The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-06

risk OF detection and punish ment IN
order to make money out of the viola
tion of the law. II is a mistake 70
imagine, therefore, that all opposi-
don to the law has disappeared
0very arrest and conviction OF a
blind tiger or OF "bootlegger' is
evidence OF the determination to over
ride the established law of the state
and all evasions and violations OF the
4 prohihition law must be met by rigid
Impartial enforcement which Will
AnAliy command the respect and
obedience Of the most rebellious and
hardened offenders.
Approves Commissioners Work.
In this connection your committee
1 would emphasize Its approval Of that
wtse provision In the Mapp law Great
fng the once Of comnliss oner of pro-
Aibat1on. ItLhas been clearly demon
A3rafed that the Antt-ssloon league
was right In Its request that the leEis-
1a4ure should create this Office in
Z order that there might be an oflcial
sWAo' should give his entire time and
thought to the enforcement OF the
prohibition law, and who would be so
entirely free from any entangling po-
s9t1cAa alliances that there would he
no temptation 10 use the power OF his
once to favor his friends or TO punish
h1s enemies The results which have
been obtained by the state commits
G1oner OF prohibition have been such
that many who did not favor the es-
tAbnshment OF the ONCE have become
convinced that II Is a wise and neces-
0Ary provision OF the law. Our peo-
pie must not. however abate in any
degree their determination that our
state prohibition law shall be a sue
oeGE The officers OF the law. no
matter how earnest and efYicient they
may b. must have the continued and
active sympathy and cooperation Of
the people to back them up IN their
0imcu't and often disaEreeahle work
There will always be criticism and
donunciat!on from the opponents ana
v1oaators OF the law. and our officials
deserve commentator and cengratu-
iation from those who favor the law
and approve Of its administration.
Changes Needed.
II was hardly 10 be expected that
the Mapp law would be SO perfectly
drawn and so perfectly ada pied ~
conditions which might arise that II
would require no amendment The al =
ministration Of the law has revealed
20 far surprisingly few omissions. or
defects But II may he necessary 20
strengthen II at some points. and TO
add some provisions which experience
Will prove to be necessary Such
amendments will ne considered very
carefully nv your legislative commit
tee and after consultation with the
state officials. your committee will re-
quest the general assembly TO make
euch changes In the law as will ne
calculated to secure the best results
The question Of an amendment 10
the state constitution. providing for
<tf4tlYtnr rrrbIhitfar IT -
manufacture and the sale ~ alcoholic
liquors. for beverage purposes is now
q subject OF discussion AIMING the
people OF the state, and will in all
probability he considered by the next
general assembly Your committee
does not think It necessary to enter
Into an extended argument at this
time In favor OF such an amendment.
II Is unthinkahle that the people OF
: Virginia Will ever again permit the
manufacture and the sale OF intoxicat-
Ing liquors for beverage purposes. and
II might be argued that the adoption
Of constitutional amendment is un-
Necessary. but the adoption of such
an amendment will very largely re-
move the prohibition question from
future contests for legislative and
state Offices, and by writing it In the
organic law. the people OF Virginia
Will declare that prohibition is the
liked policy OF the commonwealth.
Warning From England.
The experience of England durin z
the past three years sounds warn,
ing to our nation whith calls for
prompt and decisive legislative acton.
Enough foodstufrs have been destroyed
in England in the manufacture OF
3ntoxtcants during the three years Of
the war to feed the entire English
army and navy during the time ot
xhe war.mand enough tnnax;utfs hay.
been destroyed in this country for
The same purpose annually to feed
IN army of seven million men annual
ly. Mr.. William Jennings Bryan sums
UP the crime of wasting food for
drink in the question. Shall we
Gtarve our people In order to make
them drunk The war has cost
ENGLAND twenty, billion dollars The
people OF England have spent tive
billion dollars on strong drink tina,
- to say, the English people have
been wasting on strong drink one.
tenth as much as the cost OF the war
The English workmen have lost ir
t4me wasted in the tavern and In
drunkenness the equivalent of a hun
drea days OF time lost for the whole
EA9lish -weTkias -naIoa-dAr!ng- the
time OF the war. Great industrial
shops and shipyards and munttion
plants lost so much time that on the
Clyde alone the time lost in one month
was equal to Is, 600 men idle Tor one
day. and in the great Sheffield works
the time lost was as II 500 OF the
best workmen had qui work for a
full week OF the month Battleshlps
were delayed in he ways and in the
docks because the workmen wasted
their time in the public houses. and
many ships were Obliged TO IA Ill short
AAAded because the men were over
bDered" and rot able TO join their
ships. The docks OF the great Eng
Ithh ports and the railway trains have
bsen taxed 10 the limit IN order To
meet the transportation needs Of the
YAr and yet every week the drink
stun on the English railways has re-
CURED over 900 trains OF 200 tone
each.
1Aquor More Precious Than Our Sons
Our country is alive 10 these awful
results In England and the mighty
tide OF public opinion is rising de-
manding that such conditions shall
not obtain in America The liquor
trafic believes first Of all in the lib
eFty OF drink. but patriotic citizens
bAlieve frst Of all In the liberty OF
Asserica. The grea, majority of the
IeOpie OF the United States are de-
q = D.