The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-04-24

men IIUn the HuppOIl VI Nc9OA 'ANe
measures
What was the result of this action
At er the passage of the Adams Dill
except to repeal charters and relncor-
porate towns AT their request SO as
10 grant them the provisions OF
that act. not another act. OF any VI
tality affecting the liquor traffic, was
passed. Nashville. through her chosen
committee of one hunGred, had pre-
pared ana presented, a. we are IN
formed, certain bills regulating the
sale OF whiskey. simply providing for
the better enforcement of the laws we
nav and making the detection OF
offeuses against these laws more easy
and these proposed bills were stltied
TO death. As Is we'll known, Colum-
bia, with a practically unanimous
voice from her best citizens, asked
for the same privileges which had
been extended to other towns, and IL
was denied TO us. The Legislature
erected dead line, on one side OF
which local self government might be
allowed. and on the other government
by the Whiskey Ring.
What are we going to do about 1t,
YOU ask. Well, we believe there are
Republicans in this State who can ana
will stand before their own party ana
say "by our own recommendation ana
py the vote of your own represen-
tatives you have extended the night to
towns of five thousand to say whether
they will have whlskey sold in their
limits. We demand to know by what
principle of Justice or reason you con-
fine the bepehcence of such Legislation
10 towns of any given population:
And when we come before onr Dem
ocratic brett rem we Will call those
gentlemen who protested to be Demo
Gratis and yet denied the equal Dement'S
of the law to our community, 10 the
bar of judgement And we shall ike
to hear what excuse they can render
for limiting the right OF the exercise
of local self government to any single
community or communities. Inc
principle involved is fundamental
Equal laws. equal rights, equal justice
between individuals. between commu-
nitles-these are the doctrines which
lie at the foundation of our constltu-
ton, and which should inspire and
dominate our representatives when
thev enact laws. We can not remain
silent and be true TO ourselves; we
must ACETATE, AND CONTIN Il
TO ACETATE, and appeal to our fellow
Tennesseans until our cry is heard by
the voters of the State. Then we can
safely leave the result with them.
In the meantime, we should take this
matter before the people of Maury
county. BY the operations OF the laws
already in force they have driven the
whiskay seller from their midst to the
towns but they have not as yet put
the deadly, blighting influence OF the
saloon beyond the reach of their boys.
There is not family in the county
that is not within reach OF this pane
full influence; but whatever may be
the views of the individual on the
question of the sale OF wh!skey. there
can hardly be man in the county
who would be willing to publicly avow,
that he would favor the denial to Co
lumbia of any right granted to other
towns, If majority OF her citizens
demand it..
We do not see how question so
vital to just and good government
could become political issue in any
campaign, unless one of the two great
parties shall reverse their action and
favor the repeal of the four mile in
toto, a system OF temperance legl slation
which has become dear to all the
good people of the state.
But while these laws remain GU our
statute book, while the Peeler Bill and
the Adams Bill remain the law of the
State while one town In the state
enjoys the light to prohibit the sale
of whisky, that right can not in equity.
Justice. or reason be denied to any
other town. And if the question is to
become political issue in the next
campaign, then the democratic party
will be called upon to say--whether,
in order that it may retain the support
of the Whiskey Ring, it Will abandon
one of the cardinal doctrines for which
It has heretofore stood, and which has
made 1t dear to the hearts of millions
of American citizens. 1t 1t should
choose the first alternative. if it should
take this fatal step, which Heaven
forbid, It's defeat would follow swift
and sure. GEO. L. HUGHES.