Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-03-05
TWO-VOTE MARGIN
GUSTS DRY OFFICER
Necessary to Verify Roll Twice
Before Ascertaining 5O-to-4s
Result. i.
GALLERIES CHEER WILDLY
Machine and Dry Forces Unite,
but Go Down Before "Anti''
Onslaught.

Despite peculiar combination OF
orthodox prohibitionists and followers
or the machine forces OF Virginia, Rev.
): sidney Peters. candidate for re-elec-
eion 20 the office Of State Commissioner
OIL prohibition. last night suffered de,
feat at the hands af a joint Democratic
caucus. tfe was hAaten by a maioritv ~.
or Two votes by HarrS q. Smith; Former
msmoer en- s,rso OF S the House from Cplpepef.
80 close and uncertain was the vote
tnat a second verifcations Of the ron
enit enit was was nlsce,ssary T., Even thea the re-
t 1ouReed RredmGnd t6ad tSs tfSity who presided
T. Wilmer Guerrant, the Deler,,.
from fr nc Caroline who had not voted. Tose
WordMsmftb s feft to o. apnniounee the fateful
III MS defeat. At least tha. is the way 4 /,
It had been announcei that tho y,to
S,iIof Wh1 ~ sie, an and many thought that the
was, to determine ths, result rs,s siine' IN
ready had been decided, as a check,nr.
snp,,Pi up Of the roll call later disclosed that
Ole y,te. -, 'e' '' 9 III oS
to Delegate Safs ts Guerrant 9, e had not intenasd
for him to cast his vote for one ees'sabs er fh..
other ofBthe candidates. 80
AaA ASCAhSHbtF0tiOn RSNnIfa-Tp'
deathly stiffness pervaded the han
with bated breaths upwards of a thn,,
sand saned persons hung on tho next word
Taugst With 0ae the thsn sreatea, ReiHyed
IT vote for Smith.
greatest demonstration TINT nroh. SisS
a,sr,h eyer has M been staged inI'the fatt1iy sfatei1y,
Cheers and yelis rent Nfhe air IIst.
f,,css ,,n6cotn ,sncotMn nloft nnd. with, thefr
most of II ssimalss; sia the sraYd
isfied, HandshalsinE was the orSss sat; b.
~. Sns s,u daiyLor night. Some shook shant3s
and and probably had never seen Ger = ASsM3,ss, SSy53os, !,
ns lake ae safa for t9 9bls bsscain Il wouldn
While the result is an out and or,
" 0ltct1o,ry t,1,ry for the anti-machine eIsments ent
Peterss IN the defeat OF Commissioner
the .'wets"-by those opposed nnfnonSs nv 1N
hibitieoni ine inSSnmbent Snna OF the office OF Pro.
tion. - - anu 70 Rrohibi-E
ment Inc IT, trmult that followed announce,
anytb;ne 1i,n,tns Pm nomination eclipsed
branch ri Of the General AssembiWv IL 60 s,e9er 9eT
r. rose,,9. seSst19n. and many past sessions:
one might expect to see enseteI nssehteIs5shatS 5taS
iiaTId,onal T,,d convention. "a .ie - O.
election ahs nomination Of Smith makes his.
the Senate and House iuninatten Is n matter 3oss G
PSgI,nei Smith will take over the State
| for term Of two yeors on Septembss
fabepartment fbs m will be abolished SuniessS s..
present legisiatiiroa sepai assembly reversed the
NoitnsMso nId Not, Spare Peter.' Feeiins,
nor the present commissinnan tHi tent ent
onstine nstG oS ny pa,o those who advocated ths
of 'h the 81 aopss nssers: sh Then. too members
of the Prohibition Deparimsn Dgn np9oiitions
accused aeo,s OF having waved tho hSsn,el Mare
Major Z; Fl. Gibson. of culpener r,..
paarrticularly p denunciatory Of tbs Wss Gss
thinr thirnsna, ami. It Its chief officer and every
gate s fron, fpperrtaining rn,nng thereto. The Dels-
aoe smith, opened for the antiniaehinc
G. 9rSs Waltor He e., was va preceded by. ssnator
the Mapp prohibition law. and stan.s,. ~
adDoeate Of Commissioner Peters. & (
said idroh,6,t,on ml1,i,s In Virginia. Senator Mapp
has been attended by spiendil rasmiss SaeSGsss
no new reform ever Is Il complete siif.sfS
TIE Prohi5ition f io1.ial Dan, years he declare
poh tbo 70 inausurate the enforcementlofs
me tne most n drastic Law that has ever
the State. be said thD statute TSs
tion Commissioners, lie believed. has
sought s"lI; TO enforce the law conscientis
t1ney 1ney have been mistakes OF ,judgmenf
sn1s me General Assembly itself is not i'm -s4
faliblc, he argued. = ftst5iE
Deieat tenectfOn ON Dryg.
The defeat of Commissioners Peters
he warned, would have two jserioms
effects. First. upon Peters as nm IN
aeTous aTIaas bloW aTd to soe1nd i would
of prohibition in Ts1 Virginia. Wou,s sphemiss harass
ton forces in Virginia. Comm s isstoaps issionsT
the enemies he had made. The success
OF prohibition G in Virginia demand ed his
Major Gibson ranIiaa +o ~ -, 20 s!
OF those who. he said, had seen fit 10 8
taunt the House with the black fiae 3
OF 9,a law as.ls defiance, Members OF the House,
are as law-abiding as are those or thsi
upper branch. 5l1 ~ - { - t't''9ss$
~ Peters. he said. had appeared before
social S'at, Welfare and asked thatsa reso- 4;
ca1iGm ,.a,Im introdnsad Snr ss by Major Gibson
reported reps out, Peters. he said. admitted
that he was unable. to furnish certain
tion Is dsmapdsd by the resSia
sought, coupled with his reauest b To- to B
have the resolution killed In .cor,
nnmn; mis5se tss was n.na g.nfaE he said. 70 tbs
unfair to Virginia. 81 n sssl IS :.
The Joyce resolution, calling for 81 4
sGimp,ete SitIDn nsdn nyes,igattSn Of the
passing the House by. unafifrnoJ,s< y
vote. was snothered In the Senate by.s
Senator Mapp and his solid phalapx .aa,
late do any one any good s$Sl s$Sl
E BE repeated the words OF the HenaS4s! s!
tor from. Accomac, who said the pro- "a
Action of afapp and his coIiea iss sussa Il Il
!. q Gibson described asevidenos Of sss & ss;
He e&did not beiieve iha y opin ID ian IS 3
the AttornsX>Gensral That The ;R sohtsa