The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-08-21

crow against me that was brought on
against my friend. Col Evans. and
was circulated around town that Til
man was for the Force BILL laugh
teri. And many Of those who re
peated it didn't know what the Force
Bill was and don't to this good day
Now, as a matter Of fact, l was never
I in Congress, | never voted for tbs
Force Bill, | never favored it, and
challenge any man to find an utter
ance or sentence OF mine after its
passage commencing it. 1t was moi
wrong in principle, it answered a clear
and unquestioned right Of the Federal
Government to see to it that in the
election of members of the National
Assembly, the House of Representa-
tives, that there should be fair cleo
ton from Maine to Florida; the only
unfortunate feature about it was due
to the existence of the race problem
In the South, and that was the sole
ground of my opposition to it. Well,
these old scarecrows are brought out
from time to time, and they remind
me, as they do you, many of you, of
when you were a boy on farm
some of you have farms now; | have.
l remember we were accustomed toI
take a rail, sharpen it and then nail
a cross piece on it, then dress it up,
drive it up in the garden, or corn
field or roasting ear patch, put an old
coat on it and 1t would brighten the
crows off for a week or so, but they |
would soon get so they would come |
and roost on it, Well now, think
after the lapse Of some twenty or
.hirty-five years, our good Democratic
who are in the same
,oat with us and have the same in
crest that we have, have gotten over
heir scare. most of them, of these old
and are ready to come
md roost on them. daughter and
pplause). 1t is true that they will
righten a great many ignorant and
fellow-citizens who will L
" like the flock of crows did to- the
lids Of the Democratic wood. but
hey are not many.
Conditions of Present. 7
But putting aside now all these S
asst things, it Is not the history of I
asst times, but the conditions of the 6
resent time that we wish to discuss, r
i'd as stated in your platform, which "
member of your committee has kind Il
handed to me, the first question in "
lportance is the question of State a
lde prohibition. (Applause.) As1 Il
u have been told and know, this is a
} new position on the part of the CT
publican party. 1t was stated en- pl
atically two years ago in almost the II
me language contained in this plat L
rm, and the Republicans have stood pi
the cause of temperance from the 81
ne it was first sprung in> this State, w
ELL our good Democratic fellow cit la
ms continually cried out 'sumptuary 10
VS., personal liberty is to be in 10
nged and all that, but it isn't so 10
tn them now. They have been con- IN
rted, and believe large majority Is
them are in unison with the Repub- UP
ans upon that question. Gov Pat er
son's nosition and the nosition of do
!, platform upon which he stands Is
1t the liquor traffic, the saloon, is tn
al question, and that it is a matter mi
local self-goverument. Now, fell tn
, citizens, that is an essentially false up
position The principle of local
government, as every lawyer tn;
1ws, applies in this way: That ad
ere a particular subdivision of the 81;
ly polite town or city, has inter- is
S that concern that town or city 1t
and alone, or If it con- prt
ms another community it is but re- st;
tely and not vitality, upon all such tn
jects as those we all agree that Is
inhabitants of the particular COM ed'
nifty could regulate and should reg mo
tie them--such as streets and lights in
police regulation, and everything wo
hat kind, But If, as your platform ser
S, and fellow citizens, as every Ian
ge in this land nearly for a quar- in
of century who has had occasion to
give utterance upon the subject has Mt
1, as the Supreme Court of the tina
ted States has said without a dis kee
ting voice-just what you have pri
|, that the general use of intoxi- S
ng liquors is detrimental to the the
lie health that It Is productive of pro
erty and crime, that it produces Ian
ering and sorrow and fills our jails VIII
asylums and our penitentiaries Yol