The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-06-22
FOR TEMPERANCE LEGISLATION.

FOR TEMPERANCE lEGiSIAl lON' ,
The Herald has announced that 1t
would support the Democratic noml-
nee for Governor; and we hope IN
good faith to make that promise good.
But there is another thing the Herald
has promised itself; and that is that
it will help the temperance cause
wherever and whenever and however
it can. We hope that these two prom
ises may not conflict, the one with the
other. We shall do what we can 10
see that they do not.
Not in any spirit of captlousness'
therefore, but seeking to- bring about
a better understanding, do we renew
our suggestion, made Immediately al
ter the convention, that the temper
ance plank in the Democratic platform
is ambiguous. 1t endorses the Adams
law. as "having decreased drunken
ness vice and crime" it opposes the
alteration of this law, and yet it ia
vors the extension of the law Now
how can it be extended without It's
being altered? 1t favors its extension,
"provided its extension is with the
consent of the people to be effected
thereby, believing" says the platform
"that the people of any locality have
the right to determine this question
for themselves.
The last part Of the last SEN
tence, chat the people Of any
locality have the right to de-
termine this question for them
selves" is sound Democratic doctrine.
But who are the people of the "locali-
typ" And who are the people to be
"effected?" If Columbia should ask
the legislature and the Governor to
have the Adams law extended to Co
lumbia who would be effected" by
that, the people of Maury county, or
the people of Columbia? And If an
election should be called, who would
vote? And when should the vote be
taken? Before we nominate candi-
dates for the legislature, or after
wards? Before we ask for the law, or
afterwards? And If before, how may
we determine who shall vote? For
whichever way the temnerance people
might determine, the whiskey people
just for the sake of contest, If for no
better reason, would oppose. There
may be a number of honest, contrary,
conflicting opinions as to the manner
of procedure under the resolutions.
There is Just one man who can con-
strue that resolution with any binding
force; and that is the man who will
have to construe it if he is elected
Governor; and why should he not con-
strue it now as well as then, and let
the people vote for or against him, &C.
cording to the construction which he
places upon the most important plank
in his platform. Certainly Mr.. Patter-
son does not desire that any man
should vote for him under a misappre-
tension of what he is for, or what he
will do. With all the holiness and ag-
gressiveness and courage with which
his friends credit him, surely he is
willing for the people to know just
what he will do when as Governor the
extension of the Adams law comes
before him.
He said in his speeches that he
would sign any bill extending the
Adams law to any town where the peo-
pie wanted it. How shall we deter
mine, Mr.. Patterson, and when, wheth-
err or not the people want it?
He said he would sign a bill giving
the law to any community where
the representatives were agreed
upon it. But suppose Maury County
should send two representa-
tives to the lower house, who
wanted the the Adams law extended
to Columbia, but the Senator, coming
from another county, and represent
ing the district composed of three
counties) should oppose it; but de-
spite the Senator'S opposition suppose
it should pass the legislature; what
would the Governor do? What would
he do? We may be of the opinion that
he would do one thing; you may think
he would do differently. But he alone
knows what he would do, and he alone
can answer.
Now then, in view of all the honest
doubts that may arise, and the dis
sensions caused thereby, and the re-
sultant stay-at-home vote; for the
good, as we see it of the Democratic
party, and for a fair square deal who
ever it may hurt or help, we are in
favor of the temperance Democrats
of the state demanding now an honest,
open, plain construction of the plank