Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-10

gagged in newspaper work use the word
Journalist" Sparingly.
The Triumph of Peters
IN the now assured elevation OF Rev j.
Sidney Peters To the office of prohibition
commissioner. The Times Dispatch takes a
peculiar pride--very peculiar. indeed. With
out any immodcsty, it may claim to have
been not only the originator of the Peters
boom. but the actual discovercr of those quail
ties of mind and heart that render Mr.
Peters the one fit man to hold this particular
JOB. More than that even, il the drafts
man OF the plaUs and specifications for the
job itself
1t is true that at the time ii became pos
sessed OF these merits. The Times Dispat CHI
was unconscious it might rishtfully assert
them. 1t never occurred TO any one con
nected with this newspaper that it possessed
inc power OF divinatiOp. Tie Office theory
was that it publishing Il rather good
news story, based on easily ascertained facts
ana the not especially esoteric conclusion that
TWO plus two nearly always equals four
1t was nearly six months ago-on Scptem-
Der IL. 1915. TO be exact--that The Times
dispatch acquired the qualities Of prophet
ana seer On that day il published an article
headed. May Take Liquor Laws Out of Gov
errors Hands, of which the opening para
graphs were as follows:
iilt IN" leaders Tn" \nti-Saloou
icHGu" hove agreed on the nrincipal
point ia tn" Legislation for the enforce
n,.nt OF prohibition after November l.
l"!" which they Will seek 10 have
passed 10y IN" General Assembly next
hilton circles 'rhe league Win ins Hs1'i it
- snld, upon the creation Of the office OF
m,opose, ina, The General Assembly
secretary of the organization. to the
r G"IGr this plan the enforcement Of
promotion would he taken out OF the
';omnE, of nh' 81, MovGrn"r ana Attorney.
IN. situation would dcvolve upon
government. No definite annonnccmen,
m ,Ss h mac OF nmf mt'Irnm: so fal
rave h"rn pat ont in certain directions
meSrs of h@ e S ylST a Nssc Hr%Shec WE"
VIII t." elected I'm November.
The Times Dispatch, as has been said was
not conscious that this utterancc was
prophetic but regarded it as a mere state
ment OF fact. II had every good reason so
TO regard il. However. from that dream
came Il rude awakening. Writing from the
wilds of North Carolina Rev. james Cannon.
Jr.. superintendent OF the Anti-Suioon
League, after quoting from the paragraphs
OF the news story that are reproduced above
offered the following characteristic comment:
When aid The Times Disput ch become
worthy +" u" quoted believed on any
,nn ',.I r",iamm& to thc ,Nn,-Saioon
eye" ,yir tel the trnlh about y, the leaE@e, It's
i .l,S' vh,i r"I, I "I l'S W"rherS IL
nnsreprcs''ut the league" -. It is moi
' i',"' iN% leaders OF The Nnii-S
cipll poin, in ie..islation for the en-
!"rt',ntnt OF rr"4ihili"n" II is not
,grccd TO- 'prop"sc ,bn ,he ~, I,"Sn ,., mnw
,'%,rrs 'G ,l,l, ssyretary of tho orEnnizn
i%%c %%ssiT ! 55s%ra5,S lna, qeIe' 'f 1Sari
gcst"d fo, me- nosi,i"" ny S,S vt.'E sni
y ",'"n I3mm'S*i%ncr nntm ! saw 1t III
rho statement. therefore i'm rhc Hines
cn.s'!c I,ut"rs l,b a., MN, ".'' IKE OF ,hT
point of legislation ana the name az In.
Int.il raIsm ''' I'''"S'" Once IS ''S"-
-, ~ ~
No, aoco;,o ,. ~ ,', -, "o"''
ruu;,,iI H. ',l"sH or
,r. .,,,,,.'r ,,. t.t u ~ '"t'c-
1,, ra,, :; 800 'I., ''! i'"' !"Ho having
, ,,, '''.''" W ''' i\"'' -o"i""'l
.,,,1 ~, !i,;,; 90 :''"'t me ounce OF
It's ,ny.r. .,,,,. ,,,,,,,,,,., W =" ,",'''
r,t.,. . ,. i,li,;.i va ~ q quincy
500, ,L,i " ~, "''S''ht'