The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-09-21

cities where liquor is now sold to say
whether or not they want the Adams law
extended. Or | would approve, as Gov
erpor, the extension of the Adams law to
the larger cities of the State if the delega-
tons from those cities representing the
people recommended the extension, as was
invariably done in abolishing charters Of
towns under the Adams law If the queS-
ton was left by the Legislature to the peo-
pie TO determine, and they should vote liq-
uor out of any city or cities where it is
now sold | would, as Governor of Ten
nessee, approve any measure that would
carry out their expressed will on this sub
ject, even Though it meant complete pro-
hibition in the State. Or if the Legislature
should by law attempt to regulate and con-
troll the liquor traffic by any other regula-
ton looking to its restriction short of COM
pulsory prohibition, would, as Governor,
approve such legislation.
have stated with great care and partic-
ularity my views, based upon the Demo-
cratic platform, so that hereafter there may
be no misunderstanding or misconstruc-
tons of them, except by those who will re-
fuse to understand, or those whose purpose
IS always to misconstrue.
1t is matter of general comment not
only in Tennessee bit elsewhere that the
temperance laws now on the statute books
Of the State are probably the best that have
been devised in any State of the Union, and
while there are occasional violations, as
we must expect of all laws, yet in the main
they are generally observed and the result
has been to decrease drunkenness, vice and
crime wherever the law has been applied.
This has been accomplished not SO much on
account of the laws themselves as the heal
thy public sentiment which demanded the
laws, and which has sustained them.
The original four-mile law, and all of
the amendments thereto, including the
Adams law, which bears the name of
Democratic Senator, are of Democratic |
origin, and were the work of Democratic |
Legislatures ard met the approval of Dem |
ocratic Governors. These laws were en-
acted to meet the demands of the people, I
50 that now in every town in Tennessee
IF 5000 people or under the sale Of liquor
las, been declared illegal This record 1
snotiln gfVS tUhifsle,lce t6 Tx sJae4;ss vnsss~
State, and be 4 guarantee to them that no
Democratic Legislature will ever attempt
to interfere with the laws now upon the
statute books, but will maintain them as
they have been written. 1t is a further
guarantee that in all future legislation on
this subject the Democratic party can be
safely trusted.
SOME TEMPERANCE HISTORY.
1t must be remembered that the present I
Democratic platform is not only distinct
step forward on this question, but, up to
he time of its enactment, no other plat
form, Democratic or Republican, had adj
Janced so far in the statement of position
md intention. 1t goes even further than
he temperance advocates themselves asked
n 1896, and is in full accord with the
,est thought Of the State on this subject.
let me call to mind an account of the pro-
eedings of the Democratic State conven-
ion OF 1896, as the same appears in the
Nashville American of May and 8, 1906.
t appears that on April 80, 1896, meet
ng of those interested in temperance was
eld at Nashville, and certain resolutions
we're adopted favoring local self-govern-
1ent on the subject of the sale of liquor. !
Committees were appointed to present the
equest of this meeting to the next conven-
ons of the two political parties. Hon. S.
v Hawkins and w. F. Poston were APP
ointed to present the resolutions to the
republican convention, and DR. f. f. Hoss,
ow Bishop Hoss, of the Methodist Epis-
opal Church, South, was selected to pre- I
INT the resolutions to the Democratic con- I
ention. 1t does not appear that the reso-
Itions were ever presented to the Repub
can convention at all, or that this conven-
on ever received or considered them. The ,
epubican platform in 1896 was prepared !
nd recommended by the Republican l
eague of Tennessee, and was adopted by q
e convention. III. Clay Evans now the
ominee of the Republican party, was a ii
ember of the committee on resolutions of ri
is league, and his name was the first Il
gned to the report. The platform as re- al
'rted and adopted by the convention did ii
it contain single word on the subject
temperance or approve in any manner, II
ape or form the principle of local self i
4,
hc lesoiulloHS, however, OF the leID- ~
rance League were presented to the Oh
convention by Bishop Hoss, in e,
speech in which the distinguished divine r
tied fully the demands and the principle ST
{ league wished recognized in the plat d
RIM. All of that part Of DIR. Hoss speech W
that subject is here quoted: dt
"A convention of 900 or 400 representa- in
e and respectable Tennesseans met in w
S hall on the goth day of last month in
e