The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-03-12
OURRALEIGHLETTER
POLITICAL AND OTHER NEWS FROM
THE STATE CAPITAL.
Adjournment Of the Leglslature-The
Watts Law of Not Much Force From
Temperance Standpoint-The Bill
Compelling Saloons to Close at 8
p. n. Killed In the Senate-Raleigh
to Have Street Fair and Carnival.

RALEIGH, n. c., March 9, 1908.
By the time these lines are read the
General Assembly of 1903 will be thing
OF the past.
It's closing hours were marked by
active hard work-and dead loads" of
it vas accomplished The Legislature
was practically in continuous session
during the last three or four days, ad-
iourning only for meals and completing
the days work at late hour, keeping
both branches in session until midnight
and after.
While this Legislature on the whole
was an ''eminently respectable one with
a number of decidedly able men in both
branches, and was "abOve the average
especially if we include the recent Pop
ulist Legislatures and those which in
years agone were controlled by the Re
publicans- the number of "big men
was comparatively small.
In the Senate, for instance, after except
ing about half dozen gentlemen of real
ability and valuable experience in public
affairs, the average Senator was not up
to the standard in North Carolina, and
did not compare favorably with the one
of two years ago especially, Indeed
some of the men who occupied Senatori-
al seats ought never to have been sent
| here
The writer has been reporting the Leg
islature for many years, and is in posi-
! ton to speak intelligently on this sub
ject. But shall not hurt any ones feel
ing; even by inference, to any individual.
AS usual the work of the session was
directed by the leading spirits-and it
speaks for itself. The liquor question
has not been agitated SO much in gen
GRAFTON as during the last two months
and the ''liquor devil made his presence
felt even unto the last expiring breath OF
this Legislature.
The most effective piece of real temper
ance legislation was the passage in the
House last Friday of the bill to compel
all licensed saloons all over the State to
close business at 8 o'clock p. m.
1t is the night drinking and treating
in saloons that starts the appetite in
ninety per cent. of the young men OF the
South, and it is responsible for ninety
nine per cent of the debauches and pro
tracted sprees'' INDUCED in by men OF
maturer years 1t is the starting point
| of the downward course that leads to
wrecked constitutions, financial and
moral poverty, the ''jim-jams' and to
noll-Ou edrUu anu hereafter.
Not much from a temperance stand
point is expected from the Watts law
or rather, the Simmons-A ycOck law-ex-
cept in the country and unincOrpOrated
villages, and the stronghold of the sa-
loon has never been there But it will
turn the distilleries from the country to
the towns, and if one ne-hundredth
part of what some people said is true
the country is to be congratulated on
that, at least, and the cities and towns
correspondingly pitied.
But politics always plays the most i'm
portant and winning part IN these fights,
and in this case there wac no exception
to the rule. So, the Senate referred the
8 o'clock closing saloon bill of the House
to the judiciary Committee, instead OF
acting on it directly as it had done in the
closing days on other measures of mo-
ment This action settled it's fate, and
the 8 o'clock saloon bill did not pass the
Senate, as many hoped it would.
After all-leaving out the moral and
spiritual effects of the proposition-it is
a question whether it would have been
wise, from political standpoint, for
any party to take so radical a step at
once.
Some sensible men say it would have
split the Democratic party wide open.
Not that the saloon men could do this,
but because a considerable percentage
of the voters oppose such legislation.
An attempt was made to incorporate
number of little villages during the
closing hours, but only a few succeeded
in getting through The object was to
continue distilleries or establish new
ones therein.
1t is understood, on the strength of ad-
vices received here from Washington,
that Sam Wick, the negro postmaster of
Wilson, will walk the plank this week
and that DR.. B. T. Person will be APP
pointed to succeed him.
Raleigh is to have great Street Fair
and Carnival in May, lasting one week,
under the auspices of the Knights OF
Pythias.
An appropriation of $50, 900 Ito come
from the surplus fund of the Agricultu-
raj Department. has been made for the
erection of an agricultural building at
the A. & NJ College.