West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-02-11
JEFF LIrsconB's PLArFoRn.
His speech OF Acceptance ss Mayor
or Greater Parsons.


Specially reported for The Argus.
After The recent municipal battle at Par.
sons. when il was known that JEFF Lipscomb
would be The next Mayor Of Greater Parsons,
JEFF was called upon by number OF friends.
who asked him why he he favored license.
JEFF replied as follows:
DO you ask me why favor lieense an the
town Of Parsons Well, l will tell you, my
ffends. The gteaief paft Of our revenue
10 rua this great old Government of ours
comes from the manufacture and sale Of
intoxicating drink. We will cal, IL i1toxi
eating drinks. because that Is what our
''cold water" friends call IL. You Uncle
Samuel Calls u Spurious Liquors fcfies
Of go on. JEFF you're all righi. But why.
my. my friends, all this talk about running
homes, wfecking the lives Of young men.
etc.s every time We talk on granting license
In this thriving little city of ours Would
IL stop the sale of II here How long
would Il take man who Is in the habit of
getting drunk aud playing s'Big. Injan"
with his wife or family 10 90 OF send down 10
Cumberland and get enough Of 1t Spurious
Liquors, meant TO paint The town a YER
million red. lie could leave here Al two
O'Clock p. m. and get back in time to par
t~sl%t~ w W. <F<hiUH &&Ntti>I1f HftrttGQ
we were 80 unfortunate as to have some
entertainment on this particular evening.
The poor, unfortunate fellow came home
with jug and a jag The jug cost him
perhaps two dollars and fifty cents, while
the Jag cost him FIVE dollars and cost,
after spending night In durasce vile.
Suppose, on the other hand, there bad
been an open SELDOM on Easy street. with
good man behind the bar. This young
man, as be went to par,ake Of a good square
meal, be il dinner, supper OF breakfast,
would quickly have stepped In, taken
drink. paid for u, stepped out and gone
about his business and had four dollars and
ninety cents TO his credit aud saved the
Jailor's wife the trouble of making up an
extra bed. Wouldn't that have been
economy II our friends who are so bit
terly opposed 10 the liquor traffic will get
consent OF both the great political parties to
place In their platform prohibitiye plank,
for OF against the manufacture and sale of
"Mountan Dew" as Deacon Brown calls
IT, we'll venture the assertion, that even
pious man like Elder wheiseiI, of The
Preston County Journal, or that good old
County Clerk over there, would be short Of
time when they went 10 vote and fail TO
erase either s'For'' or against thus
voting TO continue the manufacture and sale
OF "Mountain Dew" for medicinal purposes,
only. But while am n Republican, one Of
the "Stand Pat" variety, should my party
put into their platform such plank, with
simply the word against" with no modi-
cations or trimmings, why, I am a Demo-
craft not from principle, but always like
TO be on the winning side. My advice to
either party that wants to retire from active
service, is to place such n plank in their
platform. know of no better plan for
.sl.o I..n -. l.
candidate and who wants to retire to private
life have time for reflection aud thought,
than TO have his name printed on the Prohi-
billion Ticket Of course, my friends, had
made such expressions as these before the
late battle, II might have lost me some votes,
three or foar, perhaps, but these gentle
men viii come TO time on National issues
next fall. l remember Of Deacon Brown
telling me one time of how many Prohibl-
lion votes were TO I've polled in Kingwood at
the General or National Election, and rs
some Of these voters were ministers of the
Gospel, IL was supposed that there would
be a pretty good Prohibition vote The
election came on, the votes were counted
and there was just one vote for the Prohibit
ton candidates and this man did not intend
to vote IT, but in his hurry checked the
wrong ticket and was too modest 10 ask the
clerks for another one. It's a good ticket
to agitate at town election, but you dou't
want to mix i up with National or State poll
tics. Even minister of the Gospel, though
a thorough Prohibitionst. will not vote The
ticket when Il is placed before him at a
National or State Election. But ne
is always on hand at a Town Election
to see that the candidates are all
s'soft drink" men. am frank TO say. were
/ OF the same opinion of our Prohibition
friends. would vote the ticket upon all
occasions, or 1 would forever keep quiet on
the subject Were I . Prohibitionist I
should vote the ticket. / am in favor OF
license because believe that Il will not IN.
crease drunkenness incur city and really
believe Il viii decrease IL. The money that
Is sent to Cumberland for Mountain Dew"
will be kept at home and there will be less
OF the family quarrels we sometimes hear.
However, do not want to be understood as
advocating such move, but IL the people
OF the town want license, have no serious
objections to offer.
1 am very grateful to my friends of my
native town for the honor they have con-
ferred upon me. and hope that no official
act of mine shall lessen the confidence they
have coniided in me-