The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-04
WATTS BILL WINS
FAVORABLE REPORT
he Vote in Committee Was
Fifteen 10 Four.
THE THREE AMENDMENTS
Do Not Affect Main Purpose of BiIl---Two We're
Written by Gov. Aycock and Restrict
Making Of Wine by
Growers.

0tOWeIS.
The Watts Liquor bill will be reported
favorably to the House.
Such was the vote of the Committee
on Propositions and Grievances yester-
day afternoon after a meeting that lasted
three hours and a half and after many
amendments had been discussed and
several substitutes.
Two amendments offered by Mr.. Watts,
which had been drawn by Governor Ay
cock, were adopted, and one by Mr..
Abel.
The vote on reporting the bill was II
for, and 4 against.
Those voting to report favorably were
Messrs Carlton, Alexander, of Mecklen-
burg; Moore, McRae, Stevenson, Ether
idge, Goode Beasley, Thomas, Cowan,
Hinton, Abel, Curtis. Freeman, of Meek
lenburg, and McNeill
Those voting against reporting favor
ably were Messrs. Morton Woodley, Bry-
an and Carson.
Mr.. Watts amendments add too add
tional sections to the bill. and are as
follows:
"Sec. 6. 1t shall be unlawful for any
person to sell wine manufactured from
fruit grown by himself in quantities less
than five gallons and said wine shall not
be drunk upon the premises where sold.
Any person violating the provisions OF
this section either by selling in quanti-
ties less than five gallons or by drinking
wine on the premises where sold, shall
be guilty Of misdemeanor and punish
able at the discretion of the court.
Sec. I. Any person desiring to sell
wine manufactured from fruit purchased
from others shall before doing so, obtain
license from the commissioners of the
county in which he proposes to sell, and
shall pay therefor such sum as may be
prescribed in the Revenue Act, and said
license shall only be granted to sell in
quantities not less than five gallons and
not to be drunk upon the premises. Any
person violating the provisions of this
section shall be guilty of a msdemeanor
and punishable at the discretion of the
court
The first of these was adopted by
vote of ii to 6, and the second was unani-
mously adopted.
The other amendment, offered by Mr.
Abell and adopted, is as follows:
provided further that this act shall
not be so construed as to apply to bran
dy manufactured from fruit, cider or
wine, raised on the lands of the person
so manufacturing, but the sale of such
brandy is hereby expressly prohibited
That was adopted by vote of Il
to 9.
When the Committee on Propositions
and Grievances met yesterday afternoon
in the Attorney Generals office Mr.
Hinton moved that the committee
proceed to the discussion of the bill No.
5, known as the Watts Bill
Mr.. Watts asked Mr.. Morton to take
the chair and then stated that the bill
had been drawn up by Senator Simmons
and Governor Aycock jointly. and that
the amendments he had proposed regard
ing the sale of wine had been drawn by
Governor AycoCk.
Mr.. Watts then went on to explain that
his bill simply prohibited the country dis
tlleries, which were the greatest curse to
the people of the country districts. The
bill did not disturb the existing condi-
tions in any city or town. Whatever
system they now had would remain.
He then went on to say that these dis
tillers were men who made up their minds
before they went into the business that
they would break the laws; for with the
tax at $110 a gallon, and the selling
price 81 25, with corn at IS to 80 cents, it
was without question that they. violated
the laws of the county. and perjured
themselves at least once a month.
From political standpoint Mr.. Watts
said the political issue was not of their
seeking, but the attorneys who had
bor in ho int of ho
men against the bill had said that to
pass it was to hurt the Democratic par
ty. To controvert this statement he
pointed to all the counties where prohi-
btory measures had been passed, for in
stance Cumberland. Yancey, lredell,
where large Democratic gains had fol-
lowed the establishment of the new sys-
tenn, notwithstanding threats to the con-
trary.
Mr.. Watts further stated that the DEM
ocratic Executive Committee in the last
campaign had been beseiged with letters
and petitions asking the party to pass
some stringent temperance laws, and he
considered that the greatest danger to the
party lay in not passing some such bill
as this.
Mr. Moore of Cumberland, testified to
lne trutn OF What Mr. watts naQ Salu as
far as Cumberland county was concern
ed He told how, two years ago, if it
had been put TO the vote in Cumberland
it could not have passed, and yet during
the last campaign the representatives
now in the House had openly announced
themselves for prohibition or some tenn
perance law. and yet had been elected by
big majorities.
Mr. Morton said that We had reached
great era in the history of the State