The gold leaf., 1910-01-20
LOCAL OPTION AGITATION.
"Non Partisan" Convention to be
Called to Meet in Henderson-"A
novement to be Squelched," De-
cIares the Wilmington Star Editori-

IIOVemGul 10 Dc o4uctSHC01 DC
cIares the Wilmington Star Editori
ally.
The following appeared as specia
from Henderson in the Charlotte Oh
server:
Henderson, Jan. l 1.-The first CUR
in the campaign for local option was
fired on Saturday, the 8thinst., at l.
| O'Clock. 4 number Of citizens OI
Vance met at the court house in,
formally, and after thoroughly dis
cussing the subject, unanimously
agreed to call il .'non-partisan" /" 'lO.
cal option mass meeting To be held
on the fourth Saturday in February
Mr. ". A. Self will be present and
deliver the address Oh the occasion.
From the expressions daily falling
from the lips of the people, they seem
determined to useevery legitimate ef
fort to have the prohibition law ex-
plunged from the statute books OF
North Carolina, aud give the people
the full right to determine whether
liquors shall be manufactured, sold
or prohibited in their respective
counties.
Taking note of the above the Viii
mingtOn Star says this editorially
under the heading OF "A Movement
to be Squelched:"
The expected has happened in the
calling ut Henderson, Vanc.. county,
for the last OF Eel rlary OF "nun-
partisan convention in the interest
of local option" The principal ad
dress is to be delivered hy Hon. ". A.
Self, OF CatuwbA county, and the
avOwed purpose is tile ''expunging of
the prohibition law from the statute
books of North Carolina" There
will follow, OF course, other similar
conventions, and if there is used even
o measure Of conservatism OF state
mpnt and eXerted even reasonable
activity, there will follow during he
next nine months Il renewal of liquor
agitation in politics.
We say ''in politics" because in
one or another guise it will be polit-
ically that the agitation will inevi-
tably find itself tending. There is no
such thing possible as Il "nOn-parti
san" agitation for the repeal of the
prohibition law. The statute was pro-
posed, tits true, by Democratic vOt"rs
and passed by the nom-partisan
action Of both Democrats and R"pub-
licans-the lntterin thousands follow
ing the lead OF Judge Pritchard, rX-
Judge ROblnson> >and other members
of the Republican party less conspic-
uOus. But this movement is not in
the interest of an election which shall
have even the guise OF the determina-
tiOn Of Il moral question. On the
other hand, it is launched toward a
repeal by the Legislature of d law
voted by II large ma iority regardless
of politics. Naturally, if it shall ac
cumulate any force whatever, it will
get into politics, 1t will, in proper
ton to its growth, absorb politics.
And everywhere it comes into politics
it will exert Il dpbnuching influence.
We have heretofore frequently ex-
pressed the strong conviction that
the State needs rest from liquor agi
tatiOn. In the absence of rest from a
cause OF incidental friction in order
to the carrying out of concerted and
progressive policies, the next best
thing to do is to make this neW at
tempt at disturbance as innOcuOus
az possible. The State of North
Carolina and other Southern States
have over estimated the importhnce
OF the liquor question. They have
not viewed it in he right perspective.
They have devoted to it an amount
of time, spent on it an amount of
money that is astonishing in the
light Of any result that could be rea-
sonably Y expected to flow out Of it,
1t is dishearteningtO to have it even in
timated that we have all of this 20 90
over with again. We had hoped that
the sober sense of those who do not
believe in prohibition would exert
itself sufficiently y to enable them to
see that further agitation at this
time is not only futile, but iniquitous.
We say this in no partisan spirit,
having deprecated, as well. the recent
tendency on the part of the more ex-
treme prOhibitiOnists to seek a more
stringent law than that now obtain
ing. AS the matter will present itself
to the larger mass of the people. it
will be seen that, AS respects liquor,
what the State needs is the presrrva-
tiOn of the status quo More dan
gerous than liquor may appear to
the prOhibitiOnist, more hurtful than
sumptuary legislation may appear
to the exponent OF local self govern
ment, is the continued talk and the
continued wrangle over this most
besOtted of all issues. We do not
fear either that the law will be
resubmitted or repealed. Either
course would put the whole people to
bitter and endless elections. We do
not fear, on the other hand, the cOali-
tiOn with the local option advocates
which the Republican party is evi-
IDENTIFY getting ready to suggest and
encourage. Whatever may be the
final outcome of liquor sentiment,
that political party which adopts
liquor as a slogan hangs a milestone
about its neck We merely see cause
for regret that the signs indicate the
obtrusion of the question into this
years primaries and elections. IL con-
ditiOn that calls for resolute deter
mination upon the part of the con
servative elements of both parties
to lay in its inception an agitation
as barren of good as it is pregnant
with evil.
Atlantic Waterway More Important
Than Panama.