The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-11-22
THE PROHIBITION CONTEST.

| and Wilmington alone until the Legs
! lature meets.-News and Observer
Does this mean that the organ of
the democratic party advocates the
reputation of the Watts law plank IN
the democratic state platform?
We take the above to mean that the
next legislature will pass an act, or
an attempt will be made to have it
pass such an act, putting prohibition
, in force in the two cities mentioned !.
J without regard to the wishes of the
majority of the voters Thereon.
If the legislature is to pass prohibl-
ton laws for those cities without re- !
gard to the will of the people what IS /
the use of putting those cities to the !
expense of holding elections? If 1t Is |
the purpose to establish prohibition IN
these by legislative enactment II 1t
cannot be had by vote OF the people
we think it would be much better to
call off the question and wait until the
next state convention meets and then
repudiate the democratic principle OF
: self government now embodied in the
party's state platform and then have
the following Legislature arbitrarily
put the principle in force. This, 1t IS
= true, would be in direct violation OF
S hat fundamental principle of the DEM
= ocratic party-self government-and
v would be reputation of one of the
q planks of the present state platform,
but in the eyes of many the closing OF
saloons is of far greater importance
than any party pledges or political
principles and in accomplishing their
closing any means employed are justi-
fed by the ends to be attained.
We believe in local self-government
and the rule of the majority in such
matters. The people of the state.
through their representatives IN the
democratic state convention and in
the legislature, have declared for TINS
nrinciple in the treatment OF the
linuor traffic and we believe in abld-
ing by that decision. If majority
of the voters of this or of any other
city in the state declare, through an
election on the question, in FAVOR oi
. saloons or of prohibition their will sc
r expressed should be recognized as the
',- law of the community and that law
to should be rigid1y enforced. But those
voters should not be treated as child
de ron .or IRRESPONSIBLE beings and tolt
in that if they do not decide the question
tn for themselves-as the law gives then
n the right to do-in a way TO pleas'
ne some people not voters or resloehI
a. of that city the matter will be takel
les ont of their hands and decided fo
en- them.
as The Messenger takes neither sid
he !io ,.,+ :,
cd in the present prohibition contest Il
this CITY. 1t is not it's province to d
te Soto attempt to influence any man /
T his vote should the election be ordered
IS How he shall vote Is a question 10
le each man to decide for himself afte
W careful consideration. No one but
ne fanatic on either side can deny tha
- There are two sides to the question
ne and it is a two-fold proposition
eS moral and economic. Some person
'e- look at it from the one standpoint an
Ial some from the other. Some try to n
re- concile the two, and, in our opinion
le' thew have the hardest task befoi
a'e them. The main question, and II
sn one which should interest all men col
oe cerued i'm the moral and social elev'
IL ton of their fellow men, is how
III devise a plan by which all men
'h0 conflicting opinions can meet on
VIC common plane and, work together L
III the advancement of temperance ar
res the moral elevation Of their fello
l'o men. This must be done by persis
me ent work and untiring effort in incu
'ie' eating the ideas OF temperance al
W Christian life-not by legislative
re- actment looked upon by the people
ses infringement of their natural or co
i've stitutionally guaranteed rights.
nts Above all things we urge moderate
re- in the discussion of this questi'
at which has been brought before o
ley people. There are good and true m
in on each. side of the question. If J
by are to have the contest let each m
the give his opponents credit for bel