The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-05
WATTS BILL UNSATISFACTORY
IN IT'S PRESENT SHAPE.

~ IiAC ne w aus biAi GO ~
passed the House committee yesterday
afternoon will not satisfy the !eXpecta-
lions OF the advocates of temperance re-
form. Indeed, it has but little in 1T TO
commend to temperance people as pelns
any great improvement over the pres
ent laws Here are two or three tea-
lures in which it is especially lame.
First. 1t restricts the sale and manu-
facture of liquor to unincorporated towns,
but does not designate the number of in
habitants Of the towns. Any little
cross-road country place with fifty In
habitants can become incorporated in or
der to evade the law. 1 think L know
dozens of little country places winch
would take advantage of this provision
OF the law. The police regulations IN
such places amount to nothing, and hence
it would be better to leave the stills out
in the bushes than to bring them where
there are a few more people who would
have no protection.
No whiskey still should be allowed Qf
they are to be allowed) in places with
less than 500 inhabitants. Any one VINO
stops for a moment to consider can see
how very lame this provision is and how
easily it can be made non effective.
Another disappointing feature in the
Watts bill is that it makes no proVis-
ion for elections to be held for local OPP
ton or for dispensary instead of sa-
looms Under the present state or af-
fairs it is very difficult for community
to get an election for a dispensary.
Every community ought to have right
to hold an election when it chooses to
do so on prohibition or dispensary. I'm
der the present law, elections on local
option must be held in May, and it is
almost impossible to keep the question
out of politics.
If our lawmakers are so much con-
cerned about giving the people right to
express themselves, why deny them this
reasonable request? If the Watts bill
should become law just as it passed the
House committee yesterday afternoon, it
will be regarded by thousands of the
best people of the State as mere sop
thrown to the temperance element with
very little to be feared from it by the
whiskey people. The people of North
Carolina are tremendously aroused and
terribly in earnest about this matter and
will not be satisfied at a mere makeshift.
They demand and have a right to expect
temperance legislation which amounts to
something.
Please permit me before closing to
congratulate you on the very manly stand
you have taken on this great moral ques-
ton You deserve the lasting gratitude
OF all friends of temperance and moral
ity, and l feel sure that the noble fight
YOU are making will not be soon forgot
ten.
LIVINGSTON JOHNSON.
We agree with Mr. Johnson that if the
Watts bill should be the only temper
ance legislation enacted by this General
Assembly, it would not meet the just
and proper demands of the temperance
people of the State. They are tremend-
ously aroused and are terribly in earnest
and will be satisfied with nothing short
of most of the features of the London
bill, in addition to the Watts bill,
The Watts bill however. is not a
mere sop thrown at the temperance
element" If it is amended to exclude
saloon and stills from towns having
population OF 300 and 500 respectively
1--WE would prefer 500 and 1,OOO) 1T will
be an act of far reaching Importance
and of tremendous influence in the fight
against the whiskey evil. The mud-sill
of temperance reform is to cut UP the
stills and country saloons by the roots
That is one of the most important sections
of the London bill as it is the only por-
ton of the liquor problem that the Watts
bill touches The temperance people, if
IL is amended as suggested, favor the
Watts bill as one step, but they would
not regard it as at all meeting the de-
mand if it should pass unless there should
follow the material provisions Of the
London bill.
1t is as important that the anti-jug
law and the dispensary provision of the
London bill should become law, if the
voice of the people is to be needed, as
that the country stills and saloons are
to be torn up by the roots.
We are in hearty accord with the sug-
gestions in Mr.. Johnson's communiea-
ton and have all along been personally
i'll favor Of framing one law, taking the
best features of the Watts, the London,
the Smith, the Justice and other bills
and framing one temperance act that
would give effective reform legislation.
However, we have been inclined not to
press that view against the opinion Of
leaders of the temperance legislation, if
they should think it wisest to press
three separate measures instead of in
cooperating them into one, provided that
course will surely be followed by bills
giving the legislation suggested by Mr..
Johnson.
We expected that the Watts bill would
pass the House this week and then go
into conference where a bill embodying
the best features of all the bills could
be shaped-one that would meet the rea-
sonable demand of the great majority
of the people of North Carolina. MT.
Watts expected early consideration. The
House made it a special order for InurS-