The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-04-09
Wrong in Principle.
State Prohibition Against Dem
ocratic Principle Of Local
Self-Government-A Major
ity Vote May Destroy this
Inalienable Right, but What
is to Come After?

New Berne Journal.
The Wilmington Messenger is tax
ing quite a positive view on the
question of local self-government in
what might be termed it's relation to
the state prohibition election in May.
The Messenger believes that the legis
lative act enforcing an election upon
the entire state on the issue of prohi-
bition is against the democratic
principle of local self-goysrnment.
OF course the Messenger, being pub
lished in city with saloons, will be
declared an upholder of liquor drink
ing and the saloon, because OF this
declaration. The Journal, published
in a prohibition city, and defender
of prohibition as declared by its COM
munity, has already said the same
thing as the Messenger that the issue
Of localselfgovernment was a greater
issue involved in the May election than
that of whether half a dozen Or So
places in North Carolina should have
to give up their saloons and dispen-
saries.
If the issue was such, assuming
that every town and city that has
saloons or dispensary in it in this
state is so corrupt, it's citizens SO
stepped in the traffic ofli9uor selling.
and that these places, one and all,
were so vicious in their example in
promoting and assisting crime as to
endanger every other place in the
state, then there might be a demand
to override all precedent and princi-
pie, and, by q majority force, say
that not one of the socalled wet towns
should be permitted to vote, that
their local franchise be taken away
and that outsiders be given the right
to make and enforce their local gov
eminent
But no such conditions exist No
vicious local control is to be found
in Washington, Wilmington and
Salisbury. Neither can it be said that
crimes in these places even exceed,
through liquor causes, other places
in this state where prohibition has
been voted in. This is not the argu-
| ment or contention, however-that
| OF any comparison. The state cleo
ton infers through it's mandatory
act that the citizens of saloon and
| dispensary towns are not capable OF
elf-government That IL central
state authority through it's legisla-
ture shall declare the right kind of
| government for them.
The danger in giving Legislative
authority sway, to make a popular
vote serve to fix the status of local
municipal government, instead Of
each community deciding for itself;
must be evident to every intelligent
person. Public morality was never
we'll served through compulsion. The
temperance sentiment in North Car
DINA is on the increase, but it will not
successfully grow except by the right
kind of appeal which the people of
every town and city can best Judge
to be the most effective and wisest
course of procedure. The destruc-
ton of local self-government can new
er prove the way to successfully build
up the temperance cause. Majority
vote may defeat local self-govern-
ment through the May election. But
what is to come after?
The farmer who raises hog and
hominy sufficient for his wants, then
cotton or tobacco is fortified to
| fight trusts or demand his price
| While the farmer who buys his sup
| plies to be paid for with money from
tobacco or cotton scarcely has any
say as to when, or what he will take
for his produce.-Litttleton News
Reporter.
Kennedy's Laxative Cough Syrup-the
| cough syrup that tastes nearly as good as
| maple sugar and which children like so well
to take Unlike nearly all other cough rem
edies it does not coLstipate, but on the other
| hand it acts promptly yet gently on the
bowels, through which the cold is forced out
| of the system, and at the same time it allays
| Inflammation. Always use Kennedy's Laxa-
tive Cough Syrup. Sold at Parker Two
| Drug Stores
The Awakenino