The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-07-17

of h Q a now on this whiskey ques-
ton. With me it is the paramount is
sue. I do not want a crank nor a
fanatic nor a one-idea nan to repre-
sent me in the legislature. but ] do say
my friends that I would rather have
either than a Whiskey jug; and I d.
not propose to support any man for the
general assembly who is afraid of the
whiSkey devil. There is, as I see it,
but one way to accomplish anything
like an enforcement of the Watts law
with refenrece to country diStilleries,
and that is through thorough organiza-
ton There should be a strong central
organization here in Raleigh, with plen-
ty of money to quickly ccomplish the
thorough organization of the whole
state by counties, townships and towns.
This work needs to be don at once,
and we hould not BE- dependent upon
Spasmodic voluntary contributions. How
h money is to be secured will be
pointed out by some one wiser than I,
but it must be had, for now as Of old,
The Master hath need of it," We
must organize outside boundary or our
organization n a in others n still
others until we approach these dark
from all sides, preaching tenn
perance and education and obedience to
law, until aroused public sentiment
shall, in every nook and corner of
North Carolina. brand the law-break-
er as a felon, and Danish him from the
community. Down with drink, up with
the drinker. Our purpose should be to
save men from drink, and to down
drink, the habit, the business, the whole
accursed traffic. Woe is he that put
teth the bottle to his neighbours lips is
old enough for a battle crv We should
extend to the poor victim of the dram
shop the new dispensation Of sympathy
and encouragement and help, and at
the same time do u dead level best to
fill the jails with whiskey makers and
sellers.
Then Senator F. NJ. Simmons was re-
cognized by Chairman London and IN
Vited to address the convention. He ap-
preached the platform amid great APP
plause. 1t was a real ovation.
He said that while he might not be
in sympathy with all the objects of the
association, he did believe in Sobriety.
in morality and temperance. and was
in hearty accord with the purpose to
compel the enforcement of a law that
tended to restrain the liquor traffic.
He spoke of the Watts act as the
measure that was best calculated under
all the existing circumstances to meet
the actual conditions. He believed that
it would pave the Wav for a law later
jill lIldl "ou1u NC II Z VI q Il CllCe
measure better than a more prohibitlve
one would have done.
This measure was not mad law with
the sanction and consent of he liquor
interest in North Carolina. Any man
that says hat the liquor men outside
or inside of North Carolina had any
thing to do with it is a disciple of Ana
and the truth is not in him.
Had it not been for the unshaking of
the temperance forces of the State there
would have been witnessed the Specta-
Gle in the last legislature of a house
divided against itself.
The practical questions were: Can
you enforce it? Will you enforce it? If
the advocates of this measure We're not
mistaken when they said that the ma
jority of the people favored it, then
its enforcement would be easy. If they
were mistaken. we can't enforce it.
There has never been legislation of this
kind since the world began that could
be enforced or could enforce itself I'M
less the sentiment of the people was be-
hind it. But l." said he. do not be-
lieve that you were mistaken"
My friends, I believe in his legisla-
ton. 1 believe it means great things FOR
North Carolina, not only for temper
ance and sobriety, but also for industry
M the material welfare of the whole
State"
He hoped that every mar who wilful-
ly violated it would meet with punish
ment tht was adequate to enforce its
obedience. ADpluse.)
There was no danger, he declared. to
any public man in North Carolina II
coming out boldly in favor of this law.
CApplause.) The only danger was in
the ~cowardly method of keeping still on
the questaion. loud pplause.)
Then Mr.. London SAID he was sure
&ho an,y-nntSar u-N,,11 hn ryancaJ tn -
and hear the gentleman whose name
the bill bears n who did so much To
get the bill passed. The convention
gave Hon. A. D. Watts. of Iredell' a
great ovation as Mr.. London introduced
him.. Mr.. Watts proceeded to tell the
story of the passage of the bill through
the legislature. and the many points of
difference that had been finally settled.
He then went OF to tell nov the bill
operated in the best way to do away
with the country still. His own town
of S~tateSville, the headquarters nee of
the diStiller. had since the passage or
the act one dry by a vote of two to
one. Great a~pplause.)
This law practically meant that there
would be no distlllers in the state, or
at least very few of them.
Mr.. Bailey then suggested that each
county CD
ALAMANCE-J. O.. Atkinson: The
effect is that it makes Alamance prac-
tically prohibition. Practically all the
towns have gone prohibition: but we
did have the past Of the distiller in the
country.
NIGHT SESSION.
When the convention was called 20
order again at 500 o'clock, Mr.. George
P. Pell, of AShe cOuntay. rose and n
nOunced that Ashe county was not out
of it. even though her name a been
called and she a not responded in the
afternoon. He spoke Of the great
amount of liquor that came from
Wilkes county, n said the best thing
this convention could do would be to
stop the whlskey making in Wilkes.
Not that he meant to cast reflections
on the good people OF that county, but
he could not bear to hear the whole
northwestern part of North Carolina
maligned as being the home of the dis
tiller. when the great mass of the peo-
ME of that section were in full accord
with the principles Of this meeting.
A. F. Johnson. of Sampson. said hat
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