The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-09

ISORGANIzED
HE Great Temperance Convention Fulfils its
Purpose Grandly. Nearly $4,000
is Raised.

say that the Watts BILL so-called, is a
perfect measure, nor do | mean to say
that it is as the idealist demands or -all
the practical temperance advocates may
wish, but you must remember that legis-
lation appropriate to an ideal condition
of men or society will ordinarily prove
inappropriate to Inc conditions in which
we generany finds both men and society,
and hence the practical legislator must
predicate his action not upon ideal con
ditions, not upon the assumed existence
of such conditions as he would IKE to
see obtain, but upon conditions he act
ually finds surrounding the people to
whom his legislation is to apply Tried
by this test / believe the Watts bill fits
the situation in North Carolina
There is one thing about this anti
liquor legislation which / especially want
to call the attention of this convention
1t is this, the Watts bill is not law in
North Carolina to-day with the sanction
and consent of any liquor infiuence-thc
man who say that liquor interest inside
or outside of this State had any influence
directly or indirectly approximately or
remotely, in bringing about that legis-
lation--is deciple of Ananias and the
truth is not in him: nor is this law to-
day because of the championship of any
one faction or wind or shade of temper
ance thought in North Carolina. but it is
the law because the representatives of
every shade of temperance opinion in and
outside of the legislature, without regard
to their differing views as to details and
methods had the sense when the crit
cal moment came to pool their issues
and put the united temperance strength
of the State behind this BILL
But Tor these concessions and this
marshaling of the temperance host the
Watts bill would not now be the law of
the land and temperance legislation in
the last legislature would have suffered
the fate of a house divided against itself
The Watts bill is therefore not a meas
ure of doubtful parentage-it is the dict
and legitimate offspring of the temper
ance thought and sentiment of I.nls State
organized into a practical work body
intent upon the accomplishment of re-
suits ratner than the exploitation of
theories
Nov you have got this law--what are
you going to do with it? You answer, we
are going to enforce it, But can you en-
force it,; that is the practical question.
Letme tell you if the friends of temperance
were not mistaken when they told the
members of the last General Assembly
that the people were overwhelmingly for
it-that they were ripe for it ....
you can enforce-if those statements
were correct it will be easy to enforce
it-jndeed it will almost enforce itself.
But if they were mistaken in those state
ments, if the people are not ripe for it and
if in that contingency the frienus of
temperance do not speedily get to work
and get them ripe for it you cannot
enforce it and the efforts of sheriffs, solic-
itors, judges and juries, however siren
uous, can't save it from inglorious fail
ure, for no law like this can be efficiently
and effectively enforced so as to become
vital force and accomplish its mission if
the people are against it.
For myself. believe-yes, have no
doubt about it-that the people are hearth
~ and earnestly behind it and that they
intend TO make it their business to see
that it is obeyed and observed, but let
US make sure of it by putting every pos
sible influence and agency we can COM
mand on the alert and at work, encour-
aging, inspiring, backing and supporting
those whose business it is to find and
bring to justice those who violate its pro-
vision and by agitation, discussion and
persuasion bring into active cooperation
IN its defense all of its friends and win
over to its support as many as possible
of those who now doubt or oppose. After
all done said, suppose this law fails of
effective observance or enforcement what
then? Suppose after it has had ample
time to prove itself the result, as its
enemies predicted, shall be simply the sub
stituttion Of the blind tiger for the Ii
censed bar room--of the moonshine for
the government distillery, of lawless and
unregulated for legahzed traffic in liquor
Is it not plain that you will have
not only done no good, but positive harm.
In this lamentable but most remote CON
tingency / tell you that the cause of