The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-21
Thursday Nights Session.

Thursday Nights Session.
After the passage of several local bills,
which will be found below, Mr.. Morton
obtained the floor, and said that the
House had supposedly adjourned in the
morning in order that a compromise
might be effected to meet the views of
the different members Those gentlemen
who were standing for the right of the
country people to vote upon this ques-
tion were ready to accept Il bill giving
prohibition to the country people, pro-
yided they be given the same privilege
Of voting as the people in the towns.
In other words they were willing to put
the burden upon the applicant for Ii
cense TO run a dstillery or bar-room.
But in the afternoon the advocates
of the Watts bill had concluded to let
the bill pass or fail just as it stood He
for one was ready to stand or fall by
that issue.
Then Mr. Morton declared that to pass
the bill, DISTINGUISHING the people Of the
country, would be to pass measure that
could not be defended upon the stump
They had promised the voters of the
State that they were not to be dis
franchsod.
1t panied him very much not to be able
to agree with the Governor ana the
chairman of the Democratic Executive
Committee. But when the good of the
party and the rights of the people We're
concerned, he was compelled to go 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 disfranchisement of a
| large class of the people, and this dis
| crimin4tion 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
to be made and sold. and not Whiskey.
/ This bill opens a door by which you may
have bar-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 had no right to connscate the prop
| erty of the distillers in the western coun-
| ty.
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 the result, then the amendment
| ought to fail
| We should not let the chairman of the
Executive Committee dictate measures
and force them upon the people with
out their consent.
MR.. WILLIS.
Mr. Willis. of BladeD. said he felt il
his duty to define mis- 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 500 in
covey. He was was that kind of a
| temperance man who believed that yo'
might as well kill a man with gunpow-
der or dynamite as with whiskey.
But the kind of bill that he wanted
| North Carolina was not ready fer yet
But we should vote for the measure the
best met the needs of the hour, and
that gave US as much prohibition as we
| could get That was the Watts bill, and
he should support it with all his heart.
MIR. HAMILTON.
| Mr.. Hamilton. of Cabarrus. then spoke
for the country people. He was one he
| said, and he had heard great deal Of
| eloquence expended upon them in this
| House. 1t had been called diserimina-
| 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.. Rucker, of Rutherford, said
| trat the constituents Of the members
were demanding a temperance Dill and
! they must give it to them lie posi-
| lively denied that it would hurt the
| Democratic party 1t was a measure Tor
| the best good of the people, and II IT
was for the good of the people, IL must
be for the interest of the part. 1t was
| true, he wished there was 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 III this
natter as it had grown within MN since
bis boyhood. And all the elo4uence mat
could be uttered could not draw nm from
| that position. His position was tnat ne
would support any measure that would
help to drive from his county the aW-
full curse that was dabauching his peo-
rio.
These petitions that had come up here
! Cid not Sound Ike they came IRON, nieA