The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1904-02-18
ANTI-SAL0ON LEAGUE POLICY
Outlined at Meeting of the Executive
Committee.

The executive committee of the Ten |
nessee Anti-Saloon League held a meet |
ing February 9th and decided upon the
following policy:
% To resist to the utmost the repeal
of the Adams bill. OF this, however,
we anticipate little danger, as the SEN
timent in favor of the bill is overwhelm-
ing, and is known to be much stronger
now than when the bill was first passed.
DIR. E. e. Folk, president and acting
superintendent of the league, has writ
ten to number Of towns over the state
which have abolished saloons, asking
what effect their abolition has had up
on the business Of the town, and upon
the morals, court costs and arrests for
drunkenness. The responses already
received have been eminently satisfac-
tory. A little later all of these replies
will be published in pamphlet form and
distributed over the state
(2) The league favors the extension
of the law to other places that may
want it. Bristol, for instance, is anx-
ious for it, and so are Columbia and
Jackson. Or at least a great many
people in these places are anxious for
it. The league believes that it is a
part of the democratic doctrince of To-
cal self-goyernment that these places
should at least have the privilege of
saying by vote whether they shall have
saloons or not. This is all they are
asking.
80 The league fayors the regulation
of the liquor traffic in places where it
may still remain, so as to diminish, as
far as possible, it's direful effects.
Among other things, it wants to stop
the jug trade, by which the benefcent
effects Of the Adams law are to some
extent nulllfed, though the jug trade
is by no means so bad as the open sa-
| loon IN community.
az In order to give efficacy to an
anti-jug law in Tennessee the league is
anxious to secure the passage Of the
secure the passage of the Hepburn Dol
liver bill by the present congress. The
judiciary committee of the house has
has postponed the hearing on this bill
until March "a. DR.. Folk wrote re-
Gently to all of the senators and repre-
sentatives from Tennessee asking them
to use their influence to secure early
consideration of the bill, and express
ing the hope that they would vote for
it. The following replies have been
received Senator e. W. Carmack
writes: "In reply to your letter of the
25th ultimo, in regard to the Hepburn
Dolliver bill, have to say that have
always supported that bill before the
senate committee, and shall do whatev-
er | can to secure its passage at this
session of congress. Congressman
Sims says: "Your letter of January %
received and I assure you shall do all
/ can to secare the passage of the Hep
burn Dolliver BILL" Hon. l.. P. Pad
get says: Replying to your esteemed
favor of the 25th, relative to the Hep
burn bill, beg to say that / supported
the same in the last congress and ex-
pect to continue to do So" Congress.
man Brownlow replies as follows:' Youl
favor at hand. I will take pleasure in
doing everything in my power for the
Hepburn Dolliver bill mentioned in
your letter. Hon. M. r. Patterson
says 81 am in receipt of your favor o.
the Goth ult, and have given the sub
ject about which you write my careful
attention. | have come to the conclu
sion that the bill Of which you speak
known as the Hepburn-Dolliver bill, il
one that / can and ought to support al
democrat. | believe that it is in linz
and in keeping with the democratic
idea of state sovereignty and loca
self-government and as such can as
sure You and others interested of my
support of the measure. Congressman
Moon writes; "Your letter has beer
received. will look into the measur,
You refer to and will support it if cal
. properly do So"
These are all the replies that hav,
been received so far. The league sug
gests that petitions be sent to the othe.
members of the delegation urging then
= to support the bill. Embodying as tn,
4 bill does, the principle of states right,
or home rule or local government
as it is yariously termed, the leagu,
can not see how any democrat at leas
3 could vote against it, while the organ
ization is gratified to know that Con
gresham Brownlow, the recognized
leader of the republican party in tn
9 state, is for it, and believes that tn
g republicans of the state generally ar