The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1909-01-27
COUNTY UNIT BILL
Urged by State Superintendent OF
Public Instruction.

ernor Wilson's policy of not call
inc the General Assembly into
special session to pass another
county unit bill.
State Superintendent of Public
instruction j. q. Crabbe expresses
the belief that sufficient emergency
exists for a special session.
Il favor a special session for
the sole purpose of considering
this question.
The people who were interest
ed in the bill did not Get square
deal in the last Assembly. Those
were the times that tried mems
souls In special session, untram-
meIed, with no complications. and
with fair, full discussion, the
bill can win on its merits.
Last year the people were over
whelmingly for the bill. They
have been for the movement for
years. \ little more than year
ago candidates were falling over
themselves to get into the band
wagon, or rather onto the water
wagon The people had spoken.
To-day the people are, beyond
a peradventure, for the bill. They
plead for an opportunity, they
vote in every direction for it.: an
insistent clamor goes over the
State, give us chance to vote =
The people will always be for
it. They mean business. They
have declared that they will knife
any man or party that opposes
openly the movement. Some have
thus 'suicided.' The people will
be heard. The General Assembly
Will near anu neeu.
The State administration should
redeem its promises: a large ma
jority of the Assembly is pledged
TO pass the bill. Let the bill have
a trial with an open field and a
fair count.
Il believe that there is sufficient
causes for emergency.
The licensed liquor traffic in
Kentucky is despoiling our homes
and society; it is debauching our
schools and scores of those in au-
thority; it is corruptirg our demo-
cratic government in local, in
State, in National affairs.
This is not a question of maud
lin sentiment or of religious pyro-
technics, or of fanatical Mysteries,
but a matter of grave public pol
icy, far-reaching, urgent, vital and
it will not down.
To-day there are two all-absorb-
ing public questions in the State,
public education and the liquor
traffic. | do not forget that many
important public questions must
be solved speedily and rightly, but
am persuaded that most, if not
all, of these Observation-Disclosures
ness, night riding, the race prob
lem, illiteracy, graft and others
are cemprehended in these two all
embracing questions, public educa-
ton and the liquor traffic.
The people have had too much
iiquor-bad liquor. From the
Misunderstanding liquid moonshine
that kills and damns so many of
the finest flower of the Common
wealth, to the equally harmless
looking dainty wines and liquors
that tempt our boys-and girls-to
touch, to taste, to handle, in order
that the crop of drunkards may be
constantly augmented-there has
been too much of it. Give the
sovereign people a chance, and,
my word for it, they will bury it
without hOnOrs.
In advance | venture to remark
that / have no political bee in my
bonnet. l am of the opinion, with
a great man, that politics is hell.
Certainly there is too much poll
tics, to the great neglect of indus
trial and commercial de development,
of civic developments, of public
education. The great temperance
movement is, fortunately, Gon-po-