Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1909-01-28
N.Y. MY! MY

The Chattanooga Times seems to
think that the devilish republicans are
at the bottom of the state wide move
ment or rather the "pretext' for it,
as the following witnesseth.
The Jasper Statesman Democrat APP
provingly quotes the following from
the Sequachee News: ''If it is a ques-
tion of Whiskey VS. Democracy, it
would be far better to wipe democracy
from the state rather than whiskey
control it. F" Our republican friends
seem to have hit on the happy pretext
at last. This sentiment from the Sc
quachee News reads precisely as the
ultimatum that rang out from Fan
ueil hall in 1860-''if it is democracy
or slavery better that democracy be
effaced from the earth than that the
infamy be perpetuated' -or words to
that effect 1t was politics largely
then, and it is politics now. Coer-
cion, injustice and wrong then brought
on war; they will not bring war now,
but they will bring discussion, dishar-
mony and resentment until the right
and justice and fair play prevail. The
democratic party will survive just as
it survived the civil war. --Chattanoo-
ga Times
The Times is in strange condition
of mind to get off such peculiar par
agraph as that. If it be parallel
case, then it is the slavery of drink
to which many men are prone when
placed in contact with the stuff. Re-
move the saloon and make it difficult
to get the damnable stuff, and men re-
main sober. Put a whiskey shop on
every corner of the street as the whis
key men undoubtedly would like to
do, and half of the population would
be habitual drunkards, and two-thirds
of the remainder imbibers. 1t is not a
question of politics. 1t is a question
of morality, and by the eternal it is
going to remain so. Politics is moth
ing compared to the morality of a ma
ton, and if the democratic party
stands for local option and local op-
tions means that the whiskey men can
purchase enough votes to keep their
business running. then let the demo-
cratic party go to warmer climate
than this to cool off, and get reason.
If the republicans have taken up the
prohibition slogan for politics sake, it
is particularly crafty move. You
might note also that the republican
party is party of expansion and pro-
gress, perhaps more so than the demo-
cratic party, which does not wish to
shoulder burdens the republicans take
up cheerfully, consequently if there is
any financial loss to result from state
wideism, they know how to make it
up. Apropos of the subject, why did
mt the Times support Bryan in his
first race when he was elected presi.
dent of these United States by the pop
nlar vote of the people2 Is the demo
cracy of the Times so wonderful after
all. But oh we forgot. The Times
represents the local option crowd. tbs
democrats of Tennessee who are being
manipulated by the whiskey men Il
their own ends. If the cry from Fan
ueil Hall was such an awful sin, an(
the republicans have 1t charged
against them on the record that the!
wiped out slavery, no doubt the ange
who records the deeds of men will
grab up fresh pocket handkerchief
three for quarter) moisten it wit
tears, and then write down, ''In 100
the whiskey forces in Tennessee ha
to skeddaddle, and by iinks the re
publican party, and the Sequache
News made EN- take to the woods.
We do not say absolutely that tn
worthy gentleman equipped with tn
gliding machines will actually do this
but Judging from the ChattanOog
Times Fanueil Hall resurrection,
will have to do it or make an error !
the record.