The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-13


chief interest at series of speeches
following the jubilee luncheon at
Rauschers. Wayne II. Wheeler. who
acted as POSTMASTER. said the question
had been raised at the morning meet
Ing at Belasco's as - why Virginia
had repudiated prohibition"
He said DIR. James Cannon, who led
the fight in the Old Dominion, would
tell what actually had happened. DIR.
Dr. Cannon told of the campaign for
the Democratic nominations for state
Offices saying that the two candidates
regarded as dry had received together
mere votes than the candidate who
had opposed prohibition in the state
wide election, but with the vote d.
vided the so-called wet candidate had
received the nomination for governor.
Since then. however. the successful
candidate had publicly announced
that he regarded prohibition as the
fixed policy of the state and had an
nounced that he would support any
amendments which the present law
may need to make il effective. DR.
Cannon told of the many letters re-
Gently priRed in The Virginian from
/ leading f~en In all walks of life who
had testified to the beneficial results
of the dry regime.
He called upon the Virginians pres
ent to stand up and testify as TO the
correctness of his statement and o
dozen guests promptly rose. DR.. Can
non promised that copies of The Vir-
ginian containing the letters men.
] toned would be distributed at the
convention tomorrow.
Other speakers were IT. W. Warner
of Toledo: Sebastian S. Kresge. of De-
| trcit; L. B. Musgrove, OF Alabama
= Rev. Father j. J. Curran. of Wilkes
barre, and DR.. Geo. r.. Stuart of Bir,
mingham.
| An Outstanding Feature.
Outstanding among the really bis
features of the Anti-Saloon League q
! America convention week was tht
meeting of the manufactures ant
/ business committee of the league
with Sebastian s. kresge as chairman
at the Belasco theater, Wednesday
morning, followed by the banquet o
/ the committee and its friends "a
J Rauschers at o'clock Wednesda,
/ evening preceding the night session
| OF the convention.
A court of inquiry featured tn,
meeting at the Belasco, at which
number of distinguished witnesse
! were called to the witness chair ant
| cross examined by Chairman Krexg,
touching their personal knowledge o
/ prohibition law and prohibition con
! ditions in various sections OF the coun
/ try.
Willing Witnesses Testify.
There was not an unwilling wit
ness among them. Here are some o
the names; Reed Smoot. rnitc,
States senator from Utah John T
Shafroth, United States senator from
nj r f.-
Harris. Macon, Ga. Wesley l.. Jones
United States senator from Washing
ton. Scott Ferris, representative II
Congress from oklahoma; forme
Congressman John J. I.entz, of Co
lumbus, Ohio: G walter Mapp. Vi-
snia legislator, and author OF tn
Mapp law. one of the most success
full prohibition measures on tho stat
ute books of any state. State Senate
Jacoby. of West Virginia; Bert N
Fernald, United States senator from
Maine. +. '. p, Conway, of Fred
ericksburg, Va. who fought unde
Stonewau Jackson. but is as loyal
| citizen as any man who wore tn
blue"s Judge Edwin Rowden, Of Port
land Ore. leader in reform work o
that state; Edward r. Sheffey. manu-
facturer. Nof Lynchburg, Va. Hon. An
drew Wilson. president OF the Anti
Saloon League of the District OF Go
lumhia. w. J. Iferntck. OF Topeka
| Kan, representing Governor Cappe
of that state.
Good at c DISCRIMINATION
Chairman Kresge In putting wit
nesses on the stand, in lawyer Xix
manner. first inquired their name
and locations and asked few othc
personal and pertinent questions. an
then suggested that they he pcrn,itte
TO testify in their own way. The state
ments which resulted were not onl
gratifying 10 the prohibition advocate
present, but they emphasized tn
close relationship existing betwee
aha SUCCESSFUL corduM 11f t.;st sse~4s.s e.
a. large or small scale. these DAYS an
placing the prohibition laws Upon tn
statute books that business may b
helped as we'll as the individual
Senators Smoot. Shafroth. lone
and Fernald, Representative Ferri:
Governor Harris, Mr Mapp. stat
Senator dacoby Mr. Hernick and tn
Others admitted that the story OF pro
Ihibuion successes with which the
were familiar would be far too Ion
to tell In detail in the limited Tim
accorded each speaker. bat the
, united in declaring that crime am
, misery had decreased, business estab
lishments had prospered. Jail an
penitentiaries had been almost de
populated, savings banks had increas
led their deposits, taxes had been ca
down. and individuals by the hun
dreds of thousands made more pros
porous, healthy and happy under pro
! hibition law.
Mr.. Conway made Il big hit by hi
witty and pointed manner of depict
ing the great good which comes fror
prohibition. When question cam
: from the audience as to reports in tn
North about the recent election /
Virginia being in a sense a 'bfac
= eye" for prohibition there. MIR. Con
way came back quick as a flash witt
1T amt so" He paid a tribute I
= the leadership of DR. James Cannon
Jr., of the prohibition forces of Vtr
ginia, and asserted that the Virgin
ians all swear by DR.. Jim Cannon"
T Tribute 10 Richmond Sirginian.
i. The audience with regret permitte
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