Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-20

. Shipment of liquor in any uiiantIty
whatsoever 10 amy person Whatsoever.
"i' NJ result would bc interstate sn,r-
mcnis ~ large quantities To % sold
:%aih ny boot-lceg"iS AMI bliud tigers.
Limited shipment Provision.
~ Nicw. therefore. that your com
m,''ee believes that a majority Of those
wh" voted in the Statewide election
ana not intend To prohibit all inter
state shipment 81 liquors for personal
use, but did intend 10 prohibit ahso-
lut:ly the traffic III intoNicant: in tile
state ana. second, in Nciw Of the fact
that many good dry lawyers doubt
the conStttutionality Of Il iaw prohibit
ing the interstate shipment OF liquors.
in any quantity whatever for persona!
use, and that this question has never
i, yet been decided 10y the United States
! Supreme Court and tia; il is likely TO
. he decided by the said court Within
i the next two years. and. third and last
, and least, III view of the fact that til"
most bitter enemies OF prohibition ar.
clamoronSly inSiStcnt upon I'll. passage
OF a hill prohibiting absolutely ANY
Interstate shipments for personal use.
Your committee has decided that i, is
i wise and in accordance With the praU-
I: teal Pauline opportunism Of the .Nmti-
Saloon League To request Tia" passag.
f! of a bin which will provide for the
Interstate shipment Of Il limited guam
tity Of ardent spirits for personal use,
such shipments 10 he made under such
careful restrictions and stringent con
ditions as viii prevent the abuse Of
I the purpose OF the law. either 10y in
. dividnals or by would II. bootlcsgers
and blind tigers.
Not the Idcni Condition.
!. IN making this recommendation
j however your committee desires it 10
! bc fully understood that il does not
I consider this 10 be the ideal coudi-
! ton. and If in 1918. two years from.
now. when tho next General Assembly
meets IL has become evident that :,
/ majority Of tho voters Of Virginia de.
! sir" to prohibit the Interstate ship
meut of arden, spirits in amy quantity
whatever for personal use, and il is
also evident that such u Law viii pass
( tho tests Of the courts. your commit
tee viii rejoice TO advocate most earn
! eStly the passage of such law. We
( only regret that we do not think con
/ ditions warrant IL at the present tim.
=. In the meantime, should the General
/ Assembly pass such II shipment bill
as is indicated above. your committee
most earnestly requests that all pro-
/, hibitionsts and league workers work
: harmoniously and persistcntly to so
strengthen public sentiment that Viz
t Einia Will join with the other states
! Of the Union in voting for "A nations!
prohbitory law. in which event il Will
, he practically impossible 10 have amy
interstate shipments. because there
will he State in tho Union where
arden, spirits can lie manufactured for
! sale.
Stntc Department Necessary.
\ Your committee has made a careful
! study Of all the prohibition laws Of
: the various States. and of the actual
! 'acts as TO the enforcement OF tho
same. the committee has decided that
IN tnc main the West Virginia law ap-
! pears TO be the mos, satisfactorv and
n g. for -ir.,t lat.
ditons. The cnforccmen, OF tho law
IN West Virginia has been cxxeedinElv
effective. owing chiefly 10 the fact that
the enforcement Of the law has been
pun in INC hands Of tho commissioner
OF prohibition" who. in conjunction
i with the o:her officers of the Common
wealth, is required by the law to super
intend the enforcement OF all the pro-
visions OF tho act. Experience has
/ demonstrated that in many local com
'nunities where prohibition laws are
violated the officers Of the law hold
/ IN the main views Of the people bv
whom they arc elected To office. aud
5. amy law which the people Of the local
10 have enforced. becomes practically
a dead letter.
! t0mmissionrr of Moral Welfare.
/ Your committee has decided 20 re-
!, commend 10 n. General Assembly the
election o: n Commit Toner Of Moral
! Welfare. by thu General Assembly at
i It's present session, To hold Office for a
term OF six years. which commissioner
shall he required to Supcr:utcnd the
enforcement OF tho state wide prohibi-
ton law. Your COMMITTEES agrees that
tho commissioner should bc elected hy
), the General Assembly and should not he
appointed by the Governor. or he under
+, the direction Of the Governor any more
Tran - the Ntoru"E-';"ncraI. chc Com
I missioner y: Agriculture. the Auditor
! Of Public Accounts III" Superintendent
OF public Instruction, or other OH
Gals who are charged with duties per
tanning u the entire state Should
the appointment Of this commissioners
ne placed in the hands or the Gov
! crnor. il might bc necessary Ia make
I, ;hc prohibition question an issue in
i, every enbernatorial campaign. rs. uf
course. should " Governor he elected
! who is opposed 10 Statewide prohihi-
/; ton. and opposed to tho strict enforce
ment of that law. he would appoint n
man who would rcacc, in his admin
istration tho views OF tho appointing
4 power. IT. however. tho election is lcr,
TO tho General Assembly. the wishes
of tho people from every part of the
!, state would IL" reelected in the choice
made by their representatives. If tho
General Assembly shall adopt this nro-
vision. ana elect n capable man to the
position OF commissioners. and make
such appropriation as viii enable the
conn issioncr IL perform properly the
duties Of his office. We may very prop
crly hope for defective enforcement
OF the law in every county, town ana
city of tho Commouw calth. We must
insist. however, that the appropriation
SHALL 10 sufficiently largo 10 meet tho
demands which will he made upon the
j comm isSioncrS Office, as IL will be no
fair test OF tho Law 1" cl-ct Il COM
missioner and then Ia ii" his hands by
failing 10 appropriate sufficient funds
to enable him to see that the law is
enforced. 1t will bc better for tho
General Assembly to make too large
an appropriation for the first two
years and reduce IL afterwards rather
than 10 hamper and prejudice the com
missioner in the start by 4 lack Of