The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-01-08
MORE ABOUT LOCAL OPTION

To the Editor Of The MOrristown Gazette:
l am sorry to see my friend of the
Hawkins County Department, espouse
90 ardently the wrong side of the tenn
perance question. 1t is a mistake he
has made. He says he twill not stand
from under" Well then he must suffer
the consequences 1t is generally pop
ular thing for q man to be in favor of
the people at the ballot box settling any
great question. 1t is generally unpopu-
lar for man to be opposed to this. We
temperance men are asking only to be
allowed to vote on this question. Poats
is not willing for US to do even this. he
is one of a very few who take this view
of the subject. 1t is true that to some
extent all classes drink-not true how
ever, to half so great an extent as it was
when he was gay and young. The tenn
perance sentiment is a rapidly growing
sentiment. True, Tennessee is a little
late ia taking decisive action, and some
counties in Tennessee mot many will
be slow to avail themselves Of local op-
ton when it becomes law. But this
wave is a greet tidal wave, and it is
sweeping every thing before it.
My friend puts case that Is hardly a
supposable one, when he takes Hawkins
or Hamblen and supposes that either
would give a negative vote Of only one
or two hundred on this question. The
question is "shall whisky be sold other.
wise than by Wholesale or as a medi-
cine - My friend is very, gerry wide OF
the mark when he supposes that all who
drink would vote in the Affirmative.
The truth is, that HtOusands Of driRkerI
would rejoice to have the temptation ut
terly taken away from them. Many Of
this class are the most Jealous advocates
of local option. They see and feel the
danger in way to make it important
to them. Indeed, when the question IL
squarely put in the name Of tempted
youth, blithed manhood, disgraced OLD
age, in the name of suffering womeI
and starving children, in the name o
humanity and religiOn-he who will
vote aye, will have to be set down a
very much wanting in moral sensibility
My friend is indeed much mistaken
when he thinks there is a large minorit.
of such men in Hawkins or Hamblen
On the contrary, outside the purlieus o
vice in our larger cities, not many me
will cast that vote. l can p int m
friend to hundreds of men in Hambleu
who take their dram, who have sigue
petitions favoring local option. The
say they will foTego the useless habi
for the sake of the young men. and tn
boys, and for the sake % the poor drunk
ard who cannot resist the temptation
! No, no, my friend, the very class whor
you think would resist the law II pas
. ed will be found to be men when the
are put to the test, and not many c
them will be in favor of a positive ours
being inflicted upon themselves an
their children.
l hope my friend will reconsider ihi
; matter and get over on the side of righl
Let him take up his facile pen and eho'
; that during long and useful life, b
has seen very few crimes committe
that were not brought about by the us
of whisky. Let him show that in a
his wide circle of acquaintance, yer
few have ever come to squalid pOvert
except through whisky. Let him sho'
that our jails and penitentiary are full (
criminals, mostly placed there throug
> the influence Of the dram shop. u
him show that every year the State an
counties of Tennessee collect more tha
; a million of dollars of taxes which the
; need not collect but for whisky. Il
him show that very many bright int
Iects in Tennessee have Paled and sun
In besotted darkness through the use {
whisky. Let him show that the gosp
4 minister of to-day finds whisky standir
right IN the way of the advancement
: the cause and kingdom of the words 7
deemer. Let him, If he can, in his IN
: agination remove the dark vail whiS
: hides the irfernal regions from the ga
of man, and he will there see THOUSAND
J and multiplied thousands OF those VII
have been sons and daughters OF TIE
nessee sent there by whisky. Let hi
write up these subjects, and he wi
make his department in your paper glo
: iously useful, and he will do VOL
which will entitle him 10 the gratituc
of every good man and good woman
the State.
Death of a Good Man,