The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-22

1
| ing.
Mr. Watts then said that he had been
| told by a gentleman of great experience
and wisdom in such matters that it was
usual for all persons wishing to speak
| for or against a measure before a COM
mittee to do so in any order they chose.
Mr.. McRae, by request, then withdrew
his motion.
MIR. Watts then spoke for his bill. He
said that the advocates of the bill SIM
ply commended that the country bar
rooms and distilleries were the greatest
sources of evil and harm, and therefore
| 1T was desired to do away with the bar
| room and distillery in the country.
CAM. MORRISON'S ARGUMENT.
Mr.. Morrison then addressed the com
mittee, and said he was the paid attor-
ney of the distillers of his county. en-
ployed to come before the committee and
oppose this bill.
He would not argue upon the merits
of the question whether or not liquor
should be manufactured and sold in the
country districts. He was here to argue
| that it ought to be left to the people of
every district and county to determine
whether or not they would have Whis-
key There was not now a county in
North Carolina where the people were
not able to determine by their own vote
whether they would have Whiskev or not
THE people do not need any guardian
in this matter They are fit TO decide
for themselves.
There seemed to be an idea that moth
70
| there was already statute prohibiting
any saloon or distillery from operating
or being located within a certain dis
lance of a school house or church.
Where the State had a prohibition law
OF this kind. it was never obeyed, ex-
cept in communities where majority of
| the people wished it, and if they wished
| it, they could get the law for themselves,
under the present law allowing a vote
on the question whenever sufficient
| number of people asked for an election on
| the subject.
He declared that the whiskey men Of
North Carolina were not Republicans. he
cared net where the assertion that they
| were came from The majority of them
were good Democrats. In his county the
largest distiller was a Democrat and all
the saloon-keepers. And even if they
| were not, why should they be completely
destroyed just because they happened to
| differ in politics from the party in
power.
II any of these people wished to do
away with whiskey, they could do so
| next June. at the local election. why
| saddle the General Assembly with this
work?
THE Democratic party has always
stood for the wishes of the people
Last fall. when they were trying to
get into power, you did not hear anything
| in the speeches or platforms about these
! liquor measures.
The most arbitrary law ever passed
| in this country is the one taking away
| from the people the right TO drink what
| they please. 1t may be right. l am
not here to make prohibition speech.
But this is a thing that ought not to be
done unless it is very greatly to the in
terest of the people, and where a ma
jorty of them expressly consent to it.
when you legislate against the liquor
dealers, you not only legislate against
them, but you take away q certain right
from a large class of the people.
Conditions are different in different
counties" In Richmond county the con-
ditions were excellent. There was only
one distillery in the country districts,
ana bill will be introduced to limit
| that one to selling in unbroken pack
| ages.
Mr.. Watts: "'Why do you limit it in
| that way"
Mr.. Morrison: "To prevent il being
| consumed in the country"
~
| it in your country districts, why do you
want it consumed in other countless"
Mr.. Morrison: The question is the
sale, AM not the manufacture Liquor
| manufactured in Richmond county won
| make a man any drunken than liquor
| manufactured in Kentucky, and won
| make him fight near as tiercely. We have
no business to say a word about what the
| people drink in your county, and if you
don't want whiskey there, pass law that
it shall not be shipped into it,
| Mr.. Morrison then closed with a strong
| argument against giving the State the
right to dictate to the people OF the diff
| ferent counties what they should drink,
He said he believed il was q political
movement. But he thought the time had
| come when man ought to be allowed to
have been q time for strenuous politics
| in this State. but that had passed, and
| ne did not think the great Democratic.
Iarty should attempt to destroy any class
Of persons en- account of their political
opinions.
Mr.. j. H Hoffman, of Iredell, then
presented a petition from the people OF
Iredell, 10 the effect that they desired
an election en- the question. Not word
had been said about it in the last cam
paign, and they thought this action
would seriously injure the Democratic
| party. The petition was signed by over
| 500 voters of Iredell county.
| Mr.. j. A Hardness, Clerk of the Court
| of lredell representing the people who
| wished the passage of the bill, stated
that he would present petition signed
| by between 1000 and 1900 voters, the
| majority of whom We're Democrats and
property owners.
| The Republicans refused to sign, and
! of course some Democrats had refused
| and few Republicans had signed. AL
| ready three-fourths of the county was
| under prohibition, and this had been
| done by petition Now many Of the lead