The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1906-06-21
As to Temperance legislation.

As to Temperance Legislation.
The Midland Methodist, the organ of
the Holston and Tennessee conferences
Of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South, says;
"The headlines in a daily paper an
nounce disappointment for the Anti
Saloon League in the platform adopted
by the democratic convention at Nash
vile. This is gratuitOus. The plank
on temperance is satisfactory to some
OF the league, at least. There has been
no meeting over the matter. 1t is true
that the platform committee was asked
to put in an utterOnce on the Jug train
nuisance, but nobody is specially grum-
bling because they did not do so. We
can not expect to get everything we
ask for from political parties. Without
entering into politics, the Midland has
no hesitancy in saying that the conven-
ton rang out strong and true on the
Adams law and its possible extension
to the entire state. Tennessee has no
notion of going backward in temper
ance legislation.
This is a sensible and practical view
No attempt to make it appear that the
democratic platform is hostile to tenn.
perance laws or Legislation can come
from anybody who is not the open or
secret enemy Of the democratic party
or who is an honest and intelligent
friend Of the cause of temperance. No
state in the Union has wiser temperance
legislation than Tennessee, and every
temperance law in the statutes has been
placed there under democratic admin
istration and by democratic legisla
ture. Members of the Anti.SalooI
Legue who have no special interest in
any candidate for Office and who have
no personal reason for being opposed
to any democratic nominee have ne
couse or reason for dissatisfaction with
the democratic platform. Nobody wh(
processes dissatisfaction with the plat
form or who privately or otherwise un
dertakes to circulate reports intended
to injure any democratic nominee cal
claim any superiority of honest zeal o.
wisdom or Judgment in the matter o
temperance legislation. The member
ship OF the Anti Saloon League include
but shall part of the voters of Ten
nessee who Hve helped to bring aboA
existing temperance legislation an,
who are the firm foes of the saloon
There are many thousands of such vot
ers among democrats and they will vot
the democratic ticket, because there i
no reason why they should not and n
excuse for their not doing so.
The Midland Methodist says tn
plank on temperance is satisfactory t
some of the league, at least. 1t
, doubtless satisfactory to practically a
members. On the platform committe
were some as ardent temperance advc
Gates as there are in the state, but thei
t ardor is tempered with Judgment an
the saving grace OF common sense ]
will be conceded, we think, that til
American had something to do with til
creation of what is known as the Adam
! law. No individual or journal has don
s so much in behalf of temperance sent
q ment, reform or legislation within th
last few years. The American approve
the platform on this subject. 1t indorl
es earnestly and heartily the candidat
who stands upon it and who will renal
true to his and the platforms declari
tions and promises, and whose fin
courage and honesty no informed ma
Q can doubt.
= Doubtless the republican platforl
will contain an emphatic declaration o
the saloon question. In the effort
please extremists it may even go beyon
the democrtit platform. But everybod
understands that the republican pla
form will be nothing more than decls
ration. The legislature, not the GOV
ernOr, makes the laws, and the legislf
ture is absolutely certain to be ovel
. whelmingly democratic. In any even
, however, both parties will stand for, e1
listing laws and such additional laws q
may be practical or demanded. AS th
Methodist says: Tennessee has no nc
tion of going backward in temperate
legislation" And it owes what it ha
t or may hope to have to the democrat
party. Nashville American.