The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-19

| Graham: To establish dlSpensafy IN
! the town of oxford.
PASSED FINAL READING.
Senate Bill. to incorporate the North
: Carolina Mining, Manufacturing and De-
velopment Company.
senate Bill to amend the charter Of
the city of Asheville' as regards the
distribution of the school fund.
House Bill, to allow the County Com
miss.oners of Arson to levy special
! tax
House Bill. to amend the charter of the
! city of Wilmington, as regards the time
| of holding elections.
| Senate Bill, to authorize the town Of
| Greenville to issue bonds
On motion of Mr.. King, the bills intro
duced by himself and Mr.. Stubs to
amend tho Constitution in regard to the
school fund. were ordered printed and
made the special order for Friday at y
o'clock
House Bill. to amend charter Of the
town of Old Fort.
House Bill to allow the County Com
mssioncrs of Watauga county to levy
special tax.
House Bill, to establish a graded school
in Fremont.
House Bill, to authorize the County
| Commissioners of Yancey to levy spe-
cial tax to pay indebtedness.
House Bill, to fund the bonded indebt
| edness Of Coddle Creek township, Ircdell
county.
House Bill, to allow the town COM
missioners of Elizabeth City to issue
bonds.
House Bill, to authorize commissioners
of Hamlet to issue bonds for public
school purposes.
House Bill, to change time of holding
spring term of Ashe county Superior
Court.
House Bill, to incorporate the Citizens
Savings and Trust Company of Raleigh.
House Bill, relating to the stock law
in Chatham county.
House Bill, to provide for the election
of county school superintendent in
Brunswick county by the people.
House Bill, to incorporate the town of
Fountain, in Pitt county.
House Bill, to incorporate the town of
Lawndale, Cleveland county.
House Bill, to authorize a special tax
in LenOir county.
House Bill, to authorize a special tax
in Onsow county.
MR.. MORPHEW.
Then the Watts bill was once more laid
before the House, and Messrs. Benbow
and Grant gave notice of amendments,
after which Mr.. Morphew, of Graham,
arose and said that one thing had
struck him forcibly in connection with
this discussion, and that was that every
gentleman that had spoken seemed to
claim thot ha was a better temperance
man than any one else on the floor, but
yet none of the bills seemed to suit him
exactly. He thought they ought to be
willing to vote for the best bill they
could get
He then addressed himself to the Lon
don hU which he had said he would
offer as a substitute. Every man that
could conscientiously support the Watts
bill could still more conscientiously vote
for the London bill.
The Watts bill aimed to drive liquor
from the unprotected districts But the
London bill stipulated the size of the
towns, so that only those that had proper
police protection could have liquor.
Moreover the London bill gave the
hope of getting rid of liquor in the towns
themselves.
As a piece of temperance legislation
the Watts bill was an utter failure. 1t
did not meet the requirements of the
people at all
AS matter of fact, the rural districts
we had heard so much about were the
most peacable parts of the State. There
fon mn nA Nv
drink in the towns as in the country. Ten
times as many men were killed by liquor
in the towns.
The London bill was the only bill that
really answered the demands of the
people If this House is really in earnest
for temperance, it can not pass the Watts
bill when it has the chance to pass the
London bill
1t was said that the time was not ripe
for it. Suppose you were about to kill
venomous serpent, and some one were
to tell you that the time was not ripe to
Kill it, but to wait until its poison had
entered into some more of your people
As to the argument that it would bring
discord into the Democratic party, he
believed there was more danger to the
Democratic party in opposing the meas
ure than in voting for it. il we did not
strike, the enemy would. If the Demo
cratic party ever does sink so low in
crime, then l say, let her sink. The
Democratic party would not be injured
by taking up the battle for the cause of
the people.
This was the first time he had ever
heard that there was any provision in
the Constitution to allow the people to
vote upon every question. 1t was cow
ardly to leave this whole thing to the
people to decide and dodge it ourselves.
The people already have the right to
vote on this question. They are asking
for something else now.
Mr. Smith asked why he favored the
London bill leaving it to a vote of the
people in the towns
Mr.. Morphew admitted that the people
of the country districts were better
qualified to vote on this question thar
the town people and in that respect be
thought MIR. Smiths bill a good one.
.