The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-02-03

II these things cannot be asked for.
then nothing that tends to moral growth
can be demanded.
He thought that even with reason they
could have asked for absolute prohibition.
for the drink evil was an unqualified
one.
The commission appointed by the gov
eminent to Investigate the drink evil
had found that 81 per cent. Of the dest-
tuition OF the country was caused by IL.
and 80 ID per cent. OF the crime. and
80 per cent. {" the deficient children.
Mr.. Bailey made a magnificent. power
full exposition OF the right Of the forces
in this movement to ask what they were
asking, and was heartily applauded.
He read from Mr.. w. O.. Hockaday, who
some time ago showed that alcohol con-
tanned some food value. to the effect
that the profits derived from the liquor
traffic should be kept out OF private
hands.
Of all the methods of handling the
liquor traffic, it was acknowledged that
the saloon was the very worst.
AS to the bill, this Legislature could
do nothing to better serve the State
than to pass this bill.
AS to the talk so common that it would
kurt the Democratic party. The oppo-
sition do not speak of property rights,
nor in the name OF the women of the
State nor in the name of anything that is
good.
ut is an appeal to men from men
who estimate them as moral towards.
they do not speak in the name of God,
AS the Governor said. the only way to
serve the people of North Carolina is
to do the right thing, and leave it to
the people to uphold you." (Applause.)
The Democratic party has come to a
point when they can walk with the men
who threaten them with destruction, or
with the best element Of the State that
is standing cut for what they know to
be right. Which will it choose?
A fine simile was drawn between
Gilead's monster and the threat of the
opposing forces.
Great applause greeted Mr.. Bailey as
he concluded.
Mr.. A. Wayland Cooke. of Guilford,
delegate from the mass-meeting at
Greensboro, read the petition of that
meeting for stringent temperance legIs-
lation, endorsing the London bill.
North Carolina had reached, he thought,
a point in her history that she had
never reached before. The time was,
even in his remembrance, when a legis-
lator in North Carolina would never
dare to support a temperance measure.
It had been objected hat this bill
ncant absolute prohibition. Well, if it
did, that would suit them still better.
AS a Democrat, he would be willing
to accept the challenge that this move
ment would he used against them at the
next election. 1t had been said, too,
that the constitutional amendment would
disrupt the party. 1t had been just the
reverse.
The opposing liquor men argue that we
are encroaching upon the inherent rights
Of some of the citizens. He declared
that the Constitution Of the united
States distinctly said that no man had
an inherent right to sell liquor. He threw
this dow as q challenge.
Mr.. T. C. Guthrie, of Charlotte, sad
that so far only one side had been
heard. He would vary the monontonv
by speaking on the other side, represent
ing the saloon interests, as we'll as a
very respectable portion of citizens.
He said that in the town of Rocking
ham, where he used to live, and of which
he had been mayor at one time, there
dS III Ioi " P(AAO
every drug store, for every five cents
worth of castor oil sold q thousand dol
lars worth Of liquor was sold.
Question:. Were you mayor at that
timer"
Mr.. Guthrie: mo. | was not.
G.aughter.) A prohibitionist was mayor
at that time, but he could not enforce
the law. because the sentiment of the
ooopJo ,vo not hohin5 hin, And during
that period Rockingham sent more peo-
pie to the Kelley Institute than at any
other time, before or since"
Mr.. Curtis: Suppose if the commit
tee should decide that public sentiment
was chino this movement, on account of
these petitions; than, 1 suppose, it would
be right to nave it." prolonged APP
plausc).
NJ. Guthrie: "If the sentiment of the
people in any given community is for
there never was a time in North Car
olina when they could not have it..
applause from the liquor side.)
Mr.. Guthrie then went on to speak of
the bill, and said it was neither one
thing nor the other. II it was prohibit
ton, why regulate in it the sale Of
liquor. If it was prohibition, why not
say so right out.
He then went on to speak of the States
that had prohibition, and asked if Kansas
or Maine were such havcns of rest that
we should want to be like them. Even
Carrie Nation was a product of the
illegal bar-rooms of Kansas. Then he
told how the law was broken in the
prohibition States.
Mr.. Watts said he could cite some ter
rible examples nearer home, Cumber-
land, Robson, Iredeli. Laughtcr.)
Mr.. Guthrie: Il said we were contend
ing that there should be prohibition or
not in any community, according to the
prevailing sentiment of the people. He
was arguing for local option, he stated,
and local self-2overnment."
Mr.. Guthrie then addressed himself to
section ) of the Londo bill, which re-
quires liquor manufacturers and dealers
to file with each application for license a
petition signed by a majority Of the quail
fled voters of the town. He claimed this
was undemocratic and unprecedented le-