Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1910-04-07
SHALL TENNESSEE TAKE
A BACKWARD STEP?
Mr.. Editor:


in Tennessee today, between the liquor
men, who desire to restore the saloons,
| at least to the cities, and the temper
ance forces who, believing that this
would be an unnleasured calamity de-
sire to hold what they have won and
see the law enforced.
To restore the saloon, even to one
city, would be backward step in the
progress of the state; and all good peo-
! pie should ask themselves earnestly,
"Shall Tennessee take this backward
stepr'
The four mile law forbidding the
sale of liquor within four miles of an
! Incorporated school, was passed in
1877. In 1887 it was extended to in
clude any school house. pnblic or pri-
vate, whether incorporated or not.
In 1899 the law was so extended as to
/ give incorporated town of 1000 inhab
itants the privilege of Incorporating
without the saloon. In 1903 this pro-
vision was so extended as to include
towns of 5000 inhabitants In 1907 to
cities of $50, 900 inhabi tants. In 1909
the law was extended to take in the
entire state.
The people were jIst as ready for the
passage of the state wide law in 1909 as
they were for the extension of the law
at any other session of the legislature
Indeed at no time since the passage
of the first law, was anything like the
interest in the measure manifested
that was shown in the passage of the
state wide law in 1909. Everybody in
the state knows this to be true.
From the passage of the first law in
1877, to the present day the progress
of the temperance movement has been
ever forward. Not one backward step
has been taken in all the thirty three
years since the beginning of the bene-
ficent law. And it has brought untold
blessings to the people of Tennessee.
Then, having driven the liquor traf-
fic, step by step, from our state, never
having taken a backward step, shall
we begin, after the victory is won
and take such step now2 Shall we
restore the saloons to the cities of the
state with the chance that this enter.
ing wedge may bring. back the saloons
to the entire state; and we have all
our work to do over again2
Dear friends, we cannot afford to
take this or any other backward step.
iy,o, 10 do 10 10 +oI h.
step forward and elect the men to of
flee who will enforce our laws. That
large majority of the people of Ten
nessee are in favor of prohibition is
been driven from every city, town,
village and county in the state except |
the four last places that came under
the operation of the state wide law.
when this law was passed. We dn
not want the saloons even in the CIT
les, Even if they will not enforce the
measure, the business should be made
an outlaw and criminal under the
law, as it is in fact.
The Memphis postmaster stated that
the postoffice receipts in Memphis fell
off to $35, 600 during the past year and
he attributes the falling off to the
prohibition law. Now even if the law
is not enforced in Memphis. this fact
shows that somebody is drinking less
liquor because of the prohibition laws.
We do not want this flood of liquor
from the cities poured out over the
state in the country towns. We want
prohibition for the whole state.
So would plead with the men who
are considering whom to vote for in
the coming political contest, to vote
for the men who are in favor of the
retention of these laws on our statute
books. and for the men who will see
that they are enforced. No considera-
tion of friendship or blood relation
ship, should make a man vote for
man this year of all years, who is in
Tavor of restoring the saloons to our
state
The Womans Christian Temperance
Union of the state, of which | have
the honor to be the head at this time,
is taking no part in the politics of
The state, except insofar as it touches
the prohibition question, but because
the saloon is the eternal enemy of all
that is good, because it debauches Of
the boys of the state and brings ruin
10 our homes, because it is evil. and :
'nly evil continually, we plead
with our brethren to see this year that
,nly men in favor of these laws are
elected to the offices of the state in the
coming campaigns.
No calamity that ever befell the peo-
de of Tennessee would be equal to the l
great calamity of ringing hack the =