The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-09

MS GOtNOu dH tiAt " 1lAAS VIVA
bear and Is demanding more AN
those chickens viii come home
to roost some day.
This is a sectional bark, wholly un-
worthy so great a newspaper as the
New York World, and Ii goes to an
extreme never exceeded by even the
most Republican newspaper In the
country.
III II means anything. 1t means that
the liquor interests in the United
States are turning to the negro as
their reserve force to defat national
prohibition. In other words, the
world upbraids the South. which, 1t
saws. has disfranchised the negroes.
for voting, through its representatives
in congress, practically solidly for
the submission OF the national pro-
htbitIon amendments to the state leg
.skatures.
Therefore, the World would forcibly
enfranchfse the negroes in order that
the South may be broken In Its solid
arity. and that the liquor forces may
receive the support of this sections
voting strength If II means anything
it means nothing less than that.
But the world and the liquor forces
have reckoned without their host In
their estimate OF the attitude of the
negroes on this question: for there is
not a leader of the colored race but
who feels and knows that the ne
| groes Themselves are the worst suf-
ferers from the blight of tntemper-
| ance and who is not an out-and-out
advocate OF prohibition.
Then, the utter absufdity of charg-
| ing the South with responsibility for
/ the submission OF the prohibition
| amendment must appeal to any citizen
who thinks. II Is not that we of the
South would not gladly assume such
responsibility; but the truth is that
in the vote OF the house on that ques-
, ton party lines and sectional lines
were absolutely obliterated. As be-
tween Republicans and Democrats
Favorfng the amendment the vote was
almost evenly balanced, and II Is like
wise true that without the votes of
the Northern representatives the vote
OF every Southern representative
would have counted for nothing.
! In the cases OF many of the North
ern and western states the votes of
j their congressional delegates were cast
solidiy for submission of the amend
ment And it is furthermore true
that among the newspapers of the
North, with a few notable exceptions,
the sentiment approving the suhmis-
sion of the amendment is Just as
strong rs Is the case in the South.
Nation wide prohibition the
| World saws. 'ff II comes
will be imposed by states which
| have turned their backs as
sGuarelv upon their ancient pFin-
| ciples OF government as the Rus
/ sian Bolsheviki have turned their
backs upon the obligations OF de-
| mocracy.
II goes on TO argue that the foun-
dation OF democracy is being under.
mined, that the Democratic party Is
going back on it's lifelong record
etc; all OF which is poppycock.
/ When reduced to it's last analysis
the whole proposition in controversy
is one as to whether or not a few
states are going to be permitted C
dehauch states that are trying TO b.
dry" There is no more demo,
cratic principle involved in this CUES
ton than there Is in the action of tn,
national government In dealing with
narcotic drugs or other poisons as 4
national instead of a state proposition
The World warns that when tn,
prohibition amendment is finally mad,
a part OF the law OF the land-pro
vided OF course. that the South help
TO make 1t So
the South can expect no more
help from Northern Democrats In
resisting the enforcement of the
fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments The cry. No Force Biz
No Negro Domination will fall
upon deaf ears
Too bad! Isn't Il?
tn5t1b We D. square-n ~ vk b.