The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-03-30
THE TEMPERANCE ISSUE.

dy," in letter from Augusta, Ga, which
will be found on the next page, suggests to
the Temperance people the propriety of hold
ing Convention to nominate Prohibition
candidates for the Senatorial and Floating
Districts, the first composed Of the counties
of Monroe, Meigs, Mcllinn and Polk, and
the last of aIcMinn, Meigs and Polk. He
recommends the I'd Saturday of May as the
time for holding the Convention, and, also,
suggests that a Prohibition candidate for
NcAlinn can be nominated at the same time.
We have not ofiiciousness enough to wish to
NEEDLE or interfere in any way with this bu-
siness of our Temperance friends, who, in
proportion to their strength, seem to be
blessed with goodly number of aspirants-
well meaning gentlemen, no doubt, but whose
zeal for the cause and ambition to do the
State some service in legislative capacity,
we are afraid is running away with thei. dis
cretion-but we must BE- permitted to ex.
press our establishment at the suggestions Of
"Rough and Ready" made immediately on
the heels of the meeting of the 22d and
the action then had in the premises. That
meeting, after elaborate discussion, rs we
have learned. for We were not present, adopt
ed the following resolution:
Resolved, That, for the present, we deem
il inexpedient to nominate candidates; but MS
temperance men we will vote for such aspi-
rants rs harmoniZswith our views and will
be most likely to accomplish our purposes.
Now if the resolution means any thing at
all, it means this that the temperance peo-
pie, feeling their want Of strength at this
time to elect u man, or men, upon the single
and isolated issue Of Prohibition, are deter
mined to approach as near to their object as
possible, by holding themselves in reserve un-
I'll the candidates are all out, and then select
ing from among them the oes. temperance
man, provided his elements Of popularity
and chances Of success are such as to justify
the belief that, with the strength they, the
temperance people will give him, must en-.
sure his election. And this, whether the can.
didate's political antecedents are wing or de-
mocratc. This, we take to be the spirit and
intention Of the resolution above, adopted
at the meeting of the Odd, which we under.
stand was respectable both in numbers and
intelligence. The words, "for the present.
which occur in the resolution, were put there,
we presume, to better harmonic and produce
unanimity, and soften conflicting opinions, as
there were persons present insisting upon an
immediate nomination on the single issue OF
Prohibition, Whether the policy indicated
is the proper one is not for us to determine
or comment upon; but "Rough and Ready"
being one of the most thorough and Jealous
Prohibition men in the county, or State, and
being, as it is Legitimate to suppose, a part
and parcel of the meeting which adopted the
resolution quoted above, we cannot withhold
our surprise that he should so soon recon.
mend co~se so'i1ihtirjy adverse and antag.
onisiic to the spirit and sentiment manifested
on tho Odd by the very large number of per-
sons in attendance from the different portions
Of the county.
We repeat, we have no disposition to med
die with the differences that exist among the
friends of Prohibition; but "Rough and Rea-
dy" having made our paper the medium
through which to give publicity to his varied
and numerous suggestions, we must avail
ourselves Of our prerogative to express our
dissent, on this occasion, least oar silence
might BY some be construed into approval -
We seldom think it necessary to refer to the
communications that appear in our paper, but
as the course proposed by him is, IN our
opinion, calculated to produce embarrass-
ment and confusion among the friends Of
Prohibition, we intend to keep ourself free
from the semblance ofblame in the matter. We
have the Temperance cause rs much Mt heart
as any man in the county of McAIinn, and We
know there is bnt one road to success The
most that can reasonably be expected through
the next Legislature is the adoption ofa rcso-
linton submitting the question to vote of the
people al time when no other elections are
occurring No aspirant for a seat in the Le-
gislature will have the hardihood 20 reject
the proposition of submission. If prudent
counsels prevail, and the Temperance people
are content to reach their object by gradual
approaches, they may succeed in year or
two. Il they are not content to pursue such
a course, and suffer themselves to be guided
by the imprudent councillngs of overhead
Gus and aspiring men, they never will sue
coed. and will be further from the object they
have in view at the close of tho approaching
can vnss than they were at the termination Of
tho last.
sB- Judging from our exchanges, the po-
litical contest in Virginia continues TO wax
fearfully warm. Mr.. Wise, the democratic
candidate, is siumping the State and disprov-
ing his name by saying great many un.wise
and foolish things; while his opponents nre
daily increasing, and organizing ard moving
on with con,paetness and energy of pur-.
pose never manifested except by those de-
termined on achieving success. The present