The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-06-10
SENATOR BATE ANSWERS.
WILL MIR. McMILLINp

Herald CRITICISED DOt0 otHdloI Ddt'
and Mr.. McMillin for keeping so con
spicuously quiet upon the Hepburn
bill, and asked both these disting
uished gentlemen the direct question
how they stood upon this important
measure.
Elsewhere in this issue we publish
Senator Bates reply. 1t is an open,
unequivocal statement of his position,
and the reasons why. He says he
docs favor the bill, " and why? Be-
cause he is "a Democrat, and believes
in local government. p" And IF
under existing federal laws the State
cannot exercise the right of local self
government what then ought to
happen? The condition should be
''remedied, " says Senator Bate by
congressional act. > ''Remedied'
how2 Remedied so that the State can
exercise the right of local self govern
ment. -
In a very few words the Senior SEN
ator for Tennessee has stated his posi-
tion so clearly that any child may
understand, and so logically that no
Democrat can successfully take issue
with him.
In his statement of the case Senator
Bate says that his position on the
Hepburn bill was made especially
conspicuous in the Davidson and
Shelby primaries, and cost him hun
dreds of votes. Enough votes, in his
opinion, in Nashville, ito have
changed the result in Davidson
county.
This statement of fact is equivalent
to charge against Mr.. McMillin.
And Mr.. McMillin's persistent
silence gives consent" to the accusa-
ton that he is receiving the support
of the whlskey men in the whiskey
centers of the State and if in these
centers, then all over the State-for
the whiskey men do not, divide their
ballots Mr.. McMillin has denied |
that he has made any promise to
oppose the Hepburn bill. But he has
not said that he will not oppose it. He
has not said that he will favor it. He
has not said what he will do. If any
one should say that he had promised
to support the bill, he would get as
mad, perhaps, as he did when the Pu-
laski Citizen said that he had prom
Used to oppose it. He wants to be let
severely alone But he cannot be let
alone. The people and the press,
rather than be persistently offensive
may stop asking him questions or
demanding answers, but the very logic
of the situation Will compel them to
jdge him by th9 conosny he keeps
If he is msiudged, he has no one to
blame but himself. The Hepburn bill
has become the issue in the campaign.
It IS as important to know the attitude
Of our Federal senators upon that as l
1t isHto know the attitude of our State
senators upon the Adams law. They t
are in sense companion measures. c
Of the two the Hepburn bill is the t
more important, because it is more far L
reaching. 1t is not only companion i
bill to the Adams law of Tennessee, t
but likewise to the local option law OF I
Kentucky, to the prohibition law OF a
Maine, and to all the temperance laws l
of all the states. No true and loyal
friend to temperance legislation can
afford to vote for any candidate for the
United States Senate whose attitude
upon this question is doubtful one. 5
when they have before them u
another candidate, in every sense y
worthy their support, who favors the
bill, and one who has the courage, the p
candor and the fairness to say so. !
The fairness, we say, because it "
Is nothing but fair to the people that :"
they should know. And we submit ~
TO Mr.. McMillin that in justice to u
himself and in fairness to the peop d.
whose servant he aspires to be- that p
he should publicly declare himself, 81
whether he is for or against the Hep q
Darn bill, that he may receive all the ~
support from the friends of temperance a
hat he is entitled to, and none that "
he is not entitled to. VI
The Democratic platform of Tennes- "
700 declares for the Adams law. The
ADAMS law, to make it entirely etfet- e
i've, needs the Hepburn bill-the :
trong arm of the Federal law-to !
lelp it. s
Do you believe in local self govern Z
nent, Mr.. McMillin? Do you endorse Z
hat plank in the Tennessee platform 5
which endorses the Adams law? And :
viii you support the Hepburn bill. 10 :
aomete the cause of temperance ana 5
make effective the laws of your Slater {
We shall he very glad to rive your ,