The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-18

tive and Virginia has set for all her
sister states a fine example of faith
full obedience to the law on the part
of the great body OF her citizens and
the faithful execution of 1t on the
part of her appointed officers.
This legislative reform in Virginia
was accomplished under the leader
ship of the Anti Saloon league of the
state. If we had not had such an
organization to lead in the great m owe
ment we could scarcely have hoped
TO win. The campaign in 1914 was
most skillfully conducted. In order
to make 1t effective. 1t was necessary
TO send speakers and literature into
every nook and corner of the state
Soon the little funds in the hands of
the managers were exhausted. But the
issue was so tremendous and so criti-
cal that the men who were then lead
ing the league borrowed the neces-
/ sary money, pledging their own pri-
waite credit and fought the battle
through with such results as brought
JOY and gladness to all our hearts.
That campaign ended with a glorious
victory, but also with a heavy indebt-
edness. BY degrees, In earnest and
4 laborious ways, this indebtedness,
which then amounted to something
over $4,000, has been reduced to
$3.50 and at the recent convention
it was decided to begin at once and
to continue a campaign for the ex-
tinctton OF this debt. The plan pro-
posed is to divide this sum into $50
shares OF $25 each and to ask the
friends OF the movement, that u.s. the
real friends. to take as many Of these
shares as they can The attendance
at the late convention at Virginia
Beach was small and consisted almost
altogether of the veterans In the cause
who had themselves given over and
over again, Yet the matter was hard
! ly mentioned before the group that
was there began to respond and be-
fore the session was ended one hun
| dred OF the two hundred and fifty
shares had been taken. Surely 1t Ia
not immodest in these men to expect
the rest Of the state to take the
other hundred and fifty shares.
We close this report by quoting a
paragraph from the annual address
of President r. H. Pitt, of the Anti
Saloon league convention.
Victory at Times DemoralixnR.
Victory Is often more demoralizing
than defeat. In all great movements
like ours there Is subtle peril in
distinct and definite and remarkable
triumph. We are too prone to think
that not only the battle has been won
so We lay down our arms ana dis
band our forces. and assume that the
enemy has been finally routed. This.
however. can never be taken for grant
ed. when we are dealing with an IN
terest so sinister so menacin9. 40 sur
charged with self-interest as the LIQUOR
business. venture, therefore. to
urge upon all whose interest in this
great matter Is real and permanent
that they maintain unimpaired their
organization. 1t may be that in Vlr-
ginla we shall have nothing within
the present generation so specta cular
and so challenging as the great ana
continuous struggle which issued in
victory In September, 1914 But, OF
course, our true objective was not the
enactment of statewide law, We
have set out upon a wider and higher
purpose. We can not be content with
seeing that the law is made effective
though that will require faith ana
PATIENCE ana steadfast Loyalty. Our