The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1911-07-20
The Governor Says the Adop-
hon Of Amendment An
nuls Local Option.
WILL RAISE THE TAX RATE
He Appeals 10 the Farmers Tor Their
Votes by Trying to Brighten
Them with Higher
Taxes.

flattering reception when he cam
TO Waxahachie Wednesday to spea
in opposition to the prohibition con
stitutional amendment. The receE
ton that was accorded him was
compliment to him as governor G
the state. He was met at the depot b
citizers committee COMPOSED 0
both ants ard pros. A complimentar
luncheon was rendered the goyerno
at the Rogers hotel, covers bein
laid for sixteen.
Arrangements were made for tn
speaking to take place in the dis
trict court room, but this room wa
oyertaxed some thirty minutes be
fore the hour for Governor Coiquit
p to begin his address. A temporar,
platform was then placed on the
! court house lawn and for about one
hour and thirty minutes Governor
! Colquitt spoke to crowd yariously
estimated at from 1900 to 1000 peo-
| pie A large number of farmers
from different sections of the coun-
ty helped make up the audience and
quite a number of ladies were pres
ent.
Governor Colquitt was introduced
by Capt. Jno D. McRae, local
attorney.
Governor Colquitt began his adj
dress by complimenting the audi
ence as being a magnificent one,
compos d of citizens of magnifi-
cent county After a few other pre-
hminary remarks he said the real
/ issue in the campaign now before
| the people is whether the presen
provisions of the constitution whicl
empower the people of each pre-
cinct ard each county to from tim'
to time determine whether intoSt-
I eating liquors shall be manufac-
tured or sold in such precinct or
county shall be continued as pub
lie policy or whether they shall an
null these provisions and substitute
therefor the amendment that is now
He said the issue was a
political one 1t is a question on
which all men differ He referred
to the experience of Maine, New
Connecticut, Delaware,
and in fact twenty-nine states, which
had adopted statewide prohibition,
and declared that twenty-one OF
these had repudiated the statewide
system and returned to local self
and local option
Some people challenge my right
to take part in this campaign he
said. "Throughout this state last
year, and in this city told the peo-
pie ! did not believe in the principle
of prohibition but that | believed in
the policy of local option, because it
conferred upon the people Of any one
county in the state the right to reg
ulate the saloon traffic. I said
was opposed to the submission Of
this question because ii raised the
entire issue and | wanted the peo'
| pie to make it unnecessary to haY,
! the expense of this campaign anf
| election. | said if | was nominate
and elected and tWo-thirds Of The
legislature voted to submit the
amendment | would perform the du
ties of governor and sign the join
resolution and issue the necessary
proclamation, but that | would take
the stump against its adoption. They
say | ought not to do it. Being gov
| ernor carries with it great honor'
as we'll as great responsibility, and
will not surrender my rights anC
privileges 10 speak on this question
as a citizen of the state if they drive
me out of office I had rather re
tire from the office, knowing | haC
done my duty, than to be dictated
10 by any set Of men
Governor Colquitt said that if this
amendment were to be adopted u
would change the constitution iron
local self government and take away
from the people the right to dete
mine this question themselves, anc
you might elect legislatures and gov
eruors for 50 years and unless yo'
elected two-thirds of a Legislature
who would resubmit it you would be
denied the right to vote upon Il
again
Texas is a great state" he said
1T has a population OF varied opin'
ions and different interests. The
present constitution Was written il
1876. II was written by men who
had passed through the strife Of the
| Civil war. 1t was written after The
state had been wrested from r, j
Davis and his police II was adopted
by the people and was written by
men who had as much wisdom anc
| light as any we have got today u
was written by such men as John
n Reagan and David Culberson and
their compatriots who in their wis,
dom said on this question that loca,