The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-11


the people of virginia should be al
lowed 10 vote upon whether they de
sired prohibition 20 be secured Ivy tina
method
He declared that the Virginia eonSti
tuition declares that q proposed amend
meut TO the state constitution shall b.
vuted wpon twice by the general as
ssshbis and then passed by the vote o
tho people. IL waE startling fac
that such irr~vccAbIe action. sc de-
strucaive Of the great principle OF stat.
ecwercfxnty. could be taken by th'
bare majority vote Of the tao houses
Of tire general assembly. and he wa
satisfied that the safe and sound thinR
would be to submit the matter 20 The
people Of the common wealth that they
nstwht Indicate their wishes TO she gen
erAi assembly.
He again expressed Ais regret that
this nrrt aeudneut upon which he
was called TO vote ~ as ths prohibition
amendment but he cnuld not sit quietly
wnd allow such an irrevccahle step 20
be taken without any know ledge OF
~Axa might be the vii OF the p@ople
Of virginia
Senator Cannon admitted CAat he
v~ted against the So-eAIisd enabling act
bat a majority Of he senators had said
that although they had pleuarv pow
ers to pass any form Of prohibition
legislation. tray we're unwilling to act
uetil lazy bad heard the voice OF the
people and they tid not act unth the
rsorte spoke and then they came 20.
mesn@r and passed the Mapp Law.
fs@mator Cannon did not say tA.t. not
wfsAwenndang ths great majority for
statewide prohibition. be dId rot need
the Wishes Of tAs people and voted
against tAe MASp law. but thai -
fart nevsrthelesa-
se~atsr strvAe BspHes
Senator STROBE congratulated the
xan atar from Richmond. hr. Cannon.
ena4 he hAd opened the Se3Ato upoz
high plane and that IN Ais luminous
speech he bad eroHxht before ire sen
ate that great question which had
caused so many great debates and
ansNy brought on the Civii war Sens
tor STROBE stated that the Uar' had
reached that point IN the great reor-
wAnHzat4on which w-ss goias on. that II
was idia to attempt to sppiy those
xrsat principles to waieh references
had h@mn made. Senator cansaE. 40
said. seemed 20 have forgotten that
prohibition had been considered in
every congregational election &no thnt
hasA the senators and al thu con-
xressrnan from Virginia voted fer the
rvvhihssicH resolution. 1t Cannot be
Insisted" he added. that that Was 4
mere submission OF the resolution for II
was exactly similar 10 the action that
was taken By the general assembly or
virgaaia of submitting the amendment
20 ths state constitution To the peo-
MA Furthermore THE question has
n~~a considered by the people Of VIII
xiztR for the past eight years. Eight
years a@o tAs prepayment az thls meas
urs said on the aoor az ths senate that
IL wa& fnsvitahle that this question
ant
ssaA right The state has been torn
fer naay yamrs by strife and the stats
has spoksa en- this question ssei~ivety
Ama yet II 10 Cow proposed 10 stir ths
sAxss by another conflict Represent
tag nay own pScrls. say they do
net waat us TO fslter In thts matter.
aus co act promptly and TO rAtify thu
amendment.
~rhsre In NO precedent tn support
sas proposition 20 submit to the pee
pfa We did not take that action on
the income tax anaandnaent Nobody
proposed q referendum then.
sWs have found that Virginia is
only one of forsy~esght states and that
without federal aid IL cannot enforce
Tha law. and not only congress by
two-thirtis vote. but thres-four1hs Of
the states must vote to adopt II. and
ws venture nothing IN saving that
question has been sufficiently before
the people for us to be certain what
the action Of the people Of the state
woaid be Knowing that IL could be
settled In only one way. and that a
INA tortfy of net only thirty Thousand.
but sixty thousand. but ninety thou
sand. would vote to destroy the traffic
by a nation wide Law. the senatej
should not hsaitats to ratify the
amendment"
Senator Strobe declared that this ia
an appropriate time for the adoption
OF nationwide policy. The traffic
should be wiped clear out or the
American republic. He added
let us join hands with that great
state OF the South, the home OF Ieffer- |
SON Davis, which. after a longer trial
Of prohibition than we have had. took |
the lead IN the vote for ratification. |
I believe that Virginia is going To fol- |
fow whole haretedly and that the
amendment win become effective In
less than seyen years, "
senator Conrad's Strong Sp@ch.
Senator Conrad. Of Rockingham, |
followed Senator strode with a strong |
argument In opposition - the referen |
aum proposition He stated that Il |
was necessary TO raise ones voice I'm |
favor of a policy for the nation which |
re have already adopted for our own !
state. A trio of reasons have been
given. First. II should be Submitted 10 !
the people: second, :hs- the amend |
m@nt vfvoistes states rights, and /
third. II we attempt 10 rattfy this
amendment the South wiz be made
20 suffer
Ahe literature bureau Of tire liquor I
srsssc, located in Ctncinn4ti. has been !
scattering broadcast throuRh the
South an editorial from the New ork /
World threatening the Southern
Democrats with punishment should
they approve the prohibition amend !
ment The World declares that
Southern Democrats can expect no es-
instance from Northern Democrats TO |
prevent neEro domination or Force !
bill II they violate the Democratic |
principle of local self government.
This editor al of the New York |
world L. an insult 20 our Sonthern
people and an attempt at intimidation |
which I personally resent, and which I
the Legislature of Virginia should
promptly resent Senator Conrad
read a quotartur froTa the editorial
TN question, which declared that FOR /
forty years the right OF negro citizens !
TO vote had heen denied them IN the
Lnfsfh and that a