Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-31

tains 4 higher percentage OF alcohol
than the law permits Every reason
aplc eHort has been made 10 sup
press this form Of violation. Hun
dreds OF riolators have been indict-
cd: tnelr invariablc defense is that
they did not know the contents Of IN.
beverage which they were selling
n nmu, haJ naen assured that they, were
hohaicohciic. II. upon this plea OF
innocent intent. one such vendor be
parnoheu consistency requires the
| pardon OF all such vendors. to release
! All Such vendors from the Jail SEN
/ icncc by executive clcmcncy would
br 10 nullify the law which the Cen
orai Assembly has thought wise. and
| open the ruodgatcs to beverages of
a high percentage OF alcohol The
! attached shippers list shows that
I inns defendant was the largest pur-
chaser o! these unlawful goods in
the vicinity. and the serving OF Il jail
/ sentence by him must inevitably have
! deterrent effect among others who
age constantly assayine to do the
! not unit" in the request that cNccu-
| tive cicmcncy h" extended this de-
/ PENDANT he WAS pardoucd over this
| strong protest.
rciis of ''fingrnnt Offenders"
,,., S1m n,,o of these pardoned were ia
| some OF these ll5 pardons because
! the commissioner recommended them
| and cscap" responsibility Cor par
| doninG others he opposed. II the
! cases. why not in others. especially
! sine" he appears to have been quite
! generous III his recommendations?
| Ion. look here thcy say The pres
! Ont record is better than that Of Gov
crnOr Stuart's administrations The
/ general attitude OF the two admins
/ irationS towards prohih:tion is quite
( different. Governor Stuart did not
. r,.sn n t,,,Ii Al Ia i.n. of h.
/ Commissioner of Prohibition. Ills
/ rardons were granted AT Il time when
/ the meaning OF the law was not full
/ - understood by the public and was.
vcrtcntly. Numerous ones OF his par
doOs were granted upon the applica-
ton OF draft boards wLo watltcd the
men Tor the service. He voted against
state wide prohibition but he became
convinced By observation that the
policy Of prohibition was sound and
useful and highly beneficial to the
State. In message 10 the Lcgisa-
iurc OF 1915 he says:
prohibition in Virginia Of the
licensed traffic in Intoxicating liquor
ment has succeeded even beyond the
hope Of it's proponents and has dis
armed and converted most of It's OPP
poneuts. Tn" recognized results Of
this wholesome and bcncticcnt reform
afford an unanswerablc argument in
favor OF prohibition as u State policy
and abundai-uy justify the belief
that the best interests OF our people
and of all the people would be pro-
noted by the adoption ct prohibition
as national policy
This is the last message which We
HAY" had from The office OF the chief
executive in which prohibition WAS
commended and approved. Can any
hody produce line from the present
executive showing "A change of heart
ana mind since his open opposition TO
IA N
candidly says the success OF prohi-
hilton has disarncd and converted
most OF it's opponents Has 1t con-
verified this one
Calls Editorials "WiId RnvinrS."
THE hostility OF these two wet
papers is as bitter against me for adj
voCatinr law enforcement now as II
was for my advocacy Of prohibition
in 1914 In fact. have no, cxpc-
ricnccd anything which quite equals
the wild rawlings in their editorial
columns last week when these very
newspapers were using their news
and editorial columns TO keep the sa-
loon In Richmond and | Was endeav-
orinr To drive out the saloon. | be-
came accustomed Ia their misr"prc-
Scntations ana abuse. They do not
repre- sent the people OF Virginia. How
arrogant for them 20 attempt To
speak for thousands OF men who
worked for prohibition: They know
rs little about the continents OF these
mon as ! know about the political
situation in Muskat. Arabia. Their
pucsscs on elections are usually the
opposite oil the results. Did they not
tell us on the very day cf the cleo
ton in September 1914 that VIZ
unia was safely wet ny 2i,oo4? y
public organ which would so miSlcad
canno; be followed. Senator Mar
tin used to say he would rather hay"
these papers against him than for
him. If they were political liability
what shall we say OF them on moral
matter!
Now. as To law enforcement. The
morning edition calls me the sp"Ees-
man for the league which would sac:
riiicc vir2inia ana all its vast and
ynr!cd interests 10. the enforcement
OF single law Though not "a m"m-
Der of the League, do not know one
81 it's members who would sacri'ic"
NirGinia's vast and varied Interests
for anything They are seeking TO
conserve the vast and varied inter
"sts Of the Commonwealth. How can
the enforcement OF law sacrifice tho
Interests OF "a state? The rather Will
- preserve and promote those inter-
csts. The spccial interest in the OBJ
%"rvancc Of these laws. and the
special effort to promote their OBJ
s.rvance tend To inculcatc respect for
law in general ON the other hand.
the persistent attempts to discredit
these laws. ar'' TO wink at their v!o-
lation. tend TO spread far and wide
a spirit Of general lawlcs-n"ss.
Pays Tribute to Leagues.
''rh!s same paper drnounc"s the
Law and Order Leagues over the
state. They must he timely and cf-
f. ctivc or this invcterate enemy Of!
prohibition would not he alarmed by
them Such u league broke UP the
Illicit traffic in intoXlcants in Bed
ford CITY ANA made that community
dry ana la%-ah!ding. Perhaps this
wet papcr has heard of the results
~ I;cdford Such league, led hy