The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-21
TIE BATTLE FOR TEMPERANCE
LEGISLAl ION.

DR. A. j. McKelway, editor of the
Presbyterian Standard, spent several
DAYS in Raleigh recently. and writes to his
paper an interesting resume of the liquor
situation as it appeared to him early in
the week. Since then the Watts bill has
passed the House, Mr.. Smith withdrawing
his amendments after long and persist
ent fight for the measure he deemed
wisest. Though the closing paragraphs
referring to the Watts and Smith bills
are now not applicable, since the House
has acted upon them, they are still in
teresting. Dr. McKelway began the fight
for the dispensary in Fayetteville, which
resulted in prohibition in Cumberland
county He is an earnest, Jealous advo-
cate Of advanced temperance legislation,
ready to accept the best measures and
not to insist too strenuously upon partic-
ular bills if they can be improved. His
letter is as follows:
1--WE were profoundly impressed, last
week, with the immense gain that has
been made by the temperance movement
In the last ten days. The people have
heen heard from. The General Assembly
las so:ne men in it who are opposed to
MI temperance legislation There are
others still who have a natural and even
praise worthy ambition for honor and
preferunent in the future. The first are
Blind But the last are being convinced
hat the people are terribly in earnest.
I'VE attempt to give faithful and ac-
curate sketch of the present status of
affairs Before the Legislature met
Senator Simmons came out in an inter
View IN which he proposed the roofing
up 0. he country distilleries, and the
confinement of them and of the saloons
to the incorporated towns 1t was at
once recognized what an immense stride
this would be in the direction of tenn
perance-and we use the word always in
the sane sense, the equivalent to So
briefly. There was already manifest a
strong under-current of popular feeling
on the subject-the Anti-Saloon League
has not been idle for year and the in
fiuence of all the religious papers has
been worth something to the cause.
Governor Aycocks message was along
the line of advanced legislation. But the
Anti Saloon League put in its platform
a series OF demands which were embodied
in the "London Bill" Senator London
was requested to introduce it on account
of his weli-known and long-standing ad-
vocacy of the cause. This bill was at
once announced as extreme by the Ii
quor interests. and the theory was ac-
cepted by those who did not take the
trouble to read it. Then came the broad
side of the News and Observer that
helped to wake the people up and Incl
dentally sent the whiskey attorneys
scampering from their paid espousal of
a rotten cause like rats from a sinking
ship. Then came the hearing before the
Joint committee of both houses in which
according to the Charlotte Observer the
morally Sstunted were outclassed. And
the petitions began to come in in steady
stream, sometimes rising to a flood, for
the London Bill.
THE chief point of attack in that bill
was the fifth resolution, requiring the
saloon keeper to get majority of the
voters on his petitions for license or to
call an election once in two years Last
week the Senate Committee amended that
proposition. by requiring that only one
third of the voters would be sufficient to
secure the license. 1t was amended by
some of the most earnest advocates of
temperance We have contended for it
entire as a sound principle and a reas
enable measure, but We have never re-
garded it as a vital part of the bill, in
the original or amended form.
"As thus amended the bill was favor
ably reported to the Senate and will
come up Thursday OF this week, before
the Senate. We have good reason to be-
lieve that it will pass that body. In the
meantime the Watts Bill along the line
of the Simmons interview. was favorably
reported to the House by majority Of
the committee. AS a substitute Tor the
Watts Bill Mr.. Smith, of Gates, offered
his measure. which is a modification or
the London Bill in the particular OF al
lowing the country communities now al
flicted with the distilleries and saloons
there are very few saloons left in the
country the privilege of voting to re-
tain them, and putting all communities
not voting by majority of ballots or
petitioners before July, 1908, for retain
ing the saloons and distilleries, on a
prohibition basis.
.sBut the encouraging thing has been
that both these house bills have been
shown to be defective and to need
amendment in the right direction. Ana
the nressure has been enormous 10
amend. The idea has gotten abroad over
the State that anything less than the