The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-05

i A. coon ieff his den enc night, and
while he was gone polecat went IN
/ when the coon returned and saw tht
visitor TO his den the intruder said
I Come on, come on. I'm a coon. The
coon eyed the stranger a little closer
and the stranger said. Come on
co.Is on. I'm a coon" IF you're q
coon. you don't look like 1t, you don''
act like 1t and you don't smell like
, It," Applying this story, Mr.. Jordan
said that members had declared them.
selves friends of this bill and yet at
tackled every feature OF the measurs
and attempted to emasculate the bill
| The bill had been built around the
I commissioner and the question be-
fore the House was whether an effec-
tive bill should be passed. He ridi-
culed the cry about expense and new
Offices. Men were ready to create other
Offices and they had not shown them
selves unwilling TO spend money. II
all depended upon whether or not
they favored the, measure involved
Addressing himself to the commissi on
ership. Mr.. Jordan said this question
had been discussed from every
rostrum i'm the campaign OF 1914. and
from the pulpits of many OF our
churches and. fully realizing that to
close the saloons would cut off over
half million dollars OF revenue to
the State, the people had voted by a
majority of more than 10000 that the
saloons should be closed. 1t was
childish now, in the face of this ac-
ton by the people to raise a cry
against the reasonable expense which
the enforcement of this law. as pro-
posed, would be paid.
Mr.. Gordon sought to interrupt Mr..
Jordan, but the latter declined to
yield. as he only had fifteen minutes
and the gentleman from Louisa had
already consumed over two hours.
Members of the House had voted,
he said, to increase the salary Of a
State Official already getting $4,000,
and they had voted for the necessary
agents to enforce the game law Mr..
Willis had even introduced bill pro-
vIding a new Office with salary of
$4,000, although he subsequently
withdrew the bill. Tho speaker did
not think the cost of enforcing the
law would far exceed the s25. 900 ask
ed for.
To Defense of League.
Mr.. Jordan said Mr.. Love had de-
olared that his amendment to place
the duties of this ONCE on the Attor-
ney- General was the only one he had
offered in the House. The speaker
added that he hoped he would never
offer another one unless he could
offer a better one. The delegate from
Nuremberg might not think so much
OF the Anti-Saloon League now, but
he was glad enough to have the lea SO ?
come in his county and help him in
his election when he had strong OPP
position.
Mr.. Love said he was glad TO have
the Anti-Saloon League or any other
come in and help him. but asserted
that the precinct in which special
activity was exerted In his behalf went
against him by very large odds.
Addressing himself to Mr. Gordon.
Mr.. Jordan said the gentleman from
Louisa had conjured up more sorts
of ghosts about what this bin would
do and he had hoped he had picked
them all out. The speaker. with great
earnestness. declared that those wins
were fighting this bill were unjust
and unfair. illusions which had been
made by Mr.. Leedy and by Mr.. Cor
don to a former Governor, charging
that his political interests were ad-
vanced by alliance with the whiskey
interests were out of place, and, in his
judgment, in bad taste and unfair.
What has that got to DO with this
question:" he asked. Nothing on the
face Of the earth. The bne question
here Ia whether we are to have an
efficient law and whether provision is
to be made for the proper enforce
ment OF that law. Then they pick
out individuals as candidates. Even
my name has been injected into the
feA.r 1ay- ~. UEn1f y1
1ect these matters into this debate?
They have nothing to do with It. This
bill and it's provisions should be pass
ed upon on their merits.
THE attack made here upon minis
tiers Of the Gospel lis discfedftabie.
These ministers of the Gospel are men
In whom the people have confidence.
They have given themselves unset
ftEhfy to this great fight IN Virginia
and have eonsecrated their efforts TO
the good OF the people, Our friends
here tell you that they have labored
fer years and spent their time, energy
and money to carry Virginia dry in
order that one OF their number might
I'LL an office, which pays $4,000 a
year. Is that fair? IL that the sort
OF argumentl>to present 10 the intel
ligent men who compose this House?
| submit that IT is not. Then they
say you attack the Governor. Those
of us who were here two years ago re-
call that the gentleman from Louisa
made the most violent attack upon
the Governor, whom he now seeks to
defend from the fancied irtustice that
friends of prohibition are alleged to
have attempted to show him.
Mr.. Gordon was on his feet to de-
clare that he had not attacked the
Hnvapnnr hut that IL ha1 to