The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1905-08-31
KEEP THE RECORD STRAIGHT.


The Asheville Citizen prints a
story in which the following sur
prising reason is given for certain
reported opposition to the re-elec'
ton of Senator #. M. Simmons:
"What is the cause of opposition to
Mr. Sfmmons?''a d~isinterested obser-
YER wss asked. "Whiskey laws mostly
he said. "a lot of people think that
the party under the direction OF the
senator, who il also state chairman, has
gone far enough in passing legislation
Against LIQUOR, and his calling the state
executive committee together during
the last legislature and forcing through
a Recommendation of the pending Ward
bill. which further restricted q sale
of LIQUOR, was resented by many mem
bers of the legislature"
The author of the Citizen story
may not have intended to mis-state
facts, but he has succeeded admit
rable in doing so. Neither Sena-
tor Simmons, or any other advo-
cate of the Ward bill sought to
secure a meeting of the state ex-
ecutive committee. That RESPONSE
bility devolves entirely upon the
opposition to the whiskey legisla-
ton then pending before the Gen
. eral Assembly. Mr.. Simmons was
in Washington attending to his
duties as senator and had no in
tention whatever of calling the
committee together, until he re-
ceived a request to do so by GER
tain members of the same who
were, at the time, engaged in an
effort to defeat the Ward bill. 1t
is Just as we'll to keep the record
straight: Nineteen signatures we're
affixed to the request for the meet
ing (mostly by proxy and their
object was to prevent, if possible,
the pending temperance measure.
The call stated explicitly the
reasons therefor and contained
the names of those desiring the
meeting. Being a member of the
committee, the writer received the
notice referred to and has it on
file.
There is not the slightest
foundation for the suggestion that
Senator Summons called the state
executive committee together dur
ing the last legislature and forced
through a recommendation of any
class of legislation. 1t is a fabri-
cation out of the whole cloth.
The very crowd who, it is intimat-
ed, threaten to oppose his re-elec-
ton, are alone, responsible for the
attempt to influence legislation
touehing the whiskey interests.
It is true that many members Of
the legislature resented the call
and the meeting itself, but not in
the sense outlined by the Citizens
story-writer. They were not in
dignant at the action of Mr.. Sim
mons, but put a very emphatic
veto upon the attempt of those
who asked for the meeting, in the
hope of bringing about legislation
in accordance with their way of
thinking. Previous to the meet
ing, Senator Simmons had not
been in Raleigh for several weeks
and had not attempted to dictate
to the legislature.
Concluding the story the Citi-
zen man says: "No one here was
willing to be quoted as opposing
Senator Simmons" This sounds
better. There is no valid excuse
for anyone to oppose him. He
has been faithful and painstaking
in the discharge of his duties as
senator and his record as a dem
ocrat Ia too we'll known to call for
defense from any North Caro-
linian. He is q terror to republl-
cans and they would welcome his
defeat more than anything that
could happen in the political cir
cles Of this state. But they shall
not experience that pleasure. The
democratic party appreciates his
services sufficiently to insure his
return to the senate and only the
fellow who puts ''the little brown
Jug" above his democracy will
hovo thA h0rdiho0d To 0nDose a.