Smyrna times., 1897-07-28

DURING the session of the COnstitu-
tional Convention, much uneasiness
and doubt was expressed about the pO-
sitiOn that would be taken on temper
ance and local option-whether the
new fundamental law would really put
temperance on the basis of other legis-
lation. The local option clause was
really one of the last acted on, be-
cause of the difference of opinion as to
its ultimate effect, but according to
Sam Small, who is addressing temper
ance meetings in Wilmington until the
first of August, the New Constitution
has ample provision for an expression
of the people. The following is the
way he expresses himself in regard to
it:
Taking up the local option clause in
the Constitution of Delaware, Mr..
Small states that he had watched the
making of the Constitution with care
as he knew there was opposition to
Delaware making any form of provision
on the subject. In Ohio they had made
/ constitutional provision for prohibition
/ that there should be no licensing of
the liquor traffic in Ohio; and there is
/ no license in Ohio. When the shrewd
! lawyers who had made the COnstitu-
ton went home they convinced the
/ court that the convention did not mean
/ to prohibit the liquor traffic, but to put
it on the basis of other business and the
result is that the tax of $3.50 is not a
license but a privilege tax. Here the
opponents of local option wanted the
matter left out of the Constitution and
then when any hundred in the State
tried to stop liquor licensing within its
borders they would have gotten out q
mandamus requiring to show cause why
no license was issued and the court
would rule that because the Constitu-
tiOn says nothing the hundred must
say nothing except to fix the price for
license. Then they said ''put in the
local option scheme so that it will be
easy to work, +" and so they did make it
easy for their friends. With all his
knowledge of local option Mr.. Small
declared II he had sat down to draft a
local option clause he could not posi-
bly, have made out such an iron-clad
cinch for local option as that made in
the Constitution. They simply over
did the thing, for they have put the
question of local option in the State of
Delaware like a burning coal of Ere on
the hand of every politician in the
State who aspires to q seat in the Gen.
eral Assembly; for on this account his
position on the question of local option
] may effect his election. The speaker
went on to show how difficult in some
States it is to get local option legisla.
tion begun.
Taking up the progress OF local op
ton he said that Of Sc counties in Mis-
sissippi only two have unrestrained Ii
quor traffic; while in 80 it is absolutely
prohibited and in four is qualified. o
the 1877 counties in Georgia, through
the local option clause, prohibition nov
exists in 1913. In the 10 States com
prising the Solid South with a popula
tion Of $4,000, 900 over 100000 livi
under absolute prohibition of their owl
making. In Texas the people at one
/, election voted against prohibition bu
accepted local option and within tire
; years nearly all that State will b.
under local option. Tennessee votes
& against prohibition, yet under local op
ton more than two-thirds Of the Stat
is now under prohibition. The speake
declared that these were not statistic
of long-haired cranks and short-haireC
s women galloping around the eountr.
on a hobby.
i He held that the reason for the sue
cess of local option is that it is brough
4 home to each individual citizen, beinl
I the principal Of home rule applied. H
n reverted to the interest taken by Amer
leans in Home Rule for Ireland an
t,oA
i ted from homes in America by the Ii
!, quor traffic than in 10 years in Irelan
8 by the landlords.