The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-22
WAYNE B. WHEELER
Continued From FIRST Page

by Senator'S Jones, Works and Con-
gresham Barley. The nations capt
tai should represent the highest and
best governmental policy in dealing
with the liquor traffic That means
prohibition.
The Quakers are on the warpath
in the Sixty-fourth Congress. They
are a peaceful people. When the
brewers started to advertise Quaker
beer and the distillers Quaker whis-
key 1t aroused the fighting blood in
the veins Of these peaceful patriots.
Two anti-liquor advertising meas
ares are proposed. The United States
mails should not be used to advertise
a drunkard- making traffic. Southern
states have already prohibited the
circulation Of literature or the publ
cation of papers or magazines which
carry liquor ads. These wet ads. must
be blotted out before the paper Is sold.
Some Northern papers when sold in
Ala ama and Georgia look as though
they had a dozen black eyes. The far
seeing editors and managers of the
press are taking time by the forelock
and refusing liquor ads, The recent
action by the Public Ledger. Puck
and Hearst's is indicative of the skins
Iof the times.
National Prohibition.
The resolution for national prohibit
ton is the center for advance legiB-
lation. The resolution proposes the
only method guaranteed to the people
for changing their Constitution. 1t
simply provides for "A referendum to
tho States on this question of national
prohibition. If three -fnurths of the
States favor it. it becomes a part of
the organic law. Eight million peo-
pie have petitioned Congress for the
opportunity to have this question de-
cided by the States by the regularly
constituted method.
You are to be congratulated here In
Virginia that your two United States
Senators have Indicated that they are
willing to give the people chance TO
amend the Constitution if three
fourths of the States desire 1t. trust
that all of your Congressman will be
as fair and as responsive to the senti-
ment of your state. You may be
interested to know that Midas Cri-
terion, the hy-liquor journal of Chi
l'Cago, does not approve of the atti-
tude of your lllustrious Senators
Martin and Swanson. Here is what
the whiskey organ In liquor soaked
Chicago says in the December num-
ber:-
The action of the two United
| States Senators from Virginia,
Messrs. Martin and Swanson, in de-
claring that they will support an
amendment TO the Constitution for
nationwide prohibition has called
forth protest from citizens of that
state"
We might appropriately ask what
citizens are protesting-not the rep
resentatives OF the churches, schools,
colleges. fraternal organizations or
the forces that work for human up
lift. Those who represent the saloons
and brewers protest, but they are not
all or majority of the people.
Midas further says:
The pretext set forth to justify the
stand of these two Virginia Senators
is ridiculed as illogical in the ex-
trelne. viz; the action of Virginia In
! adopting a Statewide prohibition.
This very action shows an entirely
opposite view OF the people of Vir-
GINA to that OF their Senators, as
nationwide prohibition would do
away with Statewide prohibition"
Who Is best qualified to interpret
the will OF the people OF Virginia :?
The editor of a liquor journal in Chi
cago, where the liquor forces not
only oppose the most limited local
option. but where on Sunday recent
" thousands paraded the street as
a protest against enforcing the Sun
day law against liquor selling? This
wet" sheet will not be accepted as
undisputed authority in determining
what the people OF Virginia want or
what their Senators should do in vot-
ing for resolution TO submit the
prohibition amendment.
Midas further says:
The people never intended that
the result of the referendum last year
should be interpreted as evidencing
the will OF the people ON a matter
which strikes at End seeks to over
throw one of the fundamentals of
popular government
ITO us 1t seems shallow and spe-
cious in these Senators to take the
view they do and not perceive the
profound and irreconcilable differ
ences between the two propositions of
State and national scope TO prohibit
ton, Involving. as they do, theories
of government antagonistic in princi-
pie and function"
The editor of Midas Criterion falls
Ito appreciate that the beer 1keg and
whiskey bottle have no inherent rights