The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-31
Governor Stuart Has Said he
Will Sign Measure Making
Prohibition Effective
POWERS NOT ABRIDGED
BY PROHIBITION BILL
Effort Made By Wet News
papers to Bring Division On
Mapp Measure Governor
Not Man to Use Club.

Since the people of Virginia by O
majority of some 80, 600 In September
1914, declared that prohibition should
obtain In the State, Governor Stuart
has indicated on several. occasions,
and has been quoted al different times
that he would sign the bill that viii
put into effect the registered will OF
the people. In view OF these state
ments by the Governor little attention
is being paid by prohibitionists and
temperance people to the publication
+ in various wet newspapers Saturday
and yesterday that close friends OF
the Governor say that he will veto the
general prohibition law introduced In
the Senate Friday by Senator G. Wal
ter Mapp. of Accomac because that
measure contains provision for the
creation of IA commissioner of moral
welfare In whose hands is to be placed
the enforcement OF the dry law.
The prohibition bill itself contains
the assurance in section g that moth
ing in this act shall be construed 10
limit the power of the Governor OF
the state or to relieve the Governor OF
the State from the duty imposed upon
him by the constitution and the
statutes to see that the laws are faith
fully enforced -
AWMS% wv SA1tNoftsy sobh S~s&t'Vs
This section of the prohibition meas
ure makes II certain that the Cover
nor will have no less authority in the
enforcement of law than he now pos
sesses. even though the bill creates
the Office OF a moral welfare COM
missioner TO act directly in the en-
forcement OF prohibition and other
moral laws 10 lie enacted and already
on the statute books.
u -, y.r,gn airaa III \
are heads of several State departments
who direct the enforcement of State
laws coming under their Jurisdiction
Among them are the Insurance Com
missioner. the Labor Commissioner
| the Dairy and Food Commissioner and
Others. None of these establishments
of the State government. II Is de-
ciared. abridge the power or author
4 fly of the Governor for law enforce
ment.
Governor Stuart. in the first section
. OF his biennial message to the Gem
erai Assembly. delivered January IL
called attention TO the mandatory
constitutional declaration that the
chief executive power of the State
shall he vested In a Governor The
Governor shall take care that the laws
are faithfully executed.
Here we find the chief executive
power of the State vestd in IN Gov
srnor," Governor Stuart Continued,
In his message, and coupled with II
the command that this power shall
be used to the end that the laws be
faithfully executed
Has Encountered Difficulties
Two years of my term or once
have now almost expired, and during
.ha. time, in seeking TO obey this man.
date of the constitution, | have been
impressed with the absence OF legts-
lation furnishing means Tor the Ell
fective performance of the duty thus
Imposed The absence of such means
viii become more apparent when pro-
htbition goes into effect. The people
OF Virginia having declared that pro-
hibit,on shall prevail throughout the
State In every community. regardless
~ the will of the community, 1t fol-
lows. as a matter of necessity tha'
tha State must step In and enforce the
Il y where the local authorities falI 10
do So
while this paragraph indicates that
khe Governor had in mind pronipitioh
|lAgislation to be enacted at TINS See
nion. and that he sought larger powers
for the laws enforcement ne haa AZ
mind also the need for larger author-
1ty in the enforcement of all laws
since he has been In Office Governor
Stuart has been called upon TO use tne
nfithority of his Office and that OF the
attorney general in enforcing laws III
the race track gambling cases at Nor
folk, the liquor law violations al
Colonial Beach and the Hopewei
cases.
These prosecutions. each of which
kwas accomplished with considerable
difficulty. and in which obstacles were
placed in the way. through failure oI
a,.fh 40 a fully IL
the performance OF duty, gave the
Governor the experiences that i'm
dressed him with the absence of leg
elation furnishing means for the ef-
fective performance Of the duty i'm
posed by the Constitution.
Provides Necessary Machinery.
The Mapp prohibition bill in NJ
way limits the Governors authority OF
relieves him from the duty of seeing
that the law Is enforced. On tn,
Dther hand. it is declared. the crea
zion. by the same bill. of the Office oil
moral welfare commissioner gives the
Governor the machinery necessary for
The complete enforcement of the law
The General Assembly, in addition
e enacting prohibition laws that will
make prohibition effective. will YES
IN the Governor larger powers fol
general law enforcement Throughout
the commonwealth II ms pea, mace
IA his message to that body. is giver
heed and acted upon.
The Mapp bill has been referred Il
committee--the Social and Moral Wei
fare Committee--and as its considera
lion In committee wifi not be begun
until Wednesday when Joint session
win be had, and as considerable tins
u,ill be required for the passage OF
Ire bill through the Legislature, be
lore II reaches the Governor for his
Axnature, making the measure law, !,
y declared that publications, at this
fte0AAanuaA a GAcnnd pr3al