Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-04-28
GOVERNOR JoHNsoN's ANSWER.
NASHVILLE A oril %

NASHVILLE April ~, 1890.
GENTLEMEN Your letter of the l29th ultimo
propounding two interrogatories to me, in refer.
ence to the passage of law, by the next Legisla.
ture prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors
beverage, has been received.
The first of which is as follows:
care you in favor Of law prohibiting the sale
Of Intoxicating liquors as beverage?"
The second :-aWiH you, if elected, recommend
to the Legislature the passage of such law at an
early period in the session p
am not sure that understand the precise i'm.
port of the first interrogatory; but ifa resolution
adopted by the Convention of the friends Of Tenn.
perance in Davidson County on the 18th Of Febru-
airy last, and by which Convention all Of you were
appointed delegates to the State Temperance Con-
vertion which to sit on the 22d of February
is to be taken correct Interpretation of the first
inteuogatory which you have propounded to me
and is es follows:
"Resolred That as friends of temperance Re.
FORM and of the community in which we reside
we pledge ourselves TO vote for no man, for either
branch of the Legislature, who does not advocate
and support the principles of the Name Lalo in
other words law prohibiting the manufacture of
and traffic in alcoholic liquors, with the necessary
provisions and penalties for enforcement OF the
same and the enactment Of such law at An early
day of the next Legislature Of Tennessee =
understand you rs asking me directly whether
/ am for or against a law commonly denominated
the "idine Lig,tor Lar" If this is the interroga-
tory which you have propounded to me- answer
directly and explicitly that I am not in favor Of
the "lfaine liquor LaD" as the aRodeby which the
excessive use and sale of Intoxicating liquors are
to be prohibited as beverage; believing, as do,
that of the leading provisions of that law are
incompatible with the rights and privileges Of free
men, and as coming in conflict with the spirit, il
not the very letter of the Constitution of the State
and if elected Governor of the State, cannot re-
commend the passage Of such a law to the next
L7gislature.
hope that ! have succeeded in making myself
understood, and that my answer may be entirely
satisfactory.
will add, that your letter would have been an
swered before this but for the press of official and
other engagements which prevented me from
reaching it in its proper order until the present
date.
have the honor to be, most respectfully,
ANDREW Johnson
To W. B. Ewing Esq, Hugh Carroll, ESQ.,. S.
S. Hall, Esq, Rev. j. B. McFerrin, ]. H. Currey,
Esq, Committee, &c.
The Committee are free in stating that neither
the answer of the one nor the other of these gen.
tlemen is satisfactory. The one opposes what is
called the maine Lava law, by the way, which
is not mentioned in our letter to him; or hn-
derstand him, he is opposed to law prohibiting
the sale of intoxicating drinks. The other we
think, advocates a system which, though good
does not go far enough-does not strike at the root
Of the evil. We advocate total prohibition In
view, however, of ell the facts before u.s. and the
circumstances surrounding US, we deem it inexpe.
dent to call Convention for the nomination of a
separate candidate for Governor, but we recon-
mend the friends of prohibition to nominate and
vote for candidates for the Legislature who will
pledge themselves if elected, to vote for the enact
ment of law prohibiting the sale of intoxicating
drinks as beverage.
W. B. EwINc Chairman
HUeH CARROLL, Secretary.
Papers in the State are requested to copy.