The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-07-20

backward along the line. And since
it is the duty of the State to legislate
against drunkenness, vice and crime
in every community, we favor an ex.
tension of these laws to all towns,
and cities of the State, as now pro-
vided, regardless of the number of in
habitants.
1--WE favor such legislation by our
General Assembly and National Con-
gress as will prevent the shipment of
intoxicating liquor into dry territories
to the end that those communities
which have or may come under the
provisions of the State laws may have
the full benefits of such salutary
statutes"
1t will not do, in answer to this, to
say that the Republicans are insin-
cere in this utterance. Public senti-
ment doubtless drove them to it; just
the same as public sentiment drove
the Democrats to it, Platforms are
made to catch votes; no more by one
party than another. The way to meet
the issue is to meet it; not to dodge
it. The people will not stand for any
further lodging
The Democratic temperance plank
is not as strong as the Republican
plank; but it is strong enough, and
good enough, if it is fairly construed
But it admits of almost any old con-
struction one wishes to give it; and
for that reason it should be construed
by the candidate, whose construction
alone will stand after the election
And the Herald, in insisting upon this,
believes it is a better friend to the
Democratic party and the Democratic
nominee, than those who refuse to ac-
knowledge a danger which every man
of any political sense or foresight is
bound to know is real and imminent !
The people make public sentiment, /
and public sentiment makes the is |
sues of campaign. In the minds and |
hearts of the people, the temperance |
question is the issue of this campaign,
and it will not down. Certainly it
will not down, when the Republican
nominee takes the stump and forces
it to the front, as he is as certain to
do as he lives. Would it not be bet
ter, from both a personal and political L
for Mr. Patterson to face ;
he question before he is forced to do t
so? Had he not better straighten |
)ut his temperance plank and declare h
himself straight out and unequivocal- f
Y for a law the people have made and f
which they now want to extend, rather
han to wait and be twitted for his
ambiguity by his political opponent? !
We believe SO; and we believe his :
,est friends should so advise him.
There is another plank in the Re-
publican platform which will appeal
o the moral voters of Tennessee. 1t
eads:
believing that gambling, whatever !
he guise, is ruinous to business in
erests and destructive of morals, we ;.
avor the enactment of a statute by :,
he next General Assembly that shall =
lake betting, in any form, on any
ace course, either in the State or
ut, licensed o: unlicensed, crime" :,
These are strong planks, both of :,
hem. They will appeal to large y
umber of conscientious Democrats.
he Democratic party should not be '
along these lines; it sho' 0
e aggressive 1t is all bosh to talk II
one party being more sincere than
he other party. The party for "mor- n
ideas" should stand for them. The
arty that does not stand for moral
Ieas" in Tennessee, will find it's ranks
epleted, when the ides of November r.
0me, of many of it's staunchest and n
lost reliable voters. The time to \
ounter against this effort of the Re-
lblican managers to capture the tenn II
erance and anti-gambling voters of a
is now. Delay is dangerous. q