforts 10 abolish then or prerent them" That
means that there Will be opposition TO the en-
actmeut az Temperance legislation in the next
General Assembly, FOR that is the only way 10
prevent prohibition legislation and 1t also means
that there win be efforts 10 defeat friends Of
prohibition for oflce and cleo, its enemies, that
prohibition may be prevented
The League courts TO publicity" Why is it
afraid of the light? What Ia there it wants to
hide from Inc people II Virginia and why should
It refuse 10 state who its members arer What
public steps will be undertaken and when?
How will The members OF the League make
others join? We leave the case with the people
aud We inquire of every person, and particularly
VI every paper in Virginia. what its stand to-
wards such program that outlined by the
aHtprohihitionists will be? From the noun
tails to the let the papers and the people
answer.