The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-12-04
''HIGH LICENSE"
SAYS CARMACK
FURTHER EXPOSITION OF THE
SUBJECT BY TENNEssEE's
BRILLIANT JUNIOR
SENATOR.

w. r. Hamilton, Superintendent o
the Anti-Saloon League in East Ten
nessee, is manifesting great concern
in the question of high license TO
saloons. He recently wrote Unitet
States Senator Carmack for a state
ment of his views on the question
and Mr. Carmack replied as follows:
MY Dear Mr. Hamilton:-I do moi
think you have correctly understood
my position with respect to high Ii
cense. In the first place, / stated my
position with special reference to
Memphis alone, and with reference to
the peculiar conditions prevailing
there 1t is not in the least inconsis-
tent with the programme of the Anti
Saloon League, and is not intended as
substitute for any part of that pro-
gramme, but as an additional measure
to be employed where the legislation
proposed by the league falls short of
the hoped-for relief.
You believe that Knoxville, by a
large majority, will vote to close the
saloons-very well, by all means, let
1t be done. But suppose Knoxville or
any other city votes by large major
ity not to close the would it
be a step backward to enforce high
license rather than allow low license,
thereby closing many where otherwise
you would close none?
Il am thoroughly satisfied that the
people of Memphis would not vote to
close the saloons at this time The
law therefore, would bring us no re-
lief whatever from the deplorable con-
ditions that have existed there for so
many years. 1t will do us no good
to have laws that are barren of re-
suits.
we now have stringent laws
against the sale of whiskey on Sun
day, but for years whiskey has been
regularly sold for seven days in the
week. We have the four-mile law ap-
plicable to nearly all the county out
side of Memphis, yet / am told that
there are more than a hundred sa-
looms in Shelby County where whis-
key is sold in open and fragrant viola
ton of the four-mile law. We have
had laws against gambling, but gam
bling-houses continued for years to
DO flourishing business and the low
est dens of vice and crime were main
tained where Knockout drops were |
where pockets were |
picked. where men were held up and
robbed at the point of pistol, where
officers of the law were murdered in
cold blood, and into which young
men were lured to be debauched and
corrupted.
"This is the condition of things
which leading Memphis newspaper
declared to exist under the preceding
,ity administration and it openly
/
existed through the connivance and
consent of the lawful authorities. The
anne newspaper, with how much truth
am unprepared to say, charges that
he gambling den and the illegal sale
f whiskey goes on now as before.
Sut to make assurance doubly sure
he new Legislature is to be asked
8 a matter of local courtesy to rip /
u the charter of Memphis with a /
lew to overthrowing the Mayor cleo
ed by the people and of restoring the !
Id regime under which this awful !
of affairs was admitted to $
xist
"In the meantime, we have had agi
atoms from the press and pulpit; we 9
ave had law and order leagues: we
ave had mass-meetings in which pub
G Indignation was wrought to the
ighest pitch. But we have never had
n enforcement of the law. The
Tvs against gambling and Sunday
ppling have been used chiefly as
ub to enforce political obedience.
"In this condition Of affairs we want
)me effective law-some law that
iii be enforced. We believe that
tate license law for not less than a
ousand dollars year, and requir-
e city and county to levy like IL
,nse, and all payable annually in adj
lnce, will diminish by hundreds the
imber of whiskey shops In Shelby
ounty, and to that extent weaken the
hiskey power there. The county Of ,
,ials responsible for the collection Z
these licenses would not dare to
II in their duty. A salutary lesson
that respect having already been !
ught in the case Of former official. Z
at Is not a question of making the {
affic respectable but It is a ques- I
IN to use your own language, Of J