The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-09
Is TENNESSEE rYp,cAL1.

Tennessee. might be said to be some
thing Of storm center on the liquor
question. Just now 1t is enjoying the
center calm. The first Eruption will
be July I. this year. whe nthe sale OF
liquor is to cease: the second January
!, next. when 1t will become unlawful
to manufacture intoxicating beverages.
And It Is peculiarly annoying pros
pect from the liquor dealers view
point. The state had already gone
dry except in the three counties OF
Davidson. Shelby and Hamilton, and
the four cities Of Nashville, Memphis,
Chattanooga and LaFollette, to which
the saloons were saved by locar option.
When the present Governor Patterson
ran for the nomination at the prina-
ries against e. w. Carmack he won on
the issue of local option, having
large majority OF the democratic votes
in the primaries. But when the leg
tslature met twenty-five republicans
IN the house and five In the senate
poined with the prohibition democrats,
and so gave that cause a two-thirds
majority, and It not only promptly
passed . prohibition law, but OVERRIDE
Governor Patterson's veto thereof
without debate. It was peremptory
in the extreme, and this is one reason
why We say that from the liquor deal
er's viewpoint the Tennessee situation
= peculiarly annoying.
Here was state that was "dry as
bone" In all except four cities and
three counties. under what has always
been regarded Is the fairest principle
tho decision by local units. But
this did not satisfy the anti-liquor Fore
-. They organised . tremendous
statewide prohibition campaign. And
they organized It we'll. The Metho-
dist church was particularly effective.
Meetings were held in churches and
school houses and sensationalism and
bitterness marked the time. But
there was no anti-prohibition organi-
xation; no gathering Of statistics, pub
lication Of literature. etc. All that the
'.wets" asked was local option--surely
. meek request. But as reflected in
the action Of the legislature the pro-
ton. Governor Patterson, In his veto
message which was treated 20 cava-
lisrly. pleaded against the destruction
of revenue ESTIMATED for the state at
81 Loo .O0Oy: against the discrimination
prohibition would work against the
people Of Tennessee In favor of those
OF other states: against the confisca-
ton Of property that the prohibition
OF manufacture would entail. AMI
against the lowering OF the states dig
nifty and the violation Of the will of
cratic) primaries. But the elephants
charged on!
The governor reaches far when he
says that prohibition would be a con-
fiscation Of property. That doctrine
has found countenance In England,
both In Gladstone's statement and IN
Balfour's act. But 1t has never OBJ
tanned In this country. Recently we
printed the decision OF the Supreme
Court that holds precisely the opposite
and American doctrine. Neverthee-
less IN 1CuuSSSSc SUITS H0VC OccH lieu
to test this doctrine. Nor Is this
strange, for the liquor interests there
have received severe treatment. But
unless the supreme court reverses the
American doctrine we do not see how
the severity is going to be eased Be
sides the loss Of $1,OOO.OOO. which the
governor deplores, $1O.OOO.O0O worth
Of property will be reduced to idle
meas and $4,000 employees will have to
seek other jobs. OF course there is
another side to the account In police
court. jail and prison expenses, to be
reckoned. but this Is not mentioned j,
and Tennessee did not care. It just
went ahead and did the things that we
have Get out. r. Tennessee TYPICAL
Indianapolis News.