Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1911-11-23
THE FIGHT is COMING.

The coming election in Tennessee
promises another renewal of the strug
gle against domination of this state
by the whiskey gang, and as usual
the News will be "agin it." 1t is
natural to us to fight an evil, which
has nothing in it commendatory, and
which to our personal knowledge has
wrecked lives, is wrecking lives, and
will wreck them still more if some
people in this world have not the grit
to stand steadfastly against it. From
a pecuniary sense this is not popular
move, for the demagogues go around
whispering that to restrain the liquor
is Infringing on the peoples liber-
ty," especially harping on the void
democratic, thus slandering the re-
putation of good word. The result
of this undermining policy is de-
crease of circulation among papers
that stand for decency and no saloon
on the corner for their fellow men to
wallow in, and we feel that the News
is under the ban also. However, that
may be, we will stay right in line,
arguing and exborting for what we
think is right, let the dollars go where
they may 1t will all come out right
in the end.
The following letter from Mrs. Sile-
ma M. Holman, of Fayetteville, Tenn,
who led the work Of the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union in Ten
nessee 80 we'll, in the last campaign,
sounds the note of warning. and we
are glad to give a good woman all the
assistance we can, and be enrolled in
the cause for which she 10 fighting:
"The coming year promises another
struggle for the retention or the repeal
of our statewide prohibitory laws.
Indeed some prominent papers have
already begun the agitation of the
question of repeating the entire Four
Mile Law, putting liquor back in all
the towns in the state. And il it is
at all possible, they will elect a legis-
lature one year from now, who will do
this.
1.-THE Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union most earnestly desires that
the laws remain as they are, and that
legislature be elected which is in
favor of our laws and their enforce
ment. To that end, what we can do
towards creating and keeping alive
sentiment in favor of these laws, we
want to do.
"We know that the repeal of these
laws would not eliminate this ques-
ton from the politics of this state.
But it would increase the agitation,
the conflict, the bitterness over the
question ten fold, and prolong the day
when the question would cease to be a
disturbing one in the politics of the
state.
"We know that the law is being de-
family violated in two or three of our
cities. We know that some people,
who were once more or less friendly to
our laws, are now inclined to think
that they are impossible of enforce
ment and to favor segregation and
for cities. But while
this is true, we know the law has been
an untold blessing to thousands of the
citizens of the state. And we further
know that even if there were as much
liquor drank under prohibition as I'M
der license, it we're still better to keep
the law. The ban of the law should
be against the business; and wise
policy demands that vice
should be prohibited; not licensed,
regulated and protected by law.
"In view of these things, / am COM
ing to you in the name of ten thous-
and W. G. T. q. women, of and in
the name of other thousands of moth
ers who hate and fear the liquor traf-
.ic with its powers of evil, to urge
you and your raper in it's editorial
policy, to stand for our laws, and their
and against their repeal
in the next campaign for the election
of legislature.
~ want to ask you, further, if you
will publish during the year 1912 a
article may send you in the
interest of these laws. 1 will promise
to make the article short-not more
than two type written pages, double
spaced-and they shall not touch on
politics in anyway, except in so far as
they may touch the prohibition ques-
tIon I may write some of these arti
cles myself But some Of them shall
be from the pen of the ablest men in
l. L. L -. al |