The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-24

whites of rs cents per capita. These
are the facts and they speak for
themselves.
The danger which 1 have appre-
hended and which / now apprehend
is not that we shall do too much for
the negro. but that becoming unmind-
full of our duty to him we shall do
too little. Having taken from him
the power to vote. it becomes a strong
people to safeguard with the utmost
care every right which the negro has.
I'VE hold our title to power by ten
ure of service to God" and we can
never hope to win His approval if we
do injustice to the weak. Let us
cast away all fear of rivalry with the
negro-all apprehension that he shall
ever overtake us in the race of life.
We are the thoroughbreds and should
have no fear of winning the race
against a commoner stock.
The Liquor Question.
The problem of dealing with the
liquor traffic is admittedly the most
difficult one which confronts the gov
eminent 1t has to deal with the
appetites of men and in free gov
eminent where the people rule, any
legislation tending to check the man
ufacture and sale of liquor is COM
PEELED to run counter to the great
principle of non-interference with the
personal habits of the individual A
Democratic government therefore is
always loath to deal with this prob
lem and never does so except when
public opinion has reached the point
ut which it becomes necessary to put
that public opinion into legislation.
The last Legislature, guided by this
rule and fully recognizing its obliga-
ton within the limits of the Consti-
tuition to respond to popular demand,
adopted what is known as the Watts
law That statute has met with much
criticism and much praise. It pro-
ceeded along lines we'll established in
this State. For more than twenty
years each succeeding Legislature has
adopted bill prohibiting the manu-
facture and sale of liquor within q
given number of miles of various
churches and school houses. The
number of such places in which the
manufacture and sale of liquor has
heretofore been prohibited runs up
into the thousands. 1t is perhaps not
too much to say that by means of
these various acts, liquor could neither
be manufactured nor sold in nine
tenths If the territory of the State
. recall one whole county that was
made a prohibition county by the
simple device of prohibiting the man
ufacture and sale of liquor within a
certain number of miles of the yari-
Gus churches and school houses in the
county. The Legislature of 1903 find
ing nine-tenths of the territory of the
State dry" decided to take direct
steps to drive the manufacture and
sale of liquor out of the state except
I'm Incorporated towns, readily con
Guiding that what nine-tenths of the
State already enjoyed and demanded
was rood for the other tenth. 1t
wisely considered that the appetites
of men not being under the control
of legislation. they would obtain liquor
to a more or less extent. 1t therefore
provided that liquor could be manu-
featured and sold in the towns, but
even here it could only be- done by
permission of the people of the towns
The main reason. however. for the
massage of the Watts law and the re-
son which ought to satisfy and will fl
nally satisfy every right-thinkins man,