The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-12

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| as live"
He said that virginia had not rati-
fed the income tax amendment or
that providing for the election OF
senators BY popular vote, but Vir-
sinia had to submit when thlrty-aix
other states ratified those amend
ments. He said that no action which
the voters OF the state could take
/ would he recognized by the federal
government and the entire responsl-
bility rests with the general assem-
bly,. He demanded the reason for the
action of the constitutional convention
in 1902 in not referring their draft
Of the constitution to the vote of the
people of the entire state. Gordon
answered that because the members
Of the convention believed that cor
rupt Influences in the state would try
10 defeat Il by every possible means.
Major Stubs said: Before ! came
up here | told my people that hoped
congress would pass the amendment
] 90 not undertake to endorse j. Gid
ney Peters or the present prohibition
itw. because they have nothing ito do
with this question. But l will be glad
to say when / go home that l. voted to
ratify the amendment.
Stnbhs Gives Gordon Quietus.
/ Delegate Gordon again interrupted
to ask: Has any vote of the people
| been taken on this subject since the
Mapp law was enacted?"
"Lwill answer that with a question"
answered Major Stubs. He waited
moment in intense silence and then
asked earnestly:
Us there a man in this house who
would vote to repeal the Mapp law in
It's entirety?'
He waited and nobody answered.
The major eXhOrted.
Speak now, or forever hereafter
keep your peace"
still nobody answered and tremen-
dous applause filled the house. The
challenge had gone home.
AS man who has proveG by his
life that he is firm believer in states
rights l insist that Virginia and
thirty-five of her sister common
Wealths possess the right as sovereign
states to decide what the law of the
nation will be. No single state, nor
twelve states, shall stand in our way
y County Reformed
Delegate II. 8. Martin, OF Patrick
f county former president Of the Medi
cal Society OF Virginia. said that he
IS dry man from a wet county-thatt
rs. the county used to be wet. When
he went there, thirty-two years ago.
whiskey flowed almost as freely as
water Murders and other crimes of
! violence were of common occurrence.
Since the state has gone dry no jury
! has been called in this county to try
a felony case. and that there has been
only one murder. This crime was
caused by imported liquor. He was
! in favor of the measure, he said, for
! the sake OF the health OF the nation.
! for the sake of its women, who suffer
most from the activities of the drink
traffic. and for the sake OF prosperity.
| HudsIns Sums Up the Argument
/ Delegate Hudgins, OF Mecklenburg
ably summed up the arguments
against postponing action and In favor
/ of an immediate vote. He called at
| tention to the parliamentary pro-
! Cedurc under which the resolution
! for postponement would be voted
upon first. He referred to the Gus
tom in passing the seventeen amend
ments already adopted and insisted
that no exception should be made
simply because the present amend
ment affects the liquor traffic. He
/ deplored the efforts to create sectional
antagonisms and called attention to
the fact that every state in the union
| is represented in the list Of those
ynembers of congress who voted I'm
| favor of submission. He made final
! challenge TO the opponents OF the
resolution to say whether they enter
| tanned any doubt as to what the peo-
pie would do II vote could be taken
He said that If any question Of the
rights of the individual states is in
yolYed In the present issue, the dele
gates should be willing TO give up that
right for the sake OF the children
| of today. who are to be the men and
women of the future. He asserted
that nobody would benefit by delay
! except the people engaged In the liq-
| uor business
'If liquor would let lis alone" he
said, I'VE might be willing TO let IL
alone, But 1t will not do that Every
train that comes from Baltimore
| bringz IT'S quota of liquor"
He said that concurrent Jurisdiction
by the states would prevent the hard
ships which Delegate Gordon had so
gloomily forecasted in the case of men
accused of violation of the law. Be-
sides. he added, violations OF the Reed
law are already tried In federal courts
Mr. Hudgsns' Eloquent Effort.
Mr.. Hudgins said that If another
fight should be precipitated In Vir-
ginia the liquor interests would pour
/ thousands and hundreds OF thousands
of dollars into the state in an effort
to corrupt the electorate and infiu-
ence the result, 1t would be the
hefghth of folly. he said, to subject
the people of the state to the turmoil
and strife of another contest He
added that the interests of 100000
people IN IA few states which are not
ready to adopt prohibition should
not be allowed to stand in the way of
the interests of 100000 people who
want the nation to be dry.
Delegate John W. Carter, Sr., of