The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-02-24

Committee. But when the good OF the
party and the rights of the people were
concerned, he was compelled TO 20 by
the dictates Of his own conscience.
If this bill did pass. he would enter
upon the Journal OF this House his pro-
test against the disfTanchisement Of a
large class of the people, and this dis
c~riminstion against the horny-handed
; sons of toll.
IS a moral issue, the bill was a con-
tradiction. Where was the moral side
OF a bill that permitted brandy and wine
10 be made ard sold. and not whiskey.
This bill opens a door by which you may
have ba--rooms under the name OF drug
stores. For who ever heard Of a drug
store in the country. as things are now?
The crime and lawlessness that would
result would be worse than the present
condition.
We mad no right TO confscate the prop
erty Of the distillers in the western coun-
Mr.. Morton declared himself in favor
Of the amendment of the gentleman from
Gates. to put the word county also,
wherever town was used.
Mr.. Watts had said that if We were
to vote for that amendment, we would
have simply marched up the bill and
marched down again. But if this was
to be tho result, then the amendment
ought to fail.
We should not let tho chairman of the
Executive Committee dictate measures
and force them upon the people with
out their consent.
Mr.. WILLIS.
Mr.. Willis. Of Bladen. said he felt il
his duty to define his position on a mat
ter of SO much weight. He had listened
TO the gentlemen expressing different
views. Some had said they should
"pizen' the town people and not the
! country people Others said they ought
to ''pizen" The country people and the
town people both. Still others SAID they
should '.pizen" only the town people
when they could get as many as 800 in
a cOvey. He was was tAat kind Of a
temperance man who believed thar YOU
might as We'll kill a man with gunpow-
Ger or dynamite as with whiskey.
But the kind of a bill that he wantcd
North Carolina was not ready for yet.
But VIC should vote for the measure that
best met the needs of the hour, and
that gave US as much prohibition IS we
could get. That was the Watts bill. and
he should support it with all his heart.
MR.. HAMILTON.
Mr.. Hamilton, of Cabarrus, then spoke
for the country people. He was one, he
said, and he mad heard a great deal of
~eloquence expended upon them in this
House. 1t had been called discrimina-
ton against the country people. If it
was, it was the kind of discrimination
they wanted. He would support the
Watts bill.
MR.. RUCKER.
Then Mr.. tucker, of Rutherford. said
tfat the constituents Of the members
We're demanding a temperance bill and
they must give it to them. He posi-
lively denied that it would hurt the
Democratic party. 1t was a measure for
the best good of the people, and if it
vas for the good Of the people, it must
be for the interest of the part. 1t was
true, he wished there was a stronger
measure to vote for. But the Watts bill
was the best they had, and he hoped it
would pass.
DR.. GOODE
DR.. Goode, of Cleveland, said that he
must speak and define his position in this
matter, as it had grown within him since
his boyhood. And all the %eloquence that
could be uttered could not draw him from
that position. His position was that he
would support any measure that would
help to drive from his county the aw-
full curse that was debauching his peo-
pie.
Those petitions that had come up here
cid not sound like they came from, men
who were going to be disfranchised No,
the people of the country districts mere
ly wished this Legislature TO relieve
| them of what was a vast undertaking
the voting down of the liquor traffic,
with money coming from Kentucky, from
Tennessee and from all over the coun-
try.
He did not especially want the Watts
bill. but it was the best they could
set.
MR.. MORRIS, OF POLK.
Mr.. Morris, of Polk, said he was here
representing a county that had been
Democratic since 1876, a county that
was full of distilleries, a county whose
residents could have a pipe run out their
houses and turn {. faucet to draw Wills
key or brandy, if they wished it.
He had been elected on a prohibition
platform, and he had told his people he
should raise his voice for any measure
that would help to drive liquor from the
western counties. They had helped the
- dIiNt u tht 8 AIAbbu9. "
let the people of the East help to vote
down the awful curse in the West.
The Watts bill was not all he wanted.
but it was the best we could get, and
we ought to vote for it.
GEN BRYAN.
Gen. Bryan said that Mr.. Morris must
have a very dry county. He was re-
liably informed that there were just
four distllleries in Polk county, and yet
the gentleman had said there was a still
on every branch and in every hollow. SO
it must be 2 very dry county. He knew
the gentleman was young. and he sup
posed he was Il little excited, and car
ried ava with enthusiasm.
Mr.. Morris: do you know how MANY
blockade stills there are in Polk coun-
ty?"
Gen. Pegram: mo, | do not. I.au-'
ter.) But Polk. if it was sold out. would
lot be rich enough to support a still on
every branch and in every hollow. For
the county is nothing but branches.
ridges and hollows."
Then Gen. Bryan asked the Demo