Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-07-29


the Suppression of the Liquor Traffic"
Delivered by the Rev. sam Small.
The local option campaign was
started in earnest last night week when
tho Rev. Sam Small of Georgia began
q seriea of meetings in the pylo Cycle
Academy. Tenth and Orange streets,
and addressed an audience OF several
hundred on Tho Law and the Logic
OF the Home Rule Method for the
Suppression VI the Liquor Traffic. ;"
For the meetings the room bad been
fitted with platform on the south
side and With chairs to accommodate
1000 persons. Two large American
6ags adorned the wall back Of the plat
form. Assisting Mr.. Small were j.
Parsona Smith, a one time prize fighter,
who was converted II years ago, and
who has charge of the singing at the
meetings, Mrs. Smith ami Mrs. Q.
Harry Sickle, all OF Hamilton, Ontario.
After reading the third chapter OF
j. John, Mr.. Small offered prayer, in
which he asked for divine blessing
upon the meetings. Mr.. Smith led tho
audience in singing "Work for the
Night ia Coming" after which Mrs.
Stiokle sang "Guard While l Sleep, ;"
with good effect The Rev. George L.
Wolfe, of the First Methodist Protestant
Church, acted as accompanied for Mrs.
Sickle, without previous notice.
Mr.. Small began his remarks by re-
ferring to the continued rain, with
which be thought prohibitionists
should be satisfied in that they are
Interested in fostering the business Of
duck raising, in other words that the
Prohibitionists are trying TO get people
out OF business 30 that they wont be
flooded out when the Prohibition flood
comes on. The Prohibitionists are after
the liquor rosters.
The speaker announced the local
option campaign as begun, for he had
begun and he proposed to stay hsgun
until the last gun was fired. After 12
years OF work. having brought upon
himself the entire antagonism Of the
liquor traffic, he was thankful and was
still In business and ready TO receive
more Of their favors He predicted an
increased attendance at the meetings.
saying that the matter OF local option
is one that comes home to every man
and every woman, and to every bust
ness man, 1t comes home to the bust
ness man when he realizes that it III a
business question, that there is an
actual monetary stalks, and the speaker
expected to show in the course of the
meetings that the dollars and cents
were on the local option side.
Mr.. Small disclaimed any intention
of talking with acrimony or bad feel
ing, having no personal luminosity
against brewer or saloon keeper, for he
did not regard them as the chief
Offenders, considering them rather as
the agents OF the public. The Judge
must execute the laws he takes his
oath to enforce and go with the
Governor and the mayor aud council.
For the same reason Mr.. Small did moi
think himself justified without per.
sDnal grievance in scoring the brewer,
the harkeeper and the saloonkeeper, oil
the diatiller, when he knew that they
could not exist il it was not that &
majority of the citizens of the city,
State and country had called them into
business and was in partnership il
that very business. Further than that
he held that it was useless to thinl
out names for saloons, such as Eldorado
Eureka and Dewdrop Inn, when tn,
government has already furnished
name, Assistant Tax Collector for th,
State. He declared if he had to rur
a saloon he would put UP a sign
Government Collecting Agency, Com,
in" and would give one drink will
each payment as a premium for tn,
payment. Mr.. Small said no would ht
GLAD to have saloonkeepers attend th,
meetings. No partisan bias was to b.
thrown into the meetings.
He next went on to explain the loca
option provision TO the new Consti
tuition, under which in compianc
with the provisions the citizens in on
of the four districts, Wilmington form
ing one, rural New Castle one an,
Kent and Sussex one each, may max
demand upon their representatives il
the General Assembly to fix a da
when the question of local option ma
be submitted to the people of the dis
triut to say whether there shall or sha
not be saloons.
In taking up his specific sub is ct 70
the evening Mr. Small gave revie,
OF the early history OF this republic
showing wherein it is unique anon
republics in being formed of fedora
tion Of practical nations. From ]
States they have grown to A.. No
they are no longer separate sovereign
ties in being able to secede; that wa
settled under the apple tree at ApnC
mattox and this js Nation with
big n. He explained the working {
the executive, legislative and judici;
branches of the Federal government j
looking after the common interest {
the people. But one OF the triumphar
facts with reference TO our system
the checks and balances, whereby eac
State will still be sovereign wit
reference to local matters From thi
point Mr.. Small led up to the liquc
traffic and declared that no man wit
regard for his reputation would stan
up and question the constitutiunalit
of the State dealing with the questio
OF license or no license. In Suprem
Court decision mado by Justice Fielt
it was laid down that no man l.
reason of being citizen of the Unite
States or of any State of this union h;
a constitutional or natural right to n
tail spirituous or Intoxicating liquo
anywhere within the limits Of this !,
public. This decision was rendere
after years OF avoiding a decision @
such question. And Mr.. Small d.
clared that there isn't a lawyer wi
has the slightest regard for his leg
reputation, or any man or editor, wi
dares without disgracing his reputatic
as well informed citizen, 10 star
and declare that the Constitution
the United States or the doctrine
personal liberty guarantees to any MT
the right to sell liquor. The Supren
Court went further and declared tn
the question of the wholesale and r
tail of liquor in any one of the Stat
was entirely a question of nolice lepi