The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-25

80 nv : - II 81 tns nossoE
! ne eka]lce ~ ~ Es2ub1lc>ns u -
/ ssiseS;on g a. s:sSis rs wanted u &
SO fkto xnatkS3 abovs 6olitics AMI
| kept Abev1 ro1l&ics ~ III times ana
ks aid thu: t11e Repnbzickts should
be allowed ~ have = hand and
voice IN the nArninx Of 3 man WHIT
WA 70 see to the enforcement Of Law
IN cysry part Of the state und unde'
walker spcaIs For the 9f0asure.
senator Walker. Of NorthumbeF.
land, declared for the .sasndment
though he waa one o. the patrons q
the bill undsr consideration. IA
said that he was III IN tirn ccnvtc.
ton that the opportunity was q
hand to. settle q dtfl3culx question and
to perform public service. Is WA
one Of the most tr0uhlegofne pf0wo-
sttiong that had come 70 the Senate
in connection with the n1eeAuxe. and
the Measure Was one Of the most 81
reaching that the Senate had been
time. The matter 81 enfcrrenneut 81
the provisions Of this acts EAre ecarce-
iy less Important than tho act IT,
self. The Attorney General had been
active, efficient and faithful IN the
enforcement OF the law OF the state
Tho members OF the Sena.s are fresh
from the people and he believed that
they could provide for the commits
sioner to enforce the law and pro-
vide q lawyer for administering In
every provision. The lawyer would
be elected by the people. All these
objections which had b.en raised
terms OF the amendment and he &C.
cepted Its provisions a. beiax fair and
correct. He declared the intirnatfon
that Interior motives wers actuatlng
any of those who had favored the
amendment. He did not believe such
to be the case. The law would be
committed 10 one who Ii pledged to
Its enforcement. and he did not see
that any political significance could
or would attach TO- the adoption OF
the amendment. If the law was en-
trusted to tho care and attention Of
Mr.. Pollard he was confident that 1t
would be administered with ability.
He welcomed tho opportunity to dis
he represented and he believed that
Mr.. Pollard would retain his present
ONCE II the duties were imposed on
him. The only thing in which Sena-
tor Walker was interested was the
enactment OF a good law and to pro-
vide for it's proper enforcement.
Senator Gtrodc's View.
Senator Strobe declared that the
amendment OF Senator Conrad chal-
ienged the most sober reflection a. to
the BEST method to secure the enforce
ment Of the law. "At the outset Of
the debate had to undertake to
break. IL could, the strangle-hold on
the Independent Judgment Of the Sen
has advanced to the position that the
strangle-hoId will be broken, and that
we will exercise our good Judgment
on an important feature OF the bill.
There has been o steady advance to-
ward that result. The members Of
the Senate are divided evenly on the
question Of the election Of commits
sioner by the people. There was not
very great difference ON the ques-
ton OF appointment by the Governor.
There was q great majority In the be-
ginning on the question OF the COM
missionership, and SO say there has
been a steady advance toward the
breaking Of the stranEle-hold.
Il could dispose OF a two-column
article. which appeared In The vir-
gtnian OF yesterday. BY employing Just
two words, for the article misrepre-
scented me In my position on matters
In connection with this measure, but
those two words would provoke -four
more columns tomorrow morning.
He then called attention to the
States OF West Virginia, Kansas and
Oklahoma. which were said to have
fs-ss x<,ts srf, vStss Ys.
l,oma the plan had been tried and had
been abandoned, and the duties Of
enforcing the law had been committed
10 the care OF the Attorney General Of
that State, whose hands had been
strengthened to enable him to secure
endorsement. In Kansas the law Wal
enforced through the Attorney Gen.
erals office. and In West Virginia
through the office Of State TAI
Commissioner. Mr.. Strobe then en-
phasixed the results which would
come from putting the enforcement
OF the law in the hands Of the AttOr-
ney General, and inquired what man
had done more for the Anti-Saio0n
League than the man who ut present
holds the office OF Attorney General.
Mr.. Strobe then entered once more
into q discussion OF his own personal
relation to the prohibition movement.
He said that an effort had been made
to set him outside OF the prohibition
workers. He expect0d, however, To
support the bill, but he did not want
tho bill to be hAnd-strung. He said
he had never claimed the credit Of
being q worker In tbs cause Of the
Anti-SAleon League. but he had hon-
ored those who had worked for the
league. He had never claimed 70 .
total abstainer. and ho had never
taken an active part In any of tbs
campaigns Of the 6tGte. but he had
been content 70 b. private In fns
ranks
senator We0denbsarg Oppoooa.
Senator Wendenburg declared that,
In consideration of ths amendment
two propositions are Involved. One
the political aspect, the other thu
broad principle Of law which y IN
volved. He was opposed % any aug-
xestion which would prostitute the
high office Of the Attorney asnerAl
to serve political ambitions. But hia
special objection WIS that the office q
Attorney General was 1en1l~1udtctnl
position. The Attorney 0on6tal \
called to pass upon Queaflon4 they
have been decided Ia thu lower courts.
BY this amendment the Detni-judicial
position OF the Attorney General u
destroyed. He ifluatrAted hfs mean
Ing by references tn conditions which
q rnuo An = s14tsrfNR Nna0. In which the