Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-01-22
''MORAL WELFARE
COMMISSIONER"
Anti-Saloon League Urges
Election Of New State
Officer
- EEE
WANT AN CUSTER LAW
WANT AN CUSTER LAW
Organization Disclaims Any Possible
Reflection on Governor Stuart By
Their Action.

ASllon.
Richmond, Jan. 22-Anti-saloonisti
yesterday voted to ask for a separate
law to be known as the "Ouster Law
which would provide for the sum-
mary dismissal Of all officers in the
State who "failed, neglected or re-
fused" to enforce the prohibition law
of the State. The recommendation OF
the legislative committee was un-
animously adopted by the convention
Resolutions were unanimously ad-
opted. by the convention providing
for the apportionment among the
various churches of the State of the
debt of $4,000 incurred by the lea
que in the Statewide campaign. 1t
was stated that the whole debt could
be conveniently paid by each of the
churches paying in some cases sou
and in others $25, according to the
ability of the church and to its in
tereSt in the cause.
Prohibition forces are nearer than
ever before to an open breach fol-
lowing the insistence of the Anti
Saloon League on the recommendation
of the legislative committee of the
league which would operate to take
completely out of the hands of the
chief executive of the State the en-
forcement of the prohibition laws anc
place it under morals commission
ner, separately elected and delegated
by the Legislature.
Friends of the administration re-
gard this recommendation as little
short of an imputation of either the
Governors ability or purpose to en-
force the law and it is pointed out
that with such prelude to their leg
islative program there are dangerous
shoals ahead of the prohibition ship.
1t is believed probable that the
friends of the administration in the
Legislature would vote against any
bill embodying such a provision, ana
it is thought likely that efforts to get
through the General Assembly mea-
sure of that kind would meet with a
storm of Indignation and opposition
from those legislators who are close
to the administration.
Attention was called to this situa-
tion at Thursday afternoons meeting
bv Ex-Governor Mann, who warned the
league convention against setting out
with any real or seeming antagonism
toward the administration. He pointed
out that the Governor is the chief eX-
ecutive of the State charged with the
enforcement of the law and that he
could suspend any officer who failed
to do his duty and that if he saw fl,
could suspend the morals dommls-
sioner despite his being elected by the
Legislature and could assume the duty
of enforcing the prohibition law him
self if he so desired.
He said that he approached the
subject of morals commissioner
from the standpoint of charging the
mowers OF the Governor and not o.
reducing it.
Governor Mann declared that he i:
in favor of having such commits
sioner. and declared that the prohlbi
tion laws will not be enforced unless
there is such department. Unless
the laws are enforced, he stated, ther
would be a feeling of disregard TO
them, and this would be bad thin!
for the Commonwealth. He suggeste'
enlargine the powers Of the commits
sioner to look after social vice ant
gambling. He spoke Of studying tn
records of convicts when he was Gov
ernor. and declared that the figure
showed that Is per cent of the con
victs were there because of whskey
and that his personal belief was tha
at least 90 per cent. were there 10
that reason.
He said. that it would De dcplor
able error to have any open division i
the ranks of the prohibitionists an
expressed his opinion that any legis
ilation which would assume any antae