The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-24

chance from the s7ua1itu roltg
unit 70 the entire HtAfss ss q (
I'm our Judgment t1sefs = nei$I
merit nor eubstancs in the ~
made BY the prohibttlon party o1
mfttee ana the party leaders 49,
their bill prohibiting brewef3ee 81 &
iisttlieries as well ~ salooH4 4
they say ON this point COM pc
ously near to mizrepresont4<teu
the optional prohfbtfion referou61
bill. The truth II that the op<feNg
prohibition referendum bill wA@45
passed. II adopted By the psople a. 3
the entire state, will make Il unlAN1N<
for breweries or distillerie6 II N0M
York to sef1 their produca "a H9N<
York or deliver.it for sale IN N~1
York. The only thing that they 60
do under this law 10 to haul th44
stuff made In tho State. outside Of IT,
State, and deliver where it = iAMm&f
for II to be delivered or sold. Who4
one climbs down from finespun tjkosz
DRY to solid fact ana remembers TIT
New York State 10 the Gibraatar SNa
the liquor traffic and recognised eeM
orally as the last place that Will e93
dry, and that. therefore. by the TIM
breweries and distilieries ara pruhS1-
tied from selling in New York et9ee%
there will be no place outside Of Me-
York where they can deliver Or seEs
1t will be seif-cvfdent thai mere
form of words prohibiting brewing
or distiIling makes absolutely no dfk-
ference in practical results In short.
without assuming any unneceo1axy
burden. the optional prohibition re8-%
erendum bill will make possible any
thing that can be accomplished NJ
der any other bill.
Criticisms Of League.
when ono rem embers the vfgof-
Gus criticism ieveied at the Antf-g2~
loon League in various irnpassioned
arguments for the party method cf
reaching prohibition. and the State
ments that have been repeatedly pub-
lished In the party papers. that Il ~
not only foolish for the Antf-Salo0n
League to expect men who (they, the
party prohibitionists. sAy) are pledged
to the platforms of liquor parties,
! but that It II even wicked for tbs
And-Saloon League to DO II, ~ wes
have seen soberly argued on the Gill
toriAi page Of prominent prohibition
papers, because tthey say) In Ashfn&
| such men 10 vote for teinperAncs
legislation the league IL asking them
| to violate their word. or at least their
implied promise, to their constituents
when one remembers al this. ~
prohibition party friends asking the
New York Legislature. 20 largely
elected by Tammany and the OLD
| Guard Republican machine. tho came
outfit that has so xealous1y guarded
the Raines law 40 the Ark OF the
Covenant with the liquor TRAFFIC, 70
prove traitors to Mr.. Murphy and Mr..
Barnes by passing an outright State
prohibition law.
Now. of course, II the purpose Of
| the prohibition party In introducing
this Statewide bill In purely to hold
| up an ideal, II Il In to keep the party
| legitimate. and. as the men Of the
party see IL, II II commendable. But
II that 10 the purpose Of 1t all. then
our prohibition party friends ought
not to trif1e with their constituency
or try to trifle with the sRnbltc, ard
| IL they really do not aspect to ac-s
tualiy pass their own 1biAa now. they
ought not to dizpxfAge2aa MEASURE 20
framed and 30 backed that It's passaxe
10 possible and progreSss under Il can
bs won In very short ~ttme.s2
1.-THE Anti saloon Eengue believes
| that ths dassttoa of psolafbftion II =
question: Of fundamental morality
which should be settled directly by
the people. The fatal blunder tha4
was made in Alabama years ago.
| frankly admitted BY Captain Hobson.
and for which the league must bear
its share Of responsibility. was I'M
getting statutory prohibition first
and then trying to put It into the Con-
stftutioni When the attempt was
made to secure constitutional prohi-
bition. the liquor interests went ont
and said: This 10 not proiIi bition.
You have prohibition. This n TYR
| amy; and the proposition was beaten
by its own friends. Then immediataly
| the politicians whipped around and
said that since the people had repu-
dated prohibition they would repeal
statutory prohibition, and Il was only
recently that Alabama came hack on
the prohibition question. By delay
ing a year or two, the temperAncea
people Of Alabama might have got
their prohibition by popular vote to
begin with. and had 1t nailed down
| tor all time. We accuse the liquor in-
| terests Of being afraid to stand mp on
| the merits Of their case before the7
people for q majority vots. We must
be consistent and honestly face the
| fact that IL we haven't q majority ofs
votes In favor OF prohibition IN ~
country of this kind. then We mus
20 out and educate the people and
make sentiment until we do have II
| majority. The Anti-Saloon League
purposes to go straight ahead for
what John q. wooiiey, for years thez
official editor, standard bearer An6s
nominee for president OF the prohi6osS
ton party, calls prohibition with tn
L al