The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-28
Asks Why He Would Allow
Negroes of District to Vote
And Deny Right in Alabama
ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE
ENTIRELY CONSISTENT
Eleventh-Hour Local Option
lists Never Favor That Policy
Save in an Effort to Head Of
Statewide Prohibition

Especial to The Richmond Nirginian.)
Washington. d. c., Dec. 27.-W. B.
Wheeler, general counsel for the Anti
Saloon League of America. made the
following reply 10 Senator Under
woods charges-that he and other
league leaders were inconsistent in
favoring local option and then oppos-
ing a referendum on the District of
Columbia biz:
Senator Underwood resides in a
beer glass house when he throws
stones at the league for inconsistency.
How about the Senator yelling for
the people to rule in the District OF
Columbia and then vote to deny the
States the right to pass on this same
question and amend their own consti-
tuition even though it takes three
fourths of the States to do 1t after
the amendment is submitted,
The Senator's attitude in favor
ing the Acknowledgement of negroes
in his own State and his Introduction
of the amendment to dsfranchise
them in the nation, Is inconsistent
with his desire to give them the suf-
frage on this one question
Position Consistent Throug hout.
The Anti-Saloon Leagues posi-
ton Is consistent throughout. II OPP
poses any referendum for the Dis
trict of Columbia because ii Is OF
doubtful validity and is impracticable.
1t never has been used because the
Federal Constitution gives exclusive
legislative control over the distric. to
Congress. II the people OF the United
States want to make the District OF
Columbia a sovereign unit with cleo
4 ttAH& hi prxA a. ~
QUALIFICATIONS Tor voting. a fair refer
endum would be possible. but not be-
fore.
The leagues policy in first advocat-
ing local option, then State and ma
ton wide prohibition Is based on two
fundamental principles.
First The people have a right to
better their conditions in any unit OF
government. small or large, when the
required majority want to do so. This
power of the people is inherent.
Without II governmental progress
would be impossible Our courts of
last resort have repeatedly sustained
this proposition. They have also
made clear our duty to use the larger
units when the people were ready
for it by declaring in one of the re-
cent decisions that. Civic conditions
cannot remain stationary: they will
either advance or retrograde.' The
State or nation that tries to stand
still Will go backwards,
Has No Inherent Right.
The second principle upon which
the league bases its policy is The
saloon has no inherent right to exist
anywhere, whether in a small or large
division. The United States Supreme
| Court has characterized the beverage
liquor traffic as A source of crime
and misery to society," And have
held that. no citizen of the State or
OF the United States has any inherent
right to sell intoxicating liquor
The leagues policy, therefore, Is
based upon fundamental principles
| and il is absolutely consistent with
the best governmental policy in pro-
noting the general welfare.
We challenge Senator Underwood
to show where the liquor interests
that are back of him in this fight, ever
favored allowing the people to rule
on this question in any unit of gov
| eminent, large or small. when It was
an advance step for prohibition.
These eleventh-hour advocates OF
allowing the people to rule on the
saloon issue. use 1t only when some
home-rule or local option PROPOSE
ton can be used as q means to defeat
Statewide. or nationwide prohi-
bition.''