The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-25

| Nowhere in this country, exceut in
a few Southern States, do the peo-
| pie permit stills to dot 1he hill
sides and saloons to ply their de-
moralizing business away from
police surveillance. 1t is in no sense
undemocratic to put an end to
these crying evils at once. In so
doing, the mandate of nine-tenths
of the people living in the rural
districts will be obeyed. Decencv
demands driving the stills and sa-
looms away from the country
where, without police protection.
they are prolific source of de-
bauchery and corruption.
Some of the whiskey attorneys,
who have assumed the guardian
ship of the Democratic party, need
to be reminded that there are party
leaders, getting no fees from whis-
key men, quite as deeply concerned
for the success of the party as they
are. and fully as competent to guide
it's policy, who are more disinter-
ested. These leaders see that the
duty of the party is to hear and
heed the command given to Moses:
THAT they go forward" Standing
still and refusing to enact wise
legislation for the good of the peO-
II Anr IN
the Democratic party than en-
acting progressive temperance
legislation. These leaders be-
lieve the principle of forbid
ding stills and saloons to be
conducted away from police pro-
lection is a sound one. They be-
ieve that the people wish legis1a-
ton to close them up. They stand
upon firm ground in favoring such
legislation. Threats of deserving
the party by extreme prohibitions
lists or extreme anti-prohibitionists
will not affect the pending 1egis-
1atiOn. The wisest men in the
Legislature will, from all the bills
introduced, frame one that will
meet the need and demand of the
hour. 1t will be enacted. Some
distillery men, some saloon keep
ers, some extreme prohibition men
may oppose it and they may leave
the party because the legislation is
regarded by them as too drastic OF
not drastic enough. But the bulk
of the people of the State, who
wish positive legislation against
the liquor evil, will accept a con-
servative measure that gives the
promise of better things, as the
people may be educated to demand
! tlem.
Does anybody suppose that the
Governor of the State, the Chair
man of the State Democratic Exc
cutive Committee, and the member
of the National Democratic Execu-
tive Committee and other party
leaders are less DESTROYS of prcmot-
, ing Democratic success than attor-
neys of the whiskey men? The diff
: ference is this: these men who
have been elevated to party leader
ship wish the Democratic party to
{ be responsive to every demand OF
the people that makes fog progress,
for virtue, for good citizenship.
\ Irn IN IL
! parture might hurt the party and
might cause a reaction in the pro
gress of real temperance reform.
Therefore, they stand FOR a conser-
vatively progressive bill-one that
| goes very far toward SURPRISING
the gravest evils in the liquor BUSH
| it is wise to go further at this time
than outlined in the five sugges-
tions above epitomized. With
that legislation, the way is then
open for every town and city in
the State to regulate the liquor
| business IS it sees ft--either by
pGOAAbAbAOA1 ASpCASaIyy OF n1Eh IA
cense, without the danger of hav-
ing the country stills and saloons
wide open to nullify their regula-
tiOns and restrictions.
We have emphasized the political
argument against the pending leg-
islation because it is the only ar
gument advanced against it. This
paper IS in favor of effective
temperance legislation because it
is demanded from the highest NOR
al considerations. If such Iegisla-
ton drives the distillcrs and sa-
loon-keepers and their friends out
of the Democratic party, we say as
Horace Greely said about the
Southern sisters: Let them go in
peace IF the price OF their sup
port is to continue the stream of
evil that goes out from thor, then