The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-31
IN THE STATE SENATE.
THE MILLER LOCAL-OPTION BILL
rs DISCUSSED.
A Number Of spe, chcs Were Made and the
Senator stubbz Makes a Fine Effort.
rhe livellest dIscussion which bias tal.en

Yesterday when the Miller local-option
hill which had been made the special
order for / o'clock, was called up.
The large size and character OF the
crowd present, no less than the restless
look Of expectancy on their faces, indi-
Gated that something of more than or
binary interest was about 10 transpire.
Tho dismal gallery, which is usually
only a sepu.chre TO bury the echoes OF
senatorial oratory. exhibited an amount
of warmth and iiliing tnat IL mas Ho'
enjoyed before this session.
Nr Miller delivered carefully pre-
- eneech in favor of this bill, which
hoars his name. The bill In question
n~ovldcs for the exemption cities ana
towns of 500 inhabitants and over from
,he onerations OF the iocal-Cpton law
| ,rba Lili was returned by the coInmi1'ec
With AN amendment restricting locA-op-
| ton IN towns Of $500 inhabitants anu
| oyer and the question came UP on tiiiS
amendment. ~ to,
| senator Miller argued that while iocai
option had probably benefited the coun-
/ Try districts, it had been injurious ~
the cities and towns, and where passeu
| among the latter had taken the hQuo4
/ traffic from the hands OF large oedleis
| who were men of integrity and stand
| ing. and placed It with smaller ana IRE
sponsible vendors who had no regard ior
the law. He held that the necessity dld
not exist for local option in towns where
they had police regulations and that the
| contests had engendered bitterness ana
| strife among friends and citizens, thus
causing irreparable injury. SAID he more
over the cities and towns had been maze
the natural recruiting ground OF lhe
national prohibition party, and that large
numbers Of Democrats had been carried
away, TO the injury OF the Democratic
party, and that tie party should no long
er allow them the opportunity OF mus
waging war on those who granted lheW
the privilege.
Senator Flood offered an amendment
changing certain -eXpres sions III the
phraseoogy Of the bill.
Strong speech.
Senator Walton made a fine speech In
opposition 10 the BILL saying that as he
opposed the bill in toto he would also
oppose the anne ndmcnts lie insisted that
; the Democratic party stood unequF0caHy
pledged TO local option. Then there We're
a great many good Democrats among the
Democrats who lad been promised thl5
, King. and the party stood committed ana
must allow them the right 10 DECIDE thlS
! question by their own votes
Said he: 1.-THE depletion Of our party
] has been prevented by throwing them this
= Tub and now we are asked to take from
them this simple boon. This IS class legs
7 Iation. IL is not matter Of policy, but
l. q matter Of principle. We are not asked
10 determine whether the principle OF pro-
I hibition is right. but whether the petition
e OF the people TO be allowed to settle THIS
L question by their OWN votes snail pe
granted or denied them. The right OF Pc
titi0n has always been Democratic pIin-
e chile. and it is a right that Was respected
during the most corrupt Of the old dynas-
? tics, and it is now monstrous for the
Democratic senator's in a Democratic sem
ate 10 pass measure denying this SIM
i pie right to any class of citizens.
IAN that is asked is that the law remain
on the statute Looks in the shape that
] we promised it to them; that there be no
a discrimination between town and county
c and that the people be allowed the humble
boon Ct petitioning the courts Of the land
e to give them the tight TO vote on this
S question, which concerns only them.
= = Lsdy'- Petition.
At tlAs point Senator Sands at the re
: quest Of the signers. presented the fol
\ lowing petition from the Central Wo
= mans Christian Temperance Union, whicl
= was read and referred:
Whereas it has become apparent tina
,, an effort is being made to annul or repea
the "local-option" law; therefore be II
!, Resolved. That we, the Central Wo
, mans Christian Temperance Union O
. Richmond, Va, do most heartily AM
" earnestly petition your honorable body I
= allow the law TO remain az it is
- If is a law which gives the people IN
. only possible opportunity OF -egulatin
a great evil, and as it now stands IL u
moves the great Temperance questio
from the arena Of politics Respectfully,
q MRS. ". II. PLEASANTS,
President Of Central W. c. T.. u.
Mrs. Alfred +. Wait, Secretary.
ie Senator Herbert, Of Norfolk. was u
IS next speaker He spoke with much fee
pr ing. and referred TO the fact that n
Prohibitionists and Republicans had con
10 bined forces against him IN the late col
~ test. and that the Prohbitionsts Ia
I, used more money in the last election tina
-, anybody else in securing votes. He mac
= a general argument against local optic
u and closed by saying that it was time u
- Democratic party had stopped giving the
y people sop.
The amendment offered by the con
- mittee TO strike out 5000 and insert 81
-, was lost by vote OF - TO IS.
~ a second amendment was offered. Z
~ follows:
81 and no election heretofore held.
order for an election heretofore mao
- in any corporate town containing over so
~ inhabitants shall affect the power ,
the courts to grant licenses to sell liqu,
- in such towns"
y" Mr.. Stubs spoke with earnestness
49, opposition to this amendment and hope
;" that il would be defeated.
" Mr.. Flood said that there was no ol
- lection TO the amendment. Only one cit
u in the State could be affected by ii al
-, that was the city OF Roanoke. The
a. was no reason for imposing upon Roai
-. oke the burden Of fanaticism from WhiC
- other cities were exempt.
~ The amendment prevailed by a vote
% l. to II.
ne The question that next came UP W;
~ the engrossmert Of the bill.
ng enafor Hur,'- Views.
Senator John L. Hurt took occasion
VI this point TO briefly express his view
y He hoped the Senate would not engro
{ the I'LL, but drop it without proceedir
II further. He said he was personally o.
y posed 10 local option, but the Democrat
= party in convention assembled had d
y cided positively this matter and cor
a. mitted the party to the question az
10 promised the temperance element TIL
- if they got in power they would pass
nc local-option bill. and now in good fat
. the Senate could not with propriety
- away with the present law until tn,
80 had met again and expressed the opiniC
ra Of the party on the measure.
n senate, stubbs.