Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-03-23
LET THE PEOPLE VOTE.
Submit a Prohibition Amendment
Warning TO Texas Democ acy.
PARIS, TIN, WaIch n, 10

PARIS, TEX, March g., 1885.
To the Editor OF Inc GAZETTE
All over the state there seems tn be
strong, very strong, sentiment In
favor OF the submission Of an amend-
ment to the constitution, prohibiting
the liquor traffic in Texas. The
Journal of the legislature ntain-
every day notices ef petitions to this
,l.ct. The newspapers, with few
exceptions, have advocated the cub
mission of ~, h an am n ment, 80
that the question may be settled. AS
secfet.r of he Prohibition Executive
comm ttee, hav sen TO the Lex n
ture pet lions containing the names of
probably 40 600 pereOus, aud rend bS
to-.Ay's mali another lot win ABOUT
10000 more namts These petitions,
tnuss forwarded by me and those
which sec reported la the Daily Leg
islative JournsI, are rom Northern.
| Southern, Eastern, Western and Cen
trail Texas, aud | doubt II there is "a
county in the stare from which such q
petition has not been seut
Why are all these petitions? The
cause Is plain tn my mind They are
signed by person some of whom are
iufiuebc d by ,ne and eome by both,
Of these two princiules:
|. That In a republican government
like ours, the majority should rule, aud
that when respectable number re-
quests Ii an opportunity should be
given fr an express sion If the will oi
the m 'rity. ;,
g. r6at the liquor traffic ia an evil
productive OF so many otuer evils, that
the state should not for money, grant
to any one the privilege Of engaging n
IL, but should prohibit It 10y law
1t il not my purpose 10 discuss these
two principles flee II to say, that,
believe the first Of them Will b. in
doTstd by every Que who Is thorough J
imbued with the spirit oi ouI
Republican institutions, and thai
beiieve he Sec'bd hos b,cume 20 firm
IL hX-d in the minds aid hearts i"
many voters Of Texas that 1T he's be
come to tn, N question Of COZ s1eDc
viii h will prevent them htresfte
from acting with any political ar.
which upholds the liquor Traffic s.
strongly ~ TO refuse 10 let the pc pl
have an oppor, unity To decide wne h
: ef or net IL snail be- prohihi ed.
= And now I With a. utter In the Ian
guage of THE GAZETTE. "a warning
not threat y That warning is to til,
DemOcnriic party of Texas but IL IL
not for me or any one member OF tina
parry to presume to threaten 1T.
The senators and peesentatives {
the present legislature, with very FEY
exception, are Democrats. The PEI
c sons who most heartily indurse tn
e two priUci pl' above stated are, wit
few exceptions, Democrats also. Tn
prOhibitiohisls Of I, xns have held tw
state cunv' ntiuns, aud have twice r.
solved, in substance, that the
did not desire to orgsni2
II separate prohibition party
u Texas, hut that they only waited
v p Obi TORY amrndm-n, submitte
IL 80 that they might present their "a,
to the voters Some prohibltisnis
clamnred ut both conventions for
third parry hut they were override,
But two legislatures have refused
prOhihitionlsls their just request.
y the pres nj one follow their exampl
,, the Democratic uarty IN Texas wi
u suff-r. The prohibltionist4 will O
D" gaUize for themselves. There n
already dlssensious In the party, III
the time may come when the D-mo
racy Of Texas, without its prohiui IL
voters may t,il u carry the state iu
10 as the Republicans failed In New YOl
( last fail u elect the & sine and Logs
! electors for want of the votes If Il
RI Renubl can prohihitionis' 8 who vot'
= { rs j 'hn aud Dtui'l l would ha'
the possibility of such an occurrei
averled IL can be done and tn
easily. Let the prohibitory amen
mrnt he submitted in the f0' m % pr
" sented by Hon. Francis Henderson
- Lamar and Hon. W. A Evans
nj Fsnnin. Then let TIE people spe,
M through the ballot box, ami whstev
: may be the result, the p oh bitloui,
t viii abide by it. The question W
then be settled; otherwise 1t will n
and II the legislature, almost entire
q Democratic, refuse again TO submit I
proposed amendment, the blame W
N be upon the Dem' cratic party and
N Will have to take the consequence
I'd AS q lifelong Democrat. trust {
O. legislature will avert such pos
~ bility. L ELLIS
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