Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1904-09-08
is WISE AND PROPER.
ADEQUATE POLICE POTEC-
TION AND THE WATTS
LAW.
The Position of the Democratic
Party on the Liquor Question
is Clearly Set Forth by
Democratic State Chair
man Simmons.
Raleigh News and Observer.

Raleigh News and Observer.
Adequate police protection is set
forth as an essential for places where
liquor is manufactured or sold, and
the Watts Law discriminates against
no one. /.
Such is the substance of letter
just written by Democratic State
Chairman Simmons in reply to
series of questions sent to him by
the editor of Webster's Weekly, of
Reidsville, who asks the position of
the Democratic party on the Watts
Law, and the application of the law.
The reply Of Chairman Simmons is
as follows:
Raleigh, n. c., August 20, 1904.
Hon. John r. Webster, Reidsville,
N. c.:
Dear Sir:-I have received your
letter of August 18th, in regard to
the temperance plank of the Demo
cratic State platform of this year, in
which you PROFOUND the following
inquiries:
1. Did not the late Democratic
Convention at Greensboro declare
unanimously for the principle of The
Watts bill?
2. Has any county convention or.
candidate for Office the right, under
the provisions Of our platform, to
either propose or advocate an amend
ment to said bill to leave it to vote
of the people by township or county?
8. Can there be police regulation,
provided by the platform, outside Of
incorporated towns or cities?
In reply to your several inquiries,
I beg to advise you that the Demo-
cratic State convention recently held
at Greensboro did unanimously ap-
prove the general principles of the
Watts law. The language of the
platform, upon this subject is in part
as follows: "We approve the gener-
al principles of the Watts Law, reg
ulating the manufacture and sale of
liquors and limiting the same to To-
calities in which there may be ade-
| quate police protection" A subse-
quent clause in this plank of the
platform declares that, "The General
| Assembly has the power and, when
| controlled by the Democratic party,
| can be trusted to make all amend
ments which experience and condi.
tions may demonstrate to be wise anC
proper" OF course the Legislature
has unlimited power to amend OF
repeal all legislative enactments, bu
those two classes Of the Democrat,
deliverance upon the subject of tenn
perance legislation, as embodied ii
the Watts Law, should be taken to
gether; and dconstruing them together
an amendment of this law which
would allow the manufacture ant
sale of Liquors in localities in whicl
there may not be adequate polio
protection, would in my opinion b
a violation, of its general principles
and in conflict with the platform dec
laration.
The essential principle of tn
Watts Law is that liquor mus
, neither be manufactured nor sold
! this State except under adequate pt
! lice protection. AS at present wri
l ten, that Law confines the manufa.
ture and sale of liquor to incorpo
ated towns, where adequate polio
, protection is presumed because r
: quired by law. It would seem, ther
:. fore, without reference to the inco
: poration of a locality as municipa
ity, if adequate police protection of ii
9 traffic to be conducted therein can
and is in TRUTH and in FACT provi
ed and secured by law, it would be
! compliance with the party's requir
e ment limiting the manufacture al
20 sale of liquors to sslocalities in whi
of there may be adequate police prote
ID tion."
Eel Very truly yours,
III y. M. SIMMONS,
Chairmansate Democratic Elk. Col