The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-30


announcement that Hon. Theo. F. Kluttz
will not be a candidate for. Congress in
the eighth district, comes the piping lit
tle song of Republicans that Mr.. KluttZ
withdraws because he sees "the hand
writing on the wall' and wishes to escape
defeat. This is as unjust to Mr.. Kluttz
as it is to the voters of the district. Mr..
Kluttz is influenced in this action solely
because of his business and professional
obligations. He has made a flawless rec
ord in congress- added to his reputation,
was sure of unanimous denomination,
and there is no reasonable doubt of a re
election.
Why do the Republicans think they can
carry the eighth district? Ever since the
passage of the Watts law they have been
quietly saying that it would cost the
Democrats the eighth district and their
newly expressed confidence shows that
they hope the Watts act will give ther
enough votes to win. We do not so esti-
mate the intelligence and party loyalty
and morality of the voters of the counties
of Alexander, Allegheny, >Ashe, Cabarrus,
Caldwell, Iredell, Rowan Stanly, Surry,
Watauga and Wilkes. When created the
Democrats recognized that the eighth
and tenth districts were fairly close. Mr..
Kluttz won in 1902 by 1,423 majority, in
the face of campaign fund larger than
had ever been previously used in that
district.
The only hope of the Republicans in
that district is in dissatisfaction growing
out of the passage of the Watts law. If
they make it the issue they will prob
ably gain few votes but by the same
token they will lose votes, for there are
Republican voters who will never vote tc
permit the mountain coves to be filled
with little distilleries which are appro-
priately known as hell holes" The best
sentiment in all parties is that there
should be no selling or making of liquor
away from police supervision. There is
not now a single saloon or still in the
eighth district except IN Salisbury. 1t
the Republicans make an issue OF the
Watts law it will be equivalent to say
ing I'VE stand for the establishment
OF saloons and stills to debauch the PEG
pie" If they dare to go before the peo-
pie on that issue, instead Of the Repu5-
leans winning, the Kluttz majority will
be increased. The people of North Car
DINA are determined never again to per
nit stills and saloons to be operated ex-
cept in Incorporated towns, and to leave
il to each town to say what policy it
shall pursue.
The Democrats dare the Republicans
to make the Watts law the issue. 1t is
a law based upon a sound principle, and
many who at first opposed its provisions
now approve them. This is particularly
true of citizens residing in the rural dis
tricts, the quiet of whose homes had been
menaced by stills debauching the youth
and demoralizing labor. The Republican
eighth district have sought to make the
law odious by refusing to enforce it, The
only objection most good men have to
it is that it is not as we'll enforced as
it should be, but that is a complaint
against public officers rather than against
the law. The public will not tolerate
refusal on the part of officials to enforce
the law, and those officials neglecting to
enforce this law, do so at their peril
No, Mr. Kluttz did not resign because
he thought he could not be elected, and
his successor will be a Democrat, no mat
ter how earnestly the Republicans make
an appeal to Mr.. Whiskey Barrel to put
them in power.