The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-02-02
SENATOR EoRoIs' SPEECH.
A Temperance Mans Advocacy of the
Miller Bill.

~ temperance mans Advocacy OF the
Miller Bill.
From Wednesdays Richmond State.
Soon after the senate met this morn
ing the discussion of the Miller bill was
resumed. Mr.. Mushbach arose and said
he had intended to make some remarks
on the bill. but in the absence Of Mr..
Stubbs, who was called away by sick
ness in his family,h he would say nothing
at this time.
Mr. Echole then made an able speech
in advoc soy of the Miller bill. He said
that the purpose of the loo al option
bill was to give the majority OF voters
in each community the right to decide
the liquor question, but it was not in
tended by those who framed tho law
that it should operate in such way as
to allow the minority TO Cypress the ma
iority and to create strife and discord in
every community where the question
was raised.
He also sal that the local option law
was tentative measure-a mere expert
ment which had proven itself to BIO a
failure and that it should now be modi'
fed He was not in any sense opposed
to the tenn perance cause, but thought
the Prohibitionists we're doing the tt M
perance cause more harm than good
He then made an exhibit of the names
signed to recent petition for Prohibi
ton election in Staunton. OF the 400
names on that petition 200 were negroes
and the others, with the exception of
fifty Democrats, were Republicans and
Prohibitionists who owned very little
property.
1t was these people, he said, who
we're agitating the question at Staunton
nd no IN 10 nf ho
city for political purposes. There was
a cry from his city for relief and the
cry came from temperance people and
from many of those who voted the
dry" ticket, but who said the law was
doing moro harm than good. As to any
injury to tho Democratic party from
the passage of the Miller bill, the local
option law was already doing the
Democratic party incalculable harm.
He then reviewed the canvass in
Augusta county last fall and said that
never were there such debauchery and
such attempts to corrupt the suffrage
of free people as were made by men
who claimed to be working in the in
terest of morality, and that they re-
sorted to every means that would bring
a vote. He also read one of the prohi
bition circulars showing the methods
used in the canvass.
In reply to friendly question from
Senator Washington, Mr. Echols said
he never took a drink in his life, but
that his character and his Democracy
were both attacked by the Prohibition
lists. 1t was idle to say that the question
was not in politics. The Prohibltionists
were already at work in Staunton and
Norfolk and would show themselves in
all the cities of the State holding cleo.
lions next spring.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Echols'
speech there was cordial applause.
A petition that the local option law
be not disturbed was read from the Wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union of
Virginia. The question then came up
on the engross ment of the bill and the
vote retulted as follows:
Ayes: Arthur, Barnes. T. II. Berry
Echols, Fairfax. Flood, Green, Harri-
son, Hatcher, Hay, Herbert, Jones,
Lovenstein, Maynard, Miller, Mush-
back, Parrish, Washington, Watts.-l9.
Noes: Barnes, M. 81. Buchanan,
Harnesburger, Hunt. Jackson, Jordan,
LIE Cato. Sands, Tredwsy, Walton,
Williams.-11.
Mr.. Watson was paired with Mr..
Stubs. Mr.. Watson would have voted
aye.