The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-04-17
VICTORY IN DEFEAT.

The struggle has been a long ana
a hard one; and the end is not yet
Through the protecting care OF the
Governor and the kindly aid OF the
legislature, the saloons of Columbia
have been given another two years
lease on life "a mere reprieve as 1t
were from that humiliation that an
outraged public sentiment has in
wait for them.
Neither Colu bia nor the temper
ance cause have lost anything by
this memorable fight They have
won by it. They nave challenged
the admiration of the state for their
brave struggle to rid themselves Of
the curse Of the liquor traffic; and be-
cause their efforts were thwarted by
a too timid Governor and a state
Senate dominated by mean, not to say
mercenary, motives, is no discredlt to
their cause, nor any reason for dls-
co lragement.
We hope our zeal may not get the
better of our Judgment and blind us to
all impartial view of the acts of
others. We trust we may not impugn
wrong motives to any man, or cast
false imputations upon the character
of any. But report from the firing
line seems to be in order, and we
shall tell what we know and give
our opinion for what it Is worth.
Governor Frazier went into office
upon smooth sea and began his
administration upon calm waters.
The people had spoken upon certain
questions, and the Governor was
willing to follow their lead. But when
the Columbia Dlspensary bill came up
to him, that was new question, and
a big one, and a burning one, and a
disturbing one, and the Governor
rather than to grapple with 1t, dis
missed it with his veto. He did not
want it as disturbing issue in party
politics. He said so. He made the
mistake of trying to settle moral
question upon political grounds. He
violated the plain letter of his platform.
which declared specifically for local
self government aud shamedthe ira di-
lions Of his party, and made pre-
cedent hurttul to the cause OF temper
ance, rather than to permit an expert
ment by single community. prayed
for by that community, because, per
adventure, that experiment might
disturb tho tranquility of his admins
trat,on. TO avoid a contingency he
denied to Columbia sacred right.
The opportunity was his to press on
ward but instead he stopped and called
a halt on the Legislature by sendl ng
In a veto on a local temperance DILL
and the significant fact is that there
has been no temperance legislatl on
since. Whether he intended IL or not,
the legislature seemed to take 1t as d
hint and since then the no screen law,
the lug law ana the blind tiger law
have died the death and the CONNIE
talk around the Capitol for weeks has
been that the administration thought
temperance legislation had gone far
enough.
The legislature at the dawn Of the
wear assembled in Nashville, and fresf
from the people was strong for tenn
perance. But the pestilential air o.
the city is upon them; the confidence
men of the liquor traffic have so cozenet
them of their virtue and seduced then
Of their manhood, that some of them
and not a few, stand discredited befor'
their fellows, and will return to thei
constituents with blasted hopes ant
wrecked and ruined characters.
One Of the best known men in tn
State; man ripe in years and expo
fence. and one whom the people hav
delighted to honor, said yesterday to tn
writer of this article, ''learn to take de
feat philosophically, as l have done
But what breaks my heart is to see 8
much corruption and so little true man
hood among public men in Tennessee
So few who can hold office and not b
corrupted. So many who come her
simple and we'll meaning; but go ava
d,bauched by mean whiskey and bough
with a price. II the people at HON
only knew and would send strong me-
to represent them"
Not all the men who vote against ten