The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-09


which it will not recover during the life
time Of the Youngest member of the legis-
ture who voted for 1t.
II am sure this calamity viii not hap
pen. but il is we'll for us to reflect upon
the dire consequences OF failure IN all
our undertakings stimulates to great
Ell efforts to achieve success-and IN this
s instance may stimulate us to greater Ell
fort to start this law off in right chan
nels and keep it there.
Mr.. President, and my friends, / be-
lieve in this legislation, | believe it
means great things not only for sobriety,
temperance and morality, but for indus
try, thrift and the prosperity and vel
fare of all the people of the State and most
of all those who have most opposed it. /
want to see it enforced | hope every
body will render it willing obedience,
but some will not and all such / want to
see punished, not with any of your judg-
ment of "a penny and costs, and suspend
ed judgment upon the payment of tri-
vial fine and good behavior, but with a
punishment adequate to the accomplish
ment of the purpose for which it was i'm
posed.
Because l believe in this legislation
and because | want to see it observed and
enforced l am here, for as l said in the
beginning I understand it is one of the
objects of this convention to take meas
ures to arouse by proper and temperate
agitation the people of this State to its
support and to put actively behind it
the great moral forces of this common
wealth. Do that and you will have rem
dered a great, lasting and incolculable
service to the State and mankind.
MY friends / did not come here to
make a speech: | am not physically able
to discuss the matter under considera-
ton as / would like. l have had fever for
the past two weeks, have some now, and
when / expressed a purpose this morn
ing to come here, was advised against
doing so by my doctor, and besides
promised my wife not to speak over ten
minutes, but have come here under these
circumstances, to show my interest in
this movement in behalf of the great
temperance measure we have put on our
statute book. l have come to appeal to
all good people in the state, especially to
the public men of this State, to come out
boldly in support of this measure 1t
Will not do simply to say, 1T is a good
law. i am in favor of it, 1t needs their
active support-their head and heart sup.
State are as a rule good and faithful
men and will do their duty in the en-
forcement of this law, but if they find the
people earnestly and enthusiastically be-
hind it they will put their heart and
soul in their work and then woe to the
men who dares defy il. No public man in
e
There is no danger in this law if we
stand up to it openly, boldly courageous
ly-the only danger is in holding aloof
and saying let thtis influence and that
interest look after it and take care of it. |
It is our law, let us stand by it,
But / must desst, my strength will
not permit me to go into many matters |
would be glad to discuss before YOU l |
thank you and bid you Godspeed in your
work"
SPEECH BY MR.. WATTS.
There was no danger, he declared to
any public man in North Carolina in com
ing out boldly in favor Of this law. CAP /
plause.) The only danger was in the cow
ardly method of keeping still on the ques
tion loud applause).
Then Mr.. London said he was sure the |
convention would be pleased to see and |
hear the gentleman whose name the bill /
bears and who did so much to get the bill I
passed. The convention gave Hon A. D. |
Watts, Of Iredell great ovation as Mr. |
London introduced him. Mr. Watts pro |
ceeded 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 on to tell how the bill /
operated in the best way to do away with /
the country STILL His own town of States
vile. the headquarters once of the distill- /
er, had since the passage of the act gone
dry by vote of two to one (Great APP
plause).
This law practically meant that there
would be no distIllers in the State. or at
least very few of them
Mr.. Bailey then suggested that each /
county be called.
ALAMANCE-J. o. Atkinson: The eff
feet is that it makes Alamance practically |
prohibition. Practically all the towns
have gone prohibition; but we did have
in the past the distiller in the country. /
ANSON-D. M. Litaker: '.The outlook
is good. am convinced that we arc
practically certain of carrying prohibi-
ton"
BEAUFORT. M. McKeel: "There is a
forward movement for temperance
throughout the county. Much interest
is being shown in it,
BERTIE-R L. Davis: "Our history is
a black one. but we have temperance adj
vocates and workers. We will soon have
an Anti-Saloon League and will move for
ward. The work of the temperance peo-
pie is being cussed and discussed, but we
will go forward
BRUNSWICK-W. r. Royal: eve
would have temperance throughout the
county, but for the last Legislature in
a whiskey still in the county.
We hope to get rid of it. We need help
that our people be educated to tenn
BUNCOMBE-J. H. Tucker: "Buncombe
is too big to describe in minute. We
have an Anti-Saloon League in Asheville
with 500 members. You've hear of the
election in which we were defeated and