The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-08-30
The Four-miIe Law Hum
buggcry.

to which q company Of disgruntIci poll
iicians ever rcsor,ed. That act, passed
Fix year. ago b. Democratic Lcgisla'
iure. was deemed wise aud wholesome
police and municipal restriction on
liquor selling, and Deccssary to the pro.
lection Of the moyax of ihe youth of
the State and tie preservation Of good
order and discipline at and in the yIcin.
ity Of institutions Of learning not sit.
uatcd in the limits Of municipal cor.
porauops. Experience had proved It's
beneficial effects and tendencies, and il
was generally accepted as one Of the iew
practicable and judicious legislative eff
forts to lessen the universally admitted
evils Of liquor-drinking. No voice had
been raised for its repeal, even by those
who might be supposed to have a direct
personal interest in opposing it. No
billofrights theorist or constitution.
sticklcs had made critical objections
The purpose was so intrinsically right
and proper that it commanded approval
of the means, as well AZ the end.
Suddenly, on a bright July morning,
n small crew Of politicians, medtating II
revolt against the political organization
whose counscls they had failed to die
tate ana control, and half ashamed and
half afraid Of the consequences of the
step they were about to take, and in
search Of some political prctcxt toI
palliaic their course, discovered this law
was in great danger from the very party
under whose auspices it was placed on
the statate-book, To buoy and 81. tain
n movement whose political stupidity
and righteousness is unique, they seized |
on the popularity Of this law and began
to make prctencc that dark and terri
bic conspiracy wa organizing for its
overthrow. The entire community of.
the state was 50 unprcparcd for any
such announcement, however, that the
raiscrs of this hue and cry felt it incum.
bent to explain the ground, Of this rs.
sumed apprehension. Several week,
passed before their ingenuity could
frame an excuse for this purely fictitious
alarm for the iour-mile law. At last /
some industrious genius extracted one
OUT Of Il sentence in the Democratic
platform which declares as follows:
=" We are opposed to all unequal taxa.
ton upon tho mercantile and manufac-
turing interests of the State" 1t re.
quires optics keen and n rare faculty
for farfctchcd construction to find in
these terms liquorseiing effort to com
nit the Democratic party to the repeal
Of the four-mile law, But that is abso-
lpicly all that has yet been urged in jus.
tiiicatlon Of the hypocrisy and asininiiy
which inspired the introduction of TEN.
pcrapce agitation into this political can.
vass.
This nonsense is so transparent, and
It's demagoguory towards the temper.
ancc sentiment existing in the State is -,
so obvious, it might be dismissed with. ,
out a waste Of words in its exposure |
hut We arc much struck with the appa.
rently serious use the Banner and Amer.
team, of Nashville, are making Of the
quotation above from the Democratic
platform, and tempted to enquire into
the intent aud meaning Of the phrase 10
be found in the Boltcr platform to this
effect " That We are opposed to all
class legislation and partia laws" Nov,
If one of these learned and ingenious
gentlemen can point out the difference
between unequal taxation and I;
lass legislation and partial laws" d
md show that The one cannot be ms fair. n
J construed as the other TO be the "
passwords of seine fearful W
arrayed against the four. Il,
mile law, we will consent to abate the
expression OF some particle of the dis.
gust that all sensible men feel for this
weak attempt to gain support
10 the Bolter cause in the name Of tou.
perance. We suppose that the draft. y
man OF these sentenccs-the one and tbo 81
'ther-had the iour-mile law as little in II
nnd as they had the battle of Ia Ia
New Orleans or the Schleswig- Holstein al
rcaty. This is the pitiable expedient
men seduccd from party featy BY
ride of opinion and ambition to lead
ID vaInly clutching the air for paltry
cuses.
No discreet friend of the temperance mi
Use will be deceived by this wholly W
lfeless appeal to bis vote in behalf of ord
:. Fusselrs candidacy. Rather he tina
J resent its ruthless and frivolous van