The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-01
LIVELY TILT CAME
ON DRUAKARD BILL
Senator Sprui|I's Bill Was the
Casus BeIIi.
TODDlES AND MINCE PIES
The Senate Warns up 10 Debate When the
Membsr From TyrrelI Makes an Intellectual
Fight against UnfavorabIs Com
mittee Report.

mittee Report.
Yesterday in the Senate there was the
usual pouring in of petitions for tenn
perance legislation. Some asked for the
adoption of the London bill. some for in
corporation of churches against the Ii
quor traffic. some for dispensary, some
for general temperance legislation
And there also came in a batch of re
quests for leave of absence for my col
league" and others. 1t was Saturday
and many of the Senators who have been
here constantly since the opening of the
session thought it was a good opportunity
to pay visit to the folks at home.
The Senate work moved on smoothly
until a bill was read with an unfavorable
committee report. 1t was the bill intro
duced by Senator Spruill providing tina,
for public drunkness, the offender be
fined $40, and for each repetition this be
jumped to $25.
Senator Spruill declared that the Ii
Quor question was the absorbing topic of
the day, and, that though the Judiciary
Committee had set .the stamp of disap-
proval on his bill he would urge its pas
sage. with all respect to that commit
tee," said he. lit is case of us boys
must not assail our own household" In
temperance legislation he urged that
haste be made slowly. There is an ef-
feet for every cause he said 'and the
cause of the agitation is the reeling
drunkards who have made of them
selves a nuisance. | am a temperate
temperance man and / urge that we
put on brakes and help to stop, and
not go too fast. / don't want to prevent
gentlemen from having toddies and ladies'
from making mince pies and using wine
because of the drunkards who reel on the
highways"
1T would take big book to hold
what l don't know, but there are some
things that l know as good as any man
in the Senate, or in the United States, or
the President himself One thing l know
all about is a niger, and the other is
whskey, because I've been there. 1
know the niger and I've put on war
paint and feathers and gone out to fight
him, and I've kept it up till he is out
of the power that came when he went to
the ballot box and when white men were
turned away. There was no desire 10
punish him, but the effects that came
from him, and SO it should be with the
liquor traffic. 1t is not the ardent spirits
but the effect the drunkards, whom we
should get after
THE purpose of my bill is as fair as
the moon. as clear as the sun and it's
effect on drunkenness will be as terrible
as an army with banners. l urge that it
be passed.
Senator Woodard replied to Mr.. Spruili,
saying that he sympathiZed with the
moral sentiment expressed in the Lili.
but that at common law now there was
provision to punish drunkards. He paid
a warm tribute to the high Christian
and moral character of Mr.. Spruitl and
said that high-toned gentleman would
gladly pay fine of $100 if he could rectify
his error after being drunk, and that such
a one was able to pay but to many young
men from the country failure to have
SO after a moment of indiscretion would
mean for the poor fellow the Jail and
the companiOnship of felons. The reason
that prompted the Judiciary committee to
report the bill unfavorably was that the
law now furnished an adequate remedy"
Here Senator McBryde came in. He
proposed that as an amendment that the
fine should apply to the sober profane
swearers as they were worse than drunk
en- men who swore. To this Mr.. Wood
ard replied that there was already such
law and that men had been punished
under it,
Senator Wellborn was on the floor next.
He spoke for the bill and said that while
men might get drunk in their homes it
would keep them from being nuisance.
He declared he had shed tears the
other day when he heard the ladies
pleading for their homes, and then drew
a picture of drunkenness in his own
county Of Ashe, prohibition county,
where he had to fight his way to the
polls through crowds of drunken men.
Senator Lamb said he was for tenn
perance, but did not approve of the bill.
he believed in first putting the tempta.
tion out of the way, and then after
wards In two or four years to punish by
such law as that proposed.
senator Wellborn said he wanted the
ayes and nays on the bill. Senator
"oodard quickly asked why Mr.. Well
oorn was so anxious about the matter