The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1909-03-23
Senator Kidd Explains his Vote on
The temperance Cues
ton.
Editor Democrat:

| have been asked
by friends concerning my vote
against the submission of the
prohibition amendment,
In response | desire to say
that | have been member of
the House of Delegates and the
Senate periodically for % years,
and during that time have vot-
ed for every tempe 'ance meas
ure of Importance pending before
the legislature. In 1887, when
the Democratic PARTY was in con-
troll of every branch of our state
government, the people petition
ed the legislature to submit the
prohibition amendment to a vote
of the people, and it was submit
ted. | was a member of the
House at that time and voted for
submission and worked actively
for it, In 1908 l again voted to
submit the amendment. At
that time the Republican party
was in full control of every de-
partment of the state govern
ment, but the amendment was
defeated. The defeat was
brought about in the Senate
where it required 20 votes. In
that session of the Senste there
were "a Republican Senators. so
that the Republican party was re-
sponsible for its defeat.
In convention that party pledg-
ed itself to submit the amend
ment if again entrusted with
power. The voters of the state.
either endorsing it's action in de-
feating the amendment, or re-
lying upon its promises of better
things, it retained that party in
full power, and it refused to live
up to its promises, although it
had % votes in the Senate, or
3 more that the necessary num-
Der to adopt a constitutional
amendment.
AS a Democrat | felt it my du-
ty to put it up to the Republicans
to fulfil their promises, and SO
thought the other Democrats of
the Senate.
In our speeches last fall we
charged our Republican friends
with insincerity, and told the
people, if again entrusted with
power, they would repudiate
their promises and turn their
backs upon the people, yet the
people trusted them and turned
down the Democratic candidates,
and the Anti-Saloon League aid
ed in accomplishing our defeat.
and then asked us to do what the
Republicans, the benefciaries of
their support, refused and de-
clined to do.
For this reason / recorded my
vote against adoption. However
if my vote could have adopted
the amendment, it would have
been cheerfully recorded in its
favor, although as a Democrat,
felt under no obligations to SO
cast it.. The honest temperance
people of the state are entitled
to our serious consideration.
They are fighting a battle for hui
mainly ! stood ready to move a
reconsideration of the vote by
which the amendment was de-
feated, if the Anti-Saloon League
people would secure the promise
of a single Republican Senator.
who had voted against the
amendment that he would change
his vote and cast it in favor of
adoption, but the promise could
not be secured.
/ worked and voted for local
option bill that would make the
county the unit and give all the
people Of a county the right to
vote on the question Of granting
license to sell intoxicants in any
part If such county, Local self
government is a tenet of Democ-
racy.
There is not a saloon in my en-
tire Senatorial distaict, and it is
a great question whether the peo-
pie Of Gilmer shall decide for the
people of Ohio county what they
shall do. or shall not do.
The question of revenue in our
state is an important one and is