The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-20
TEMPERANCE THE ISSUE.
The Law and Order League Thus De-
clares in Manifesto Which Gre
ateS Something of a Stir.

Especial to News and Observer
Greensboro N c., April l9.-EVery-
thing about the coming city election
has been unusually quiet and free
from interest or excitement until this
morning when a veritabie sensation
was sprung by the publication in the
Morning Telegram of a strong COM
mtnication from the Law and Order
League. announcing that the fight in
the coming election and in the Demo-
cratic primaries would be Waged on
prohibition lines, and calling on all
prohibitionists to put only that type.
of citizens on the municipal ticket.
The communication would not have
created such 81 sensation but for the
fact that signed to it We're the names
of State Democratic Senator Scales,
who is also the Democratic city at
torney and a member of the State
Democratic Executive Committee and
Mr.. Charles FL. ireland, chairman Of
the Democratic City Executive Com
mittee and Democratic chairman OF
the City Board of Education.
This communication coming on the
eve of a Democratic primary called
Under the rules of the Democratic
party by the chairman, who lays down
different party qualifications this
morning as a member of the Law and
order League has created much dis
cussion. There had already been much
talk here of ignoring partisan lines in
the selection of candidates and failing
to attend the party primaries, and it is
freely predicted that the effect of the
pronouncement this morning will be
taken as authority from the head of
the Democratic organization for voting
as you please, since there is no ques-
ton of politicai REGULARITY involved,
the only issue being one of local city
government alon~ moral lines.
This construction of the manifesto
is going to make things in Greensboro
red hot from now out, and may lead
to an absolute obliteration of party
lines and party law in the election.
The primaries had been called by
Chairman Ireland to take place the
night of April 26. People here do not
go up and vote as in other places. but
the old plan of ward meetings and
passing around the ballot box and re-
porting up TO a central convention is
still III vogue
The manifesto from the Law and
Order League is in part as follows:
THE Law and Order League as an
organization cannot properly lend Its
support to any person or party; but
it is part of it's business to make a
stand for the principles it represents
in any election in which they are di-
rectly or indirectly an issue If any
one has been induced to believe that
the cause Of temperance is not an is
sue in the approaching election. he has
been sadly deceived 4 1t is Just as
much an issue as twas last June.
Prohibition in Greensboro is en-
titled to a square deal" and it will
not have square deal" If the en-
forcement of it is put into the hands
of men who are not its friends and
who are ont in earnest about giving
it a fair and square trial. If the adj
ministration of the city's affairs for the
next two years is entrusted to men
who. are in sympathy with the prohibit
ton law, it will be demonstrated that
it is either q success or a failure and
the question will be settled one way
or the other. On the other hand if its
administration is entrusted to those
not in sympathy with it. failure will
be the necessary consequence. but
failure that proves nothing and that
leaves the question unsettled. and just
where it stands now. The best inter-
ests of the city require that it should
be settled one way or the other and
that the present division of the peo-
pie on this subject should be as short
| lived as possible. 1t can never be
settled, however, until it has had a
fair trial and a square deal" The
men who believe in high license who
voted for it and worked for it and
who believe that a. return to it would
be for the best interests of Greensboro
have right to that belief and to the
support of those who believe as they
do; but they can have no earthly
claim uDon the support of those who
do not believe in high license and who
voted and worked and fought against
it,"