The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-26

my friends will know that 1t was be-
cause I did not believe it q practical
method.
should Work to Make Law Success.
Il am equally free to say, however.
that IL this act will accomplish for our
people even reasonable proportion
Of the benefits which it's advocates
claim 1t will. no pecunfary price would
be too much to pay for those benefits.
That being so, 1t seems to me to be
the duty of every citizen to do what
may lie in his power to make the law
a success.
There are always in every commu-
nifty some people who are ready and
willing to break the law for some
reason. or possibly for no reason. 1t
may be true that small number of
this class are vicious. and would break
any law If they could. But l be-
lieve that most of them are merely
thoughtless. The terrors of corporal
punishment will not restrain the vi-
cious nor prevent the thoughtless.
THE only effective deterrent. which
will reduce the vicious to a minimum
and tend to reform the thoughtless. Is
an informed public sentiment.
THE creation of this sentiment
should be the chosen work of men
connected with the Y. NJ. c. A.. Is well
as of all other Intelligent men who
are willing to forget their pride of
opinion on an economic question for
the good Of the whole state.
'One of the most helpful agencies for
good citizenship which We have out
side of the churches. is the organiza-
ton known as the Boy Scouts. The
members of this organization are at
an impressionable age. Many a boy
has been led to break the law because
he thought 1t was a brave and manly
thing to do. Let the Boy Scouts get
the idea that 1t Is the highest kind
of patriotism to obey the law; that by
UNFOLDING the majesty Of tho law they
are defending and insuring the per-
petuity Of free institutions. and I VEN
ture to say that the young men of the
coming generation will see to 1t that
1t will not be considered brave and
manly to break the laws Of their coun-
try or to permit the name of Virginia
to be classed with those States where
prohibition failed to prohibit.
Give II Fair Test.
Let us give this experiment a fair
test. There never was sumptuary
law which could be enforced for any
great length OF time against the wishes
of majority Of people. You may
amend the present act and impose the
penalty of death in addition to the
penitentiary. Those penalties are brute
threats, which may restrain the bodies
of men. but can never change their
opinions.
Let us admit that no men or class
OF men have any peculiar benefits to
gain by this law. The purpose Of the
law--the purpose which a majority of
the people of Virginia had In mind
was to prevent intemperance--a benefit
to each and all of US. II 1t can be OBJ
tained 1t IL worth a patient and hon
est test At all events every other
human experiment has failed of per-
lection. 1 am not claiming that the
author of this act were inspired, or
that their plan has In IT any evidence
of inspiration. except one. That evil
dence of inspiration Is not In Its
method but in its intent-evidently the
intent Is TO do good to that extent It
is worth a fair trial. Possibly in the
years to come. our Boy Scouts may
receive the inspiration necessary TO
perfect the method In the meantime
let US aid the good intent by the
power of united public opinion"