The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-09-17
arsBs ON LOCAL OPTION.

The Lieutenant G 0verner, IN an 1nter-
view " itii . Herald Rep rter, give $
His Views on this Absorbing Question
AS the Interview with Senator Coke
and Mr.. Simpkins' letter, had sven a
new impet us TO the prohibition dis
cussion, the reporter tackled Lieuten-
ant Governor Gibbs for an Interview.
The reporter did not Exactly succeed,
bat in a lively conversation the gov
ernor committed himself about as
follows:
He Saws not beirg Candidate for
Office, tne witticism OF his new spaper
friends don't worry him, and that he
is satisfied W, Il Ills posi- ion on the
prohibition aston and don't feel
lonesome I the top .rail uncom-
Portable. ha expresses no surprise az
re sent election results and says they
only chow that many local optlonlsts
are satisfied to control the on pre-
their views on other precincts;
that those Democrats who, have been
read out OF the pptty in the local option
que 1tion haven't gone and WON'T go,
I'm less the party in conventio declares
in favor oirer Ealing local o! ion laws
and solemn.y communicates tnehl.
He don't anticipate any declare .ion or
this kind on the part of the next
State convention, as men holGipg
these extreme views Won't Co1tfoi INC
organization. He is OF the opinlon
hat recent elections have developed,
such division OF sen, sentiment On,
submit the amendment and
If will DO defeated, and
that Texas, .liko Georgia, WILL go on
oDsrating under the local option Jaw.
he still adheres TO his declaration That
local option is the most Democratic
and rational solution of the question,
but believes that under the. present
law these elections are TIC, frequent
for the peace and piosr jricv or the
communities. lie has no 1alta elmer
in the SUCCESS or efficiency OF general
prohibition, aud is convinceu tnss
when public opinion is crys' II zed IT
will bs in favor OF local option, bigh
license, or some other olicy, not rec
essarily probibitoiy, but in
the nature of u local pol
lev, regulating in harmony
with local sentiment, upon which IL
must depend Tor its enforcement.
Gibbs is earnest in his convictions
and don't seem to worry over the popu-
larity or unpopularitv OF his views or
the fact that local option has been pro-
nounced undemocratic.
In his Judgment before final solu,
ton of the question is rel he'd, lt Wall
bs found necessary 10 mahe some dis
t,uclion in tho restrictions on the sale
of wine and beer and Stronger
drinks. He says this distinction
has already been made IN
New York under their excise laws.
The lieutenant. governor expressed
considerable amusement a. those VINO
accuse d BIN Of being on tho fence, bus
at the same time adv Ocatsd p'gh
license. High license, says he, ls par
tial prohibition, !usv al local. option Is,
and il sdvo "a IS claim thai, ike Local
option, it vii force the saloon busl-
2 "a nut the busine3I in the hands or
ever aud more ~ II onsiblo men. He
saws that e-1treme pi ohibiti0nlyts
want I'M y, ed late and absolute propl-
bis'on; extreme anti-nrohibitlonists,
to be- consistent, must a0yocate
the .)naovel Of aH resVrlc--
lions on whisky ifdfic. and
that neitter VII succeed.
se,l whisky here unless
Won pay more Tor the privilege tnaD
you can afford. Under the prese MT con-
atlluUOn the e isi"tui0 S"A NV oho
license as high as il pleas ~ pres
lieye local-optiou Tho most reasonable
of al police regulations suggested,
but az Violations of this law are pun
ishable by precinct courts, I believe
That the constitution would have been
more conpistent had it confined the
vote to precincts." | laughed at tho
idea of the prohibltion party MAX
ing fight on the DEM
ocatic party OF Texss
or OF local optionists having any SYM
pathy with the political party organ
lied at Dallas, or with the National
Prohibition party. lie referred to
Rockwell az the banner Democratic
county in the State, yet as the. one
most thoroughly in favor of local OPP
ton and tho one which had tried 1t
longest.