The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-03-26
The Morristuwn Gazette.
1WAY BEHZND THE AGE.
- pa,tor Of the Morristown Gazette.

NJ a., F,7itor of the Morristown Gazette.
Tt NAV be of interest to the readers OF
TIM CIzETTE to know in what light
the people and courts of other states
view The subject of whisky traffic, since
the Legislature of Tennessee refuses TO
mass a Local Option Law for this state.
To show how other States have acted
upon the subject we compile the follow
inc historic statement from the exhaus-
tive argument of Hon. West Il. Hum
phreys, delivered before the Committee
on Tipping and Tipping houses during
the present session Of the tennessee
Legislature.
We remark in passing that Judge
Humphreys is enc of the ablest lawyers
in She State-was for twelve years Attor-
pey General for The State at large, and
Supreme Court Reporter.
We remark also that the whisky sellers
of the State employed Mr.. Caldwell, also
an able lawyer, to reply to Judge Hum
Dhreys argument. Mr. Caldwell in his
replv contests none of the facts herein
after stated.
Of the eight States bordering on the
State of Tennessee, five, to wit: Arkansas
Missouri, Kentucky, North Carolina
Mississippi, have Local Option laws IN
force. Georgia has adopted the speclaI
prohibition system, enacting laws where
, the people desire it, to prohibit sales IN
specified counties Virginia has the bell
punch system. Alabama alone OF the
eight being in the condition that Ten
Anessee is in. OF the other Southern
States, Texas and South Carolina have
the Local Option system.
Maryland grants License to indiVidu-
ais on recommendation of Grand Jury,
and passes special prohibition laws for
specified counties. So that of the whole
South Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and
Louisiana, alone are left to the mercy
of whisky men. OF the northern states,
Colorado, Oregon, Rhode Island, Con-
necticut, Kansas, Indiana, New Jersey,
New York, Massachusetts,, haYe Local
Option systems.
Pennsylvania had Local Option till
1877, when the whisky ring captured
the Legislature and procured the re-
peal. New Hampshire, Wisconsin,
Maine, and l know not how many other
states have prohibitOry laws. This is
the state of affairs in this year Of grace
1879.
To show how rapidly temperance |
sentiment is marching, it is only necessa-
ry to state, that in 1847 the first Local
Option laws were passed in America, in
two states. And with great promptness
the Supreme Courts of those states de-
c Jared those laws unconstitutional. Now |
in all the states of the United States |
there is but one single state in which |
the Supreme Court holds the law unCOn |
stitutiOnal, and that is in Wisconsin |
where the whisky men prevailed on the |
Legislature to pass such law for their |
benefit. Promptly however the temper !
ance people took proper steps TO test the
law and the Supreme Court held in favor
of total abstinence.
Verify in the light of history when
temperance people in Tennessee clamor
for restrictive legislation, it is gratuttOus
to call them fanatics. The census re-
ports place Tennessee second or the list
of states for ignorance. Do not the
above facts show the reason for it?
Verify the Legislature of Tennessee is
Behind the age. *#*