The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-12-25


till the 9TH of January. This wi
leave for the rest Of the session lei
thsa 6ay working days.
A CORRESPONDENT in last week
GAZETTE says he was a "little sui
15ffsed at the position taken by tn
editor Of your Hawkins County DE
partment upon the subject of locs
option" He also says those wh
oppose that sort of q law -"may. a
wei stand from under Well, VI
did venture to intimate that ''loca
option"Aso called-was humbug
We fear the attempt to enforce sucl
an arbitrary law in one civil distric
or one county would result in more
harm than good. 1t will get NJ
strife between different classes o.
people and will not stop the drink
ing Of liquor. e - "a u
All that such an act as is propos-
ed would do, would be to prevent
peAohs from seiailfag liquors by The
driak Tie right to sell BY the
quart and in large quantities would
sill remain. III you put bar on
tie dram shop You instantly start up
an active trade.by The jug and the
quart bottle; and the consequence
OF this will be- drunkenness9 win be
increased instead of diminished. As
we said last week in a paragraph
about another matter, laws to be
effective most be backed up by the
pubIicysentiment of the State. If a
large and powerful minority Of the
people look upon an act Of the Leg
islature as oppressive and tyranical,
it does not matter how wholesome |
the act may be in ITSELF it ,cannot, be |
enforced. Now suppose ia Hawkins
county or HambIen there shall be
aneleetion a. towhetheEliquor shall
be sold in the county. And suppose
when the ballots are counted, the
No" 6cke6 has a-majorityrof fifty |
or oaeNhIhdred. How vail # be?
The defeated party will probably
contest the election and fthere will
be a costly suit. orff they do not
contest they will retire sullen and
mad. swearing they will-have their
drains when they feel like taking
thep n spite q the law-oe,sd they
a0in. 9
We are fully as much opposed to
making drunkards Of our sons as
your correspondent, but we don't
thi this local option scheme is the
one b save them. because we do not
believe public sentiment in Tennes- /
see is ready to receive and enforce
such q law. Who is it.that drinks
liquor IN oar State? Think min
ute. II is the rich mantle lawyer,
the statesman, the merchaut,l the
doctor, the judge. the legislator, the
church member, the farmer, the in
telIigsus edueated gentlemen. The
people in ''good society" are those
who drink four-ffths of the ardent
spirits consumed in the State. Be-
fore any law Can bs'enfoTced pro-
hibiting the sale OF the beverage
this large and eminentiy respectable
class of our felIow-citizens must be
Teaned from their habit of indulg> {
ng. We look at society as it is. :
hen do drink liquor, and they will j
rink it,. when they are sick. Bellsor
Vant it. The right plan to begin /
eforpatioR g among the people. / /
first educate the public sentiment a
If the country, get the great mass of a
he people; to looksupon, the. use of
liquor as a enemy, and then pass
avs in accordRnes with the. demands
( that sentiment and they will be
and enforced. Not other
a ~ q
Agafn We say the besttemperance a
ociety that csn possibly be organi- a
ed in Tennessee is a good system a
+ Academies and High SchOolsTIo- "
ated atShe proper places through. N
.ut the State. Educate all the chill y,
Iren and teach them to be sober. 1t 3,
} against the law now to sell liquor " "
Tithin four miles OF 3 chartered in, m
5ituti6h Of learning. IF this Law :,
an be ieffoFced, and we only have "
,hooIs enough, it will result In EH
UGH more good than vain attempt N
Danish whisky and brandy from 81 81
Ie State by q +Iocal option law. Sc
bis is our opinion. and we don't -
tend TO L''sland from under" just
1t. When the Legislature attempts
, stop people from drinking by law, =
icy will only show themselves want. M M
z in good, cool, common sense ~ at'
at ID all we have to say just now.