The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-07-10
STATE ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE.
Large Gathering of DeIerates Mt Rail
Observation-Disclosures Perfected md
Speeches ny Prominent Leaders i'm
the Movement.
CSpecial to The Messenger.l

Antl-Saloon League convention was
ton, of Raleigh, who made the speech of
welcome. There were present PSI dele
gates, representing all parts of the
state. Many more arrived this after
noon.
Henry Page, Of Aberdeen. was made
convention duly organized and J. w.
Bailey, chairman of the campaign COM
mittee of the State Antl-Saloon League,
made the opening speech, declaring
that the prohibition spirit was now at
it's height in North Carolina He
severely a%rraigned the liquor traffic in
this state.
Henry A. London. of Pittsboro. state
senator. was elected permanent chair
man and was introduced by Rev. L. L.
Nash.
John A. Oates, of Fayetteville, was
elected secretary.
I. S. Senator Simmons made a stir
ring speech, in which HI spoke of the
Watts bill, of which he is one of the
authors, as the greatest temperance
measure his state has ever known.
Representative A. D. Watts. intro
Queer of that bill. also spoke.
Roll of counties was called and rep
reSentatlveS from each made a report
as to the status Of things and temper
ance conditions.
Revs. c. D. Graves. Of Wadesboro
and Jasper MaSSee, pastor of the Raj
elgh Baptist Tabernacle church, spoke
on the plan of the anti-saloon campaign
in Ohio.
Raleigh, N. c.. July THE following
We're elected vice-president representing
each congressional district: w. NJ.
Hinton. w. A. Dunn. ]. NJ. Faison. w.
C. Douglass, Geo. w. Watts, S. McIn-
tyre, w. ]. Terrell. w. H. Burton,
Heriot Clarkson. J. H. Tucker.
The following We're elected as central
7. N. Ivey. j. A. Oates, T. c. Blair,
"A. j. McKelway, J. O. Atkinson. ]. w.
Bailey, j. 7. Johnson. w. H. Sprunt.
The afternoon and evening sessions
were we'll attended and the interest and
enthusiasm increased.
Senator Simmons speech was heartily
a%pplauded and was a ringing one. He
had previously sent a special commune
cation through J. William Bailey to the
convention, urging it to adopt a reso-
luton. calling on the judges in North
Carolina to charge the grand jurieS as
to the Importance of giving attention
to any violation of state anti-liquor
laws.
A. D. Watts speech was we'll receiv-
ed.
Henry A. Page made a stirring speech
on whiskey distiller1es and how to en-
force the law against them. It was
III from county reports that so coun-
ties were represented and the reports
were hopeful. in fact enthusiastic,
showing how widespread his great
movement is.
w lala%o % Job woo roosnl,, ,,nn,
the following resolutions. which were
reported by Q. K. Nimocks for the com
mittee on law enforcement:
That we appreciate the bold n
manly fight made by the friends of tenn
perance in the last legislature and we
are grateful to them and to Mr.. Watts
for the enactment of the bill which
bears his name. We believe h a what
eve Improvement is to be made in u
present temperance laws will be deter
mined largely by the effectiveness with
which the Watts law is enforced for
the next IS months, therefore we call
upon advocates of temperance through
out the state to avail themselves of the
provisions of the Watts law and to pro
for a strict enforcement Of the
same in every section. By s doing, we
believe conditions will be ripe for graft
ing upon our present temperance laws,
features of the London bill. for which
We contended unsuccessfully before the
last legislature. We believe the prin-
ciples of the London bill to be just. rea-
sonable and practical and their ulti-
mate enactment into law should be the
goal of temperance agitations and eff
fort" S.a
Thus the convention approved of the
Watts bill and set the London bill as
its aim,
J.. William Bailey made a speech in
which he said there was danger of this
convention looking forward to the leg
islature to do work which the I'VE
ton itself ought to do: that he would
rather go into the fight the burden Of
proof on the hands of the Anti-SaloOn
League han IN the hands of saloon
keepers. He wanted a harG fight and
declared easy victories were resultless
ones. that Il time has now come to
strike a blow which will end the liquor
traffic.
a declaration of principles or a plat
form was Their submitted by a commit
tee. composed of James H. Pou. J. A
Hartness, Robert n. Simms. Heriot
Clarkson. n. j. Terrell, c. D. Graves.
j. c. Blackwell, ]. A. Smith. Robert
Rlggsbee, Henry A. Page, and @. K.
Nimocks.
Rev. A. J. McKelway made a vigor-
Gus speech in which he declared that
men who control the saloon vote are
the men controlled by the saloon vote"
This was loudly ~applauded.
The declaration of principles Of the
North Carolina A~nti-Saloon League as
adopted, is as follows:
The North Carolina Anti-Saloon
League is an independent body. main
tanning friendly relations with similar
associations in other states. but entire
ly independent in it's acts. and it is non
partisan in character. It's purpose is
the abolition of LIQUOR saloons and dis
tilleries by all proDer means, the crea-
ton and chrystallzation Of a righteous
public sentiment and the proper en-
forcement of all laws against the liquor
traffic.
1t favors the firm and just enforce
ment of the Watts law and it earnest
~ eGuest future legislatures not to in
corporate small towns with privilege OF
licensing distillerieS or saloons. 1t calls
attention Of boards Of commissioners OF
counties and towns in the state to the
danger Of Whiskev distillerieS and rectl-
flying establishments. now forbidden to
operate in the country. removing to in
~corporated towns. Thu should be pre-
vented