The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-11-12

I'VE 9CAAAC" A4NN 1AA RAAoN0 ~
that Mr.. w. ]. Webster was TO come
out in open antagonism Of the Re-
form Party. We were at perfect
loss to understand why man of his
standing and lawyer of his ability
should oppose this Reform move
ment: and we could not solve the
question until we read his speech.
Then we saw that he had missed
the issue entirely, and was fighting
for something and against some
thing that has nothing whatever to
/ do with the case. Church and
State" has just about as much to do
with this election, as this election
has to do with the silver question.
Personal rights and individual
liberty is no more a part of it than
who killed Cock Robin. Mr.. Webster
is a clever gentleman and the
| HERALD's friend, and we would not
wound his feelings in the least.
But the truth is, and upon reflection
he must see it himself-that he has
accepted an exparte statement of
the case, and arguing from mistaken
premises has reached a false con-
clusioh. The Peoples Party man
ayers have made Mr.. Webster be-
lieve that the Reformers are trying
to interfere with their liberty" tn
take their "rights" away from
them. They are doing nothing of
the kind. They are simply pur-
posing to regulate them under the
law, and Mr. Webster, we know,
would not take this right away from
the Reformers, for, to be candid
about the matter, he has said as
much to the editor Of the HERALD.
The HERALD does not believe in
the union of Church aud State, any
more than does Mr.. Webster. The
HERALD has no more tolerance for
fanaticism, than has Mr.. Webster.
Mr.. Webster believes in law and
the obedience to law. He knows
because being an able lawyer he is
bound to know-that this munic-
ipality has the fright" and the
"liberty," under the law, to
restrict and regulate the saloons.
, He knows that the saloon-keeper,
7 when he takes out his license, does
so with the legal understanding
: that the city authorities have the
, "rig hit, "the liberty" ifthey choose
to close the saloons at dark and keep
them closed until daylight. He
J knows the state laws and the Su-
D preme Court decisions, and he knows
that 1t is no abridgement of their
rights or their "liberty" to ask
t these sellers Of whiskey to comply
4 with the laws of the land. Mr.
: Webster not only knows the law
' but in our opinion would not mate.
9 rally change it If he could. That
! being the issue, we again say that
p Mr.. Webster has fired broadside al
] the open air, so to speak, and has
missed the whole face of the earth
He has entirely and completely
4 missed the issue, and in the immor.
: tai language of Davy Crockett oil
g Daniel Boone, don't know where he
3 is at. AS to the part the Church
9 through its individual members
K should take in controversy like
e this, there seems to be an irrecon
] cilable difference between us anC
i Mr.. Webster; and the ringing of tn,
o court house bell to call christian
r men to their MONDAY prayers, il
n not such connecting link between
3 law and religion, between ChurcI
r and State, as to give to US the of
r tense it does to him. But as thes
are matters already referred to b!
others, and as they are not at al
pertinent to this election, we will
II not discuss them at present, If at all