The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-31


Salem. and others, are disfranchised
by this bili-you are trying to rob
them OF their right to local option; 10
deny them OF the privilege and the
fisk; that has been accorded TO Char
lotte. Raleigh. Newbern and Other
cities OF this state. You are appealing
to me. n democrat. representing
democratic constituency. and to my
friends from Rowan. democrats. repre-
senting n democratic constituency. and
to friends from Forsyth-all represent
/ ing n democratic constituency-you are
are doing TO us-what the Daniel L.
Russell administration did for my city
TO take away from US the local self
government 10 which we are entitled.
II the state prohibitionist OF North
Carolina were honest and fair In this
matter. and IL they wanted vote on
state prohibition, then. Mr.. Speaker.
I let them eliminate from section that
part OF IL which says that no matter
how the election goes In the counties
already dry. they will remain 30. In
| other words. Mr.. Speaker and gentle
men, IL is a case Of heads you win,
tails / lose"
The only chance for Wilmington %
win and preserve the local self-govern-
ment to which she Is entitled and the
thing she so desires, Is for her and
Salisbury and the other counties now
wet to go all over the state. To ask
seventy other counties TO vote them
wet. and when we come 10 that, IL WIZ
be like II was In Raleigh. when the
saloon men and the liquor men that
could not sell liquor here, voted for
prohibition ON the principle Of the
dog in the manger. He could not have
! IL himself, and he didn't want any
body else to have it. IL you out
vote me, as | know you will, / want
you 10 change the title or this bill,
and instead OF its being entitled "A
Bill to Prevent the Manufacture and
Selling OF Intoxicating Liquors In the
State of North Carolina" strike out
the North Carolina" and make the
title OF It, "A Bill 10 Prevent the Nan
ufacture and Sale OF Intoxicating Liq-
uors in the counties OF New Hanover.
! Rowan and Forsyth. etc" In Heavens
name, Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen Of
| this body be honest-let IL be rightly
entitled-make 1t a bill that would a.
! least be honest on its face.
! If YOU gentlemen will adopt my
amendment and let the majority In the
state decide whether we will have state
prohibition or not, then | will support
! this bill But | ask you not 10 get
me into a losing game 10 have the re-
suits all your own way. ! ask you 10
| give me and my people at least a
gamblers chance. for the deepest
dyed professional gambler would give
man some chance, but this gives us
nothing. All / want TO say. democrat
as | am, I and my people will denouncev
the action of this body on this question
of state prohibition. We stand square
tly on the democratic platform as Laid
down at Greensboro, and | say that
you gentlemen have stepped of that
platform and been lead along In a
whirlpool that has deadened your
sense of Justice as between man and
man, and your sense Of honor To the
principles of local self government for
which the democratic party has stood
for 10 these many years. ''''
Gentlemen propose to vote against
this bill If my amendment is not ad-
opted. If you are not willing TO strike
out this provision that the Ward and
| Watts bills still remain in force, then
/ | shall say to the people OF North
Carolina in the campaign that the bin
is delusion and a snare, and that the
majority of our friends forgot the plat
form and stepped of, and we who are
standing straight on that plank Will
go out on the stump and tell the peo-
pie that we want honest and fair leg
islation, that we want a bill that Ia
just and square.
IF you have a hundred thousand
majority why are you not willing
To let that hundred thousand majority
which you gentlemen claim is not go
( ing to be put to the test: tell me why
this little rider there in section is
left here, SO that II you don't have tho
hundred thousand majority, the seven
ty counties out of the ninety-eight will
remain as they are. You make this
matter so that Ashevilie, Charlotte ap2
Raleigh shall say whether or not WiIJ
mington shall be dry or wet We did
not ask that we be allowed to vote
when your elections were on. Now We
come TO you with an honest and fair
proposition. that IL you want this mat
In
cept the Watts and Ward bills but
leave II TO the hundred thousand maj
ority which you gentlemen claim to
have. II the majority SO votes. then
we will stand with you. But when you
deprive US OF local self-government,
repeat, Mr.. Speaker. 1T makes OF this
bill fraud upon the people, a deIusion