The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-04
REPORT OF COMMITTEE On TEMPERANCE
OF PETERSBURG DISTRICT CONFERENCE
Meeting In South Hill, Va.

of the prohibition department of Vir-
ginia under the capable, the efheient
and the fearless DIR. j. Sidney Peters.
To state that his work has been a
success but mildly states the case.
He has been a conspicuous success as
is attested by the fact that the liquor
interests everywhere are d~enouncing
him and his men in the most bitter
terms. Since the organized nght
against incompetence and its attend
ant evils was inaugurated, IL has been
the policy OF the liquor people to dis
credit, II possible, the leaders of h
prohibition cause by utilization, vttu-
peration and denunciation Of the
basest character. but as yet they
have been unable 10 prove any charge
of a serious nature eve made by
them against any leader or group or
leaders of the cause so dear to the
hearts of y great majority of the
people of Virginia, Notable among
these leaders Is our prohibition COM
missioner, and he stands today UNI
harmed by the many false accusations
made against him by his enemies n
the enemies Of the cause he SO fear
less1y ~represents and defends. At
this particular time the friends OF
liquor are making a determined night
against prohibition and the prohibit
tion department of the state Of Vir-
ginia. Their slogan is; Peters and
the prohibition department must go.
What Is their reason for this? Too
nan bootleggers are being arrested
and convicted. The prohibition laws
of Virginia are being enforced to ef-
too efficiently for them. Not too much
crime is being convicted. but too
many criminals are being apprehend-
II la - ~
ask in all seriousness: Can any
Christian line up with such a crowd
To ask the question is TO answer II.
The duty Of the church today ia, in
the judgment OF your committee. to
gel squarely behind the prohibition
commissioner of Virginia. to give him
all possible support and encourage
ment in the discharge OF his ardu-
Gus duties; and it Is our duty to let
our commissioner know that he has
our support and sympathy. and that
he nay rely on US for the very best
mat lies In us.
trafhc that is going to require our
best efforts and tax to a great ex-
tent our ingenuity. We have refer
ence to the illegal trafic: moonshin.
ing and bootlegging This great enc
! my OF law and order Is. perhaps, the
most difficult OF all outlaws to handle
on ocoun OF the character OF the
people who ngage In it. The man
who sells liquor is usually a man OF
desperate character. regarding neither
God nor man: actuated entirely by sell
fshness and ready at all times TO do
violence to the person of any man
opposing him in his nefarious trade,
The mar who buys will. in most cases,
do anything or suffer any conse-
quance before discussing the name
OF his partner in trade. Under these
conditions it Is often difficult TO do
anything. or to know just what ought
to he done. But there Is one thing
certain: the friends of temperance,
the real Christian people OF the state
and the nation. have no option in the
matter. AS surely as God reigns In
Heaven. He expects His children to
do all in their power to promote
temperance and to put out OF busi-
ness all men who Engage in this ter
rible trafflc, either fegal or illegal.
That statement being true. It then
follows. as the night the day. that
no Christian should vote for n man
for any ONCE In which his activities
in behalf of the liquor traffic could
! possibly be detrimental to temper
anc and the enforcement of prohibit
ton laws OI ne . StdlC anu HdllpH,
that no Christian can withhold his
support from the oflcials. state or
federal, In their efforts to execute the
laws to the very limit; no Christian
can give encouragement to the VIC
lators of the prohibition laws, either
by their refusal to report all viola
tons that come to their knowledge.
or being parties in crime with these
outlaws. There are but two positions:
We are either "for" or against"
There is no middle ground. We can
not serve God and Mammon. IT is
rank ~insincerity to say we believe in
Prohibition, but because some I'M
known woman's baggage was search
ed by some unknown prohibition In
| spector, at some unknown place. or
some unknown date. or that because
some bootlegger was arrested by a
prohibition Inspector. who had no
warrant for the arrest OF said boot
logger at some particular place on
some specified date. or that because
some unknown inspector took from
some unknown bootlegger q quantity
of liquor. and said inspector sudden