The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-03-12
TIE UNEQUAL CONTEST
To the Editor OF the MOrriutOwn gazette;


For more than six years now, a very
large number of the 0ery best citizens of
Tennessee have been petitioning and inn
portuning the legislature to enact law
which, in its nature If passed, would be
nothing more than a simple police regu-
lation. They have petitioned in num-
bers far beyond any precedent in the
history of the State. Indeed nothing
remotely spproximating this petitioning
has been known or heard of in the State.
and hardly anywhere in the civilized
world. No people ever called more
loudly or more earnestly on ii legislature
to enact law of any sort than the peo-
pie of Tennessee have called, for more
than six years, for the Local Option law.
And vet it is not the law and will not
likely become the law for two years to
come.
What is the reason ?
Is it because it is not right for the peo-
pie of any given community to have
such laws as the better citizens of that
community wantP That is not the the
DRY of republican Government. That
reason has never been applied in refer
ence to any subject except whisky. That
is not the reason. One very wise legis-
lator says ''such law would be un-cOn-
stI-tu-tiOn-al. Therefore l cannot vote
for il. ;"
That was avery plausible way to meet
the subject ten years ago, but in the
face of the fact that during several years
past about dozen courts of last resort
in different States have passed upon the
constitutionality of Local Option, all in
the affirmative, that is no excuse now.
No respectable lawyer, not under pay,
= hot N
Local Option law is Unconstitutional.
That is not the reason the law is not
passed.
Another says: " 1t does no good to le-
gislate on the subject of whisky, for
when a man wants it he will have it any
how" The last part of this proposition
is unfortunately true, The first part is
not. 1t is true that when a man once
contracts an appetite for whisky he will
do anything to get it. We temperance
people know that. We have no sort of
idea of ever being able to put whisky
beyond the reach of the old topper A
Local Option law would not do it. That
is not the purpose of Local Option
law It's purpose is to TenlOUe teB9ptat
out Of the a0ay Of the y01t4lg.
If such a law were enacted the coun-
try and smaller towns would furnish no
important part of the drunkards of TWEEN
ty years hence. The State would in
that event be compelled to look to her
larger towns and cities for her drunk
ards.
That is not the reason. Such a. law
will do great good if passed-in the way
I have indicated.
Says another, (your correspondence last
week, 'it deprives the State of an i'm
portant revenue" Yes, that is true,
lover the left the people do now pay
fully million of dollars annually on
account of whisky, in the way of poor
ton expenses, &c, most of which would
be saved if the people in the various
counties could get to vote about the sale
of whisky. The revenue" argument
is too thin to deserve respect. That is
not the reason Local Option is not pass
ed.
In short, Mr.. Editor, a great many
people believe there is but one reason
that prevents Local Option from becom-
ing law. They believe that a certain
class of men known as whisky dealers
have banded themselves together to pre-
vent the legislature from passing such
law. They believe they have raised
large sums of money to be used In ep-
posing the passage of the law. They
believe they have subsidized newspa-
pers-hired lawyers-paid lobbyists
(and some even go so far as to say they
treat members of the Legislature; but I
don't believe this.) They say that at
any rate, by some hook or crook they
these whisky sellers) are showing them
selves to be more influential with the
General Assembly, than the people are.
u
left free to act, there would be no doubt
Ab out the passage of the Option law.
But they say these men from the coun-
try, sent to Nashville to enact laws, are
no matches for the shrewd whisky lob
byists. They say as between these, the
contest is too unequal and have about
lost all hope of Local Option law.
But they sag St IS all due to the Influence
IF the aohssky ring. ~