The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-10

covers this point. and prohibits the
publication In the news columns. or
editorial columns. OF any matters that
10 paid for without marking the same
as paid advertising. This bill, as we
understand 1t, Will prohibit any news
paper publishing any articles which
are calculated to increase the sales
Of the liquor traffic. II said matter
Is paid for by the liquor trade, either
through it's association or by individ-
Keepers"
Brewers Not Benevolent.
Mr. Madden. Of Chicago, inquired
Suppose q brewer or distiller should
make contributions to the funds Of a
newspaper to help maintain 1t, and
not directly for specific articles in the
editorial or news columns, does that
payment come under the head you
have just definei?"
DIR. Cannon replied that If the news
paper was subsidized by the liquor
traffic with the understanding that II
was to be the organ of the liquor traf-
fic that it would be practically an
advertising sheet for the traffic.
Mr.. Madden again inquired that. II
paper was unable to meet its ex-
penses and brewer or distiller. with
out any promise on the part of the
paper to reward him for so doing,
should contribute to maintain the
paper. and the columns of such a
paper should carry articles aiVocat-
ing the merits of wine and beer. would
such a paper come under TINS pro-
vision?
To this question DR.. Cannon replied
that his observation of the liquor
traffic had been that it Is rarely sc
benevolent and philanthropic as tc
support in any way anything from
which it does not expect to get quid
pro quo. but it would be question oil
proof whether the money was paid for
the purpose of substituting that news
paper and maintaining through it
propaganda which would have all the
effect of advertising.
Similar To Webb Kenyon Law.
Pursuing the line of argument. DR.
Cannon stated. Il consider the core
Of this question to be that we under
stand this bill to be simply an agree
ment or an effort on the part of the
federal government to protect the
states in their effort to protect their
own people from the debauching in
fiuences of the liquor traffic. ! wish
to call the attention of the committee
to the fact that this legislation Is en-
tirely similar IN every way in prin-
ciple to the webb Kenyon law"
Replying to questions of Congress
man Cox. DR.. Cannon stated that the
pending hill would nntInfringe4 in any
way upon the rights of the states. that
il simply aimed to enforce the law
where the states have in the first in
stance seen 1T to enact such legisla-
ton.
Quotes supreme Court.
As a foundation for the right TO
pass such legislation, DR.. Cannon
quoted the closing paragraph in the
opinion of Justice White In passing
upon the webb Kenyon law.
The fact that regulations of liquor
have been upheld in numberless In
stances which would have been re.
pugnant to the guarantees of the
constitution, but for the enlarged
right possessed by gostarnment &c
regulate liquor, has never as we are
aware of been taking as affording the
basis for the thought that govern
ment might exert an enlarged power
as TO subjects to which under the
constitutional guarantees such en-.
larged power should not be applied
In other words the exceptional nature
OF the subject here regulated is the
basis upon which the exceptional
power exerted must rest and affords
no ground for any fear that such
power may be constitutionaIly extend
ed to things which 1t may not con-
sissently with the guara ntees of the
constitution embrace"
Intoxicams Exceptional.
Our position is that the supreme
court has fiatly stated that intoxicat-
ing liquors are of such exceptional
xrti@ b. ..io ,,4
tainted meatsand diseased cattle, tina,
it is within the power of congress to
pass legislation to protect US in the
states in our efforts TO protect our
homes and our children. and the
Webb Kenyon law does that with ref
erence TO liquor shipments through
interstate commerce. This law will
do the same thing with reference to
i-iiquor advertising. which Is simply the
effort of the liquor traffic to over
ride or to evade our law. 1t is not
true that the Webb Kenyon law j.
sufficient These men send their cir
culars all through dry territory 10
every country crossroads postoffice
They give a premium, to somebody to
send a list OF names. ana then they
fire their circulars right and left
through a community telling people
where they can buy the liquor and
promise that ii will he shipped in
such 4 way that nobody will know
what it is. IL the party desires to
keep the matter secret We believe
that the time has come when con
gress should help our people to carry
out their own wishes in this regard,
As ! stated above. no advertisements
of intoxicating liquors can be printed
or circulated in the state of Virginia,
except through the medium OF the
United States mail. We insist that
as state we should be protected
that the will OF our great common :
! wealth shall not be overridden by the
outside liquor traffic. and. gentlemen
there is a great body of people south
of the Poto.nac-indeed. practically
all OF the people from the Potomac
to the Rio Grande-who are inter
| ested in this question. The South was
supposed to be the original 'toddy
and mint tulep section. But we have
come to the conclusion in the South
that our wives. our children and our
homes are worth more than all the
mint juleps' and 'toddies' in the uni
verse. We have been conservative in
our methods: we have taken our ac-
ton after our people have been edu-
Gated on the subject. First, We drove
out the crossroads barroom. then the
village barroom and the saloons ir
our lar ger towns and smaller cities
and then we went before the people
FOR Sfatewide prOhibition We have