The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-08-25
DEMOCRATS DO YOUR DUTY.
NO LOCAL OPTION PLANK.

sthe nerve to put a specific
declaration upon the liquor ques-
dion in their State platform after
all the boast of Marion Butler,
Thos. Settle, and other leaders,
who had previously determined
upon such course. Colonel Lusk,
Judge Pritchard, Gus Price and
neM throughout the western Sec
tion, who believe in giving the
prohibition law, a fair test, would
not surrender their convictions,
and the scheme failed. Realizing
shat the people had settled this
matter, at the polls two years ago,
the Democrats ignored the ques-
Ei0n entirely In making their plat
form. Some republicans thought
to take advantage of this condi-
ton by Incorporating a positive
declaration for local option in
their platform, In the hope of at
tracing the anti-prohibition ele-
unent of the Democratic party
However, they ascertained pretty
soon after their arrival in Greens
boro that it would likely prove to
be a tWo-edged sword and the sug-
sgestion was abandoned. But they
did incorporate a plank In their
platform which republican spell
binders will try to interpret to
meet the views of the ''prohis"
and the antis.- Listen:
eve reafirm our allegiance to
the time honored principle of local
self government, and we denounce
9h successive betrayals of that
principle by our opponents, who
have long rated themselves it's
champions. -
The News & Observer gives the
following as an example of how
Republican speakers who are dis
posed to do so, will use this plank:
In Yancey county Repubh-
can speaker is addressing the peo-
pie. In that county the Repubh-
cans voted soldidly for state prohi-
bition. The candidate comes to
the local self-government' plank
In the Greensboro platform and
says that it promises that the peo-
ple may elect every school officer
sand every other officer. He than
wades in and denounces the Dem
rocrats under Vance's day for APP
pointing magistrates In order to
save the east from negro rule, and
goes on to demand that the people
be allowed to elect their school
committeeman, and says the plank
was put in the platform for that
purpose. Let us suppose that
some man in the audience inter
EruptS and asks:
" Does not that plank mean to
declare against State prohibition? g.
'EThe orator in Yancey county,
with vehenmence, will silence the
interrupter by saying: No sir.
Cant you read? If the conven-
ton had intended to make any
preference to that question it would
have been plain and would have
said, We oppose State prohibi-
ton that is what it would have
done. Does it do that? No; then
the man who tries to read State
prOhIbition into the platform is
aslandering the man who wrote the
plank which refers only to elect
ing officers and managing schools
and the like. There is no scent
even of near-beer in that plank
That is in Yancey county. An
other Republican orator is speak
ing say in Wilmington, where there
was much opposition to State pro
hibition. He is urging men to
vote for the Republican party be-.
cause it will if successful repeal
State prohibition, and is making a
vigorous plea along that line he
is interrupted by a gentleman who
asks: '
" Does not that plank refer
rather to the election Of school Of.
rficers and like positions
z4No-sir-ree, exclaims the ora
tor iR stentorian tones. i was a
adopted the platform and it is a
plain pledge to repeal state prohi-