Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-05

= sioner would he to keep I'll. prob ibl-
ton issue IN politics
y Is not true that the creation OF Il
spcciai commissioner OF prohibit on
! VIII Keep this question out Of politics"
said Mr.. Gordon. Isn't the prohibition
! question In politics now. and has il not
railways been IN politics" Can any issue
win reference To which Il majority OF
""ooo people in This state rendered an
lopliion, at amy time he out OF politics.
nave heard ii stated that a great
many OF the men who occupy seats In
tnis House were asked in their GAM
pnlSnS II they would support the pro-
! hibitiun program to be defined bv its
i leaders aud were elected or defeated
according to their reply to that utIes-
. non. DO YOU mean to say that that
us Keeping prohibition out Of politics."
! The intimate relation between the
| prohibition issue in Virginia, said AIR.
Gordon. was never demonstrated with
! greater sharpness than when the
! great leader Of the party. after voting
: me wet ticket in charlottesville.
! found IT rNpcdicnt II little later to join
| hth"S win the prohibition leaders.
! w men both of tho leaders of the States
! democracy. he continued subscribe
| themselves as supporters of state
ana even national prohibition, there
! is nothing for their humber followers
. IN the state at large to do but 10 fol-
! low them.
~ (illS Dtcbil3f union OF the
nIbltIon and organization forces said
. Mr. Gordon is due the political com
| hinati"n which is powerful enough to
put through any program which they
desire. If tn" vast prohibition army is
iaborine under the deiusion that they
are gong I" take prohibition out of
politics. he said, the sooner they ge,
rfH Of il the better.
SAYS COMMISSIONER PLAN
HAS FAILED IN OINI.A}IONt
AZ. Gordon produced letters from au.
'hofiiicS in Oklahoma, to shaw that the
'"hniSSion"rship in that state which
was abolished after short trial
proved of doubtful value When Dele.
Ra'c browning: came to the defense Of
the prohibition bill at the afternoon
session he took Mr.. Gordon 10 task for
unuc ftakinS 10 compare the peDple al
oh,thohla with its mixed population 81
'dNenturcrS. Indians and half breeds
to the people Of Virginia. who have he
''ahi totally different ideals Of govern
mCnt
r"ilns the adoption of the Attorney.
'ch"r'! pialL said Mr.. Gordon. II. was
III i"V"E OF selecting as prohibition
commissioner a business man Of ,.;dn
cApcrIcnc" aud training II would j
Il hIunccr he said to cleo, ,nv ,,.rs,,,
prominent as 4 member OF the Anti.
saloon League. hccaIs. such an .l.r-
.tnd dirirust. w."
pciegat" Norris. at the opening Of
'hc afternoon session. offered an
","c'"ihrht providing for the uonul.r
t'cC'loh OF the commissioner bcrinninc
WIN iHS, the office TO he fill,sI concur
'eh'iN With the election OF the Gov
erhor thereafter. The p.onIc nr ma
state, he held, would he more IiI;.ly +,
hc' wisely III the selection OF this ,r
trcr IMAM tho General Assemble, In
the event that this amendment u,ro
No,ed down he said he would be com,
PEELED {" support the Love alncpdn.n,
making IN" AttorNcy-GcneraI ex-oiIicio
commissioners. His amendment was
OVERWHELMINGLY rejected during tho
voting period.
SAYS STATE NEEDS SPECIAL
OFFICER 10 ENFORCE. LAW
Following him came Delegate Swift
l"i tied"ricksbIrc, who spoke in sun
port otthc bill as il stood \ special
officer Tor tho enforcement; OF the pro-
hi"ition law Was needed in Virginia
more than in any of the other prohiii-
lion States. To assign the duty Of
enforcing this law to the ATTORNEYS
General. he said. would he :, grave
biunder politically, since IL would i'm
jmcdiately result In a coalition between
the wet elements and the party fac
ton hostile to the Attormcy-Gcneral
and in this manner emphasize the rift
in the states democracy.
Mr.. Swift took issue with Delegate
Gordon on the eligibility OF Anti-Saioon