Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-12-13
POLITICS IN TRNNEssEE.
The Narrowing Down OF the Democratic Ma
tority Attributed to the rrohlbi.
tiOn Movs ment.
Special to the Courier-Journal.

Special to the Courier-Journal.
| NASHVILLE, Dec. 4-The result
OF the election In Tennessee a month
ago was a general surprise to all,
even to the Republicans Themselves
although they are so loud In i!elr
protestations that they knew how IL
would be. Of the many causes that
operated, however, to Increase the
propOrtionate vote OF the Republi-
can party so largely, there was none
more prominent or more potent
than prohibition. Tennessee has
been for two years q seat Of war In
the Prohibition fight. Ever since
the war cloud closed lar 1865 the
movement has existed here in a
very strong degree, and the success
of the Prohibitionisis in having the
Local Option Law, passed by the
Legislature In 1875, only 10 be ve-
tOed by Gov. Brown, on the ground
OF unconstitutionality, has encOur-
aged them to keep up the battle,
working for some legislation that
can stand the test OF law and cOnstI-
tuition. The FOur-mile law was the
direct result Of the agitation of the
next two yeaIs. The law does not
allow the sale OF liquor within four
miles of any Incorporated school,
unless the same is located in an In
corporated town. The temperance
people then went to work and sue
ceeded in having every country
school Incorporated, 80 that liquor
was almost banished from every
section OF many counties, except the
county-seat. And they did not rest
here. In order tu Danish the sa.
loon, ,.the country towns came blythe
dozens to the Legislature, asking
the abolition OF their charters, that
they could stopthe liquor traffic.
Even this, however, did not make
the temperance folks happy. They
do not want the manufacture Of
whiekyfor a beverage allowed In
Tennessee at all; and they are now
agitating popular opinion to de-
mand constitutional amendment
to be submitted TO the people for
ever fOrbidding any manufacture or
sale as beverage of any intOxicat- /
Ing liquor In the State. The sub.
of. this amendment they
hope to obtain from the Legislature
q
the leading temperance men Of tllia
city who claims 10 know, asserts
that there are enough votes abso-
iutely certain In the Incoming Leg
isiature to effect the submission OF
this question to the people. Said
he:
Don't you know why, every year
since the re-enfranchisement Of the
white citizens OF Tennessee, the
Democratic majority has been going
down and down until Il has gone
down from over 60, 900 to less than
900? Well, can tell you why.
The determined opposition OF the
Democratic party to our fair re-
! quest To let the people vote aud say
u they will have prohibition has
been the leading cause. The Four
mile Law could never have been
passed without Republican votes,
ard the Republican party has stood
by prohibition until prohibition has
begun TO stand by them. You need
not laugh. Tennessee Is going TO be-
very doubtful State sn the next
national election IL the Democratic
party does not show itself democrat
e enough to let, the people say
they will have prohibition
DR. not have II. Submit that ques-
ion to the people at n non-partisan
and prohibition would get
It least %, 1000 majority In this State.
The whisky men know that and
hat Is the reason they fight 10 keep
he people from having a chance to,
lecide for themselves. / tell you
1Ov., Bate has been sacrificed by
he whisky Democrats In this elec-
ion. They thought he WAS going
o be their champion when they
lsaiielAh keite elAhbbhhH bbhhH In H AiRs2,aHa e0gPtbpied :
le knew they would not stand any
In this matter, and he
TODD by them. This year the
whisky men didn't help him as
hey did before, and he needed help.
hat was what beat him In his own
Ounky."
These views are generally enter
aimed by the prohibition advocates
ere, aud they assert with all serl-
usness that the present Legislature
sill certainly submit the prohibito-
v amendment 10 the people. On -
st Of the present Legislature elect,
ne OF the leaders had checked of
hose who We're claimed as certain
D vote for the submission OF the
and they comprised
llly two-thirds OF the members.
very Republican but three was
hecked off, and "A large majority Of
ne Democrats. "And does every
nan you have checked favor prohi-
ition 2" "Certainly MOI; fully q
llrd of them are opposed 10 IL;
ley will vote for the submission of
le amendment, and work aRa nlst
s adoption. The members we
ave checked OFF here are those
HON we know believe that the
eople have q right to say whether
ley will have prohibition, or
they will not have prOhl-