The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-29

the man to take it up, and he had done
so, and still was elected.
His experience for two years as mayor
! of Charlotte, had made a prohibitionist
| of him. although he was not when be
was elected. simply a temperance man.
He had been told that the money from
liquor went into the school fund, but he
had found it was not SO. A lie was be-
ing circulated,
Now the liquor men of Charlotte were
Obliged to come like whipped spanicls
before the town authorities
Mr.. Cam Morrison asked why the peo-
pie of Charlotte did not vote out liquor,
if they did not wish it.
Mr.. Mccall: at was never properly
presented to them"
Mr. Morrison: But they could have
done it."
Mr.. Mccall: Eyes. and we want to
vote it out by this London bill" CLOUD
applause).
Mr. Morrison: "But could not the peo-
pie of Charlotte at any time have voted
it out"
Mr.. Watts: 81 want to ask a question.
too. Was not large part of the vote
a few years ago in Charlotte composed
of negroes ?"
Mr.. Mccall: ut was" Applause)
Then he paid his respects to the men
who would stand in the way of this leg
islation. There will not be a greasy
spot left of him" (Appleuse and laugh
teri
AS to saying that we should follow
New York or Massachusetts, he would
say there was more hell to the square
foot in New York than any other city
in this country. We did not propose to
follow any such city as that. We'll
sccede first" daughter and applause)
The people had a right to legislate for
compulsory vaccination to stamp out
smallpox I say, whiskey has killed six
times as many men as smallpox ever
did in all the years of the worlds his
tory.
Senator Brown asked Mr.. Mccall what
effect the restriction in Charlotte had had.
Mr. Mccall answered by saying that a
man had come to him and said the bar
keepers were losing 900 a week, and
he said: 'Well, that is just $1,000 more
each week in the pockets of the poor
devils who drink. He would say that 80
per cent of the cases that came before
him as mayor were traceable to the sa
loon.
Asked about selling liquor in the coun-
try, he said that liquor never had been
sold in the country in Mecklenburg in
the memory of man.
Then Senator Brown asked him how
Mecklenburg compared with other coun-
ties.
He replied that he thought they had
touched high water mark over there in
morality and everything else.
He thought the very part Mr.. Guthrie
specially objected to does the best fea
ture Of it. 1t had been argued that it
was unconstitutional. but that was ar
gued against every bill ever introduced.
Besides, what is the Constitution
among friends, anyhow.
As chairman of the Democratic county
Executive Committee. he was asked if he
feared the bill.
Mr.. Mccall: Fear 1T! Why, I've got
on my war paint and gaffs, and am pre-
pared to fight it out to the last ditch.
Mr. Guthrie asked how it was, if the
feeling in Charlotte was so unanimous
that the people had not had prohibition.
Mr. Mccall replied that he thought he
hdu answered Ihat question SuHlClenJly,
1t was because the people were so domi-
mated by the liquor interest that they
did not believe they could do it, and be-
fore he was elected mayor, no step had
ever been taken.
Mr. Guthrie: And after that, why
didn't they get prohibition"
Mr. Mccall said that no one had seem
ed to have the energy to do it, but they
were ready now to go to any lengths.
The committee then adjourned until
o'clock this afternoon.