Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1904-01-14

no restrictions on the manufacture and sale
OF liquor, the decland for il would be less
1t is said that when regimen, from The
north OF France is first stationed in a wine
district, drunkenness Is quite c'mmon. but
that after month 6nding thai wine is al
most MS cheap as water, lhey ces,e 10 regard
1t as luxury, and an in'oxicsted man is
rarely seen. All saloon keepers do not
follow their vocation from choice. All
business, professions, trades and calliugs
are apparently overcrowded Poverty or
the fear OF poverty drives men to adopt
callings that they do not always prefer.
Improve general condition make il
easier to get living in othcr businesses
and many OF them would change their
vacations This ,honld be the work Of
true democrats.
The only false note Capt Tolley's paper
is his statement that "local option is a
direct thrust at the rights, prer> gatives and
dignity of the Legislature, and thus at the
sovereignty of the State. The Constitution
clothes the Legislature with the exclusive
right TO make laws, and the rights TO dele
gate its authority cannot be inferred from
that instrument byS the most far.fetched
and violent system Of Interpretation. The
people have the right to govern, but they
must govern in their own appointed way
in the way that they ordained in the Con
stitution, The majority must rule, it is
the majority in whom resides sovereignty,
the sovereign right to make and unmake
constitutions, the majority Of the whole
people OF the State"
Constitutions do not grant rights. As
Thomas Paine said, "Men do not en-
ter society to rebeive, but to MAINTAIN their
natural rights" 1t is a monarchal idea
that rights and law should trickle down
from higher power, the divine rights OF
kings, for instance, though imperial or
federal governments or constitutions, down
to those Of states, counties, ETC., and from
them to the people. Jefferson stood for
home rule and local self-government
"That government is best that gorerns
least" The citizen should be sovereign
over his own actions provided he does not
agrees the rights OF others.
The municipality, the civil district, the
county should have sovereign power over
its own local affairs. So with the State.
Power should go from the people, not down
from the abstract state Majority rule is
democracy. But majorihes are usually
wrong. A majority of community may
declare for prohibition or that every tenth
citizen be shot In either case it would be
an infringement Of the Spenoerion dictum;
"The Law of Eqnal Freedom" There is
no redress for bad laws, sanctioned by
majority, but to agilate for their repeal, or
to resist their enforcement. Jefferson
declared that a revolution in each gener-
alton might be necessary to prevent
tyranny,
Prohibition would mean temperance of
OF the "bind tiger" for no law can be
wholly effective unless it is backed by
public opinion, Make the production and
sale of liquor as free as that of any COM
modify, and the evil of intemperance will
be reduced TO minimum. This is the truly
democratic position.
The countless twinkling stars are suns
like our sun, around each of which it is
probable that populated planetary systems
revolve. Beyond these, without end, are
doubtless innumersble other solar systems
each decribing its respective orbit in
consonance with one grand law Of Nature
which holds sway over the tiniest mote
floating in sunbeam as well as over the
whole celectial system. Puny man, in his
conceit, would run counter TO Omnipotence.
He would alter Natures eternal law.
When he bumps up against this unchaug-
ing law and gets hurt he, in his self-
reliance, attempts again TO ammend it.
The law of compensation holds good. Un-
til men conform their enactments of
Natures laws, will prove of no avail.
JUvENAL.