The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-17
ITWOULD ACCOMPLISH NOTHING
AT ALL,

deeply aroused upon the subject Of adj
vanced and effective temperance legisla-
ton than some legislators suppose. They
have asked this General Assembly to es-
tablish State policy that will be far in
advance of the former local
option statutes that are found in the
Code. They have backel up
this request by the petition of hum
dreds and thousands of the best people
of North Carolina. They have shown that
they have behind them the strongest
petitions that have been seen in the halls
of the Legislature during this generation.
More than that: they have demonstrated in
one of the most remarkable assemblages
ever seen in the Senate chamber that the
movement is backed by many of the fore
most men of this Commonwealth: Thor
petitions, their arguments, their reasons,
their requests have been made in an earn
been unaccompanied by threats or i'm
pugning of mems motives. They have as
sumed that the members of the Legisla,
ture are the servants of all the people
and wished to know their will. They have
not asked them to be influenced by even
the highest sentiment-an influence which
no good man can afford wholly to ignore
but have asked them only to respond to
the earnest demand of the people OF
North Carolina.
. And what reply is proposed to be made
to this uprising of the people by some
legislators? They propose to submit the
question of prohibition in one shape or
another to the people of any
county who wish to vote upon it. In
other words, they propose to pass a
bill that gives nothing at all except what
the people have enjoyed for thirty years
the right of each locality to vote on
the question of prohibition if they desire
to do so. 1t is, indeed, proposed by some
to make some changes in the local option
provision, but they are not much, if any
improvement upon the present local OPP
ton statute.
Was it to continue the whole question
as local question that the people have
because aroused? The passage of any
bill. remitting the question back to the
voters of any particular locality, is to
give a stone when the people have asked
for bread.
The time has come when the liquor
question is more than a local question
when the Legislature should announce and
enforce a State policy with reference to
it. From time to time by the incor-
poration of churches and by legislative
enactment prohibition territory has been
enlarged until in the greater portion
of the State no liquor is permitted to be
sold. All this territory has been put
under prohibitory laws without submit
ting the matter to a vote of the people
They have. petitioned their representa-
tives and they have secured legislation
Only in the county Of Cumberland did
the people vote, and the General Assem-
bly, passed a prohibition law without a
solitary petition, and the election was
held there one and a half years after
prohibition had been in force through
Iaoic1atiI-n IF tho plpptinD
had been held in Cumberland, with stills
running night and day and bar-rooms
wide open, both debauching the people
it may be we'll doubted if there could
have been. en- appeal to the sober judg-
merit OF the voters.
The great mass of petitions to this
General Assembly are for positive, adj
vanced, effective temperance Statewide
legislation. To pass a law of any char
acter and make it's going into effect de-
pendent upon the vote of the people o.
any community desiring it is to deny the
relief desired by the petitioners. 1t is
to give them nothing. 1t is to say:
For thirty years you have had all the
legislation that is needed. The men who
have signed these petitions are familiar
with the provisions of the Code. If the
advanced temperance public sentiment
was satisfied with that, why have they
held meetings all over the State? Why
have petitions poured in upon the legis-
lators?
1t is the part of the highest wisdom
for this Legislature to enact temperance
legislation that will mark new era in
the moral progress OF North Carolina,
and to enact it without resort to the
referendum. The people are ready foI
such legislation. They have asked it
They expect it. They will approve it
They have not asked the Legislators to
throw the matter back upon them by put
ting the referendum in force but to take
the responsibility of doing the right thing
to do the duty of the hour and leave the
consequences to take care of themselves.