The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-01-15
WOULD ABOLISH
THE DEPARTMENT
Remains Consistent as
the Liquor Governor of
Virginia
MAKES REFERENCE.
TO OTHER STATES
But Fails Absolutely to
Refer to the Utter Dis
regard in Enforcement,
of Laws There

tons for schools for the next BIZ
ennial period be increased 81 600, 900,
that the sum of sa,246,57o be set
aside for expenditure on roads dur
ing the ensuing two years that an
anti profiteering law be enacted and
that the prohibition department be
abolished, were the high lights in
the message which Governor Davis
delivered in person to a Joint session
of the general aSse nlbiy.
I Apprised before hand of the prob
able attitude of the chief executive
toward that department of the state
government charged with enforcing
the prohibition laws of Virginia, he
body was not unprepared for the
recommendation that he made and
sworn enemies of the department.
staged quite demonstration when
the governor had finished reading
that part OF his aatss1ge
He submitted q long list of states
in which the policy of prohibition
| prevails and told of the method
adopted in each of them for carry-
ing the law into effect in an attempt
to show. that Virginia alone has a
department of prohibition whose
duties relate entirely to the enforce
n1ent cf that policy. fl.
The change In the governors tone
y
curlod in contempt and studied de-
iiherateneAs ,of @n1fnicaxion. he gave
Virginia 5 method: Enforced by pro-
hibition commissioners" And then.
STRENGTHENING up, as il attempting to
reach the full measure of stateslnan-
ship AID righteousness he read out
in stentorian tones:
Il am pledged to efficiency and
economy in government and | recon-
tI~t l. IN - Il.
be abolished
That part of his message relatins
to the prohibition department fol-
lows:
PROHIBITION DEPARTMENT
Prohibition is now embodied in the
federal constitution and will be
rightly eufaree1 by the federal gov
errmeni III all the states. Il is nj
longer properly 4 political issue. it
is a fixed policy OF state and nation,
l am mindful of my election
pledge to enforce the prohibition law
aud should the general assembly in
its wisdom retain that department
reasonable approprla ton therefor
wril not he vetoed by me-
Virginia is the only state in the
Union having special departmenr
whose duties relate. entirely to the
. ',forcnrent tf rr"hirit laws. In
West Virginia the state tax commits
sioners is ex-officio commissioner OF
prohibition All other states. with 4
few notifications, enforce their pro-
hibition laws as they do other laws.
The people Of Virginia are law abid-
ing and our law officers are loyal to
their oaths of Office: They NAV be
trusted. as are the people and on
GERS of other states where the en-
forecment of prohibition is had by tha
regular constituted authorities The
establishment of department OF
Special criminal law endorsements
tends to create feeling of resent-
ment among officers charged with
general law enforcement, and tends
to relieve them of the feeling OF re-
sponsihility which is necessary to the
successful administration. of law.
Again. il is idle to speak OF the reve4
nue. derived fron fines and forfeitures
by the prohibition department for the
same revenue would be had under The
regular ADMINISTRATION OF the Law in
Virginia as in other states: indeed.
the expense Of an additional Depart
mert lessons the net receipts by the
amount of tho additional expenditure
involved
The supervision of the enforce
n1ent OF the prohibition laws in vir-1
GINA should he that OF the attorney-
general as is done successfully in
many other prohibition states. T.
append statement of prohibition
law enforcement in other states thaS
have e-wide prohibition as dis
tmsnlshed from federal wartime pros
hthition and 1 repeat that no state In
the Union, except Virginia has a de-
partrnent Of prohibition whose duties
relate entirely to the enforcement az
the prohibition law a