The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1911-11-16

dependent committee for harmony"
"I think, of course, that the com
mittee, of which Ma. Vertrees is chair
man, is the regular democratic com
mittee of the state, and rs such is th'
properly constituted party authority
but in my opinion if honest Overture'
are made to settle all differences, il
would be great mistake to ignore
them. My idea is that the time has
come TO call the democratic COMMITTEES
together for consultation, with view
of deyising ways and means to promote
harmony and to make certain demo
cratic success. AS the regulars in the
state are largely in the majority, there
is nothing to lose in conceding nones-
sentials, while there is much to lose ii
we pursue an arbitrary or proscriptive
policy. So far as any particular plan
of harmony is concerned, this need not
now be discussed, but should come af-
ter the democratic committee is called,
and / see no objection to conference
with the independent committee look
ing to this end, without the sacrifice of
any principle"
The governor was asked as to the
method of nominating to be pursued
and replied that he had always thought
that. direct primaries by the county
unit plan was preferable, yet it seems
to be the consensus of opinion for a
statewide primary"
at should be one or the other" he
said, "and there is little difference be-
tween the two, as both mean direct
vote of the people. A delegated con-
vention also has merit, but the trend
of the times is Enthusiastically toward
primaries, and believe the masses as
a whole would be unwilling TO take
backward step in the method of nomi-
nations. If they can vote directly they
ought to be allowed to nominate direct
ly, for the nomination is often the most
important for them. Primaries have
their abuses, but in democratic gov
ernment we can not escape the fact
that responsibility and power belong
to the people, and whether for good or
ill, should be exercised by them"
"What do you think should be the
attitude of the party on the liquor
question:" The governor quickly ans
wered that it should be what the party
stood for before the prohibition law
passed; that is, it should stand square
~ on the doctrine of local option. s1One
thing is true" said the governor, "and
that is there should be definite fixed |
policy, and 1t should be democratic |
policy settled and agreed upon by all |
the will of the majority |
governing. My position as citizen is
what it was as governor, that prohibit
lion without local consent is misno-
mer, in that it is impossible Of enforce
ment, and the results of prohibition
law without the consent of the people
are uniformly most corrupt and de-
grading. believe there are now many
persons, with the number constantly
increasing as they become acquainted
with the facts, who violently opposed
my views on the liquor question and
who now in their inner consciousness
ire willing to admit / was right. They
ire now as much in favcr of the change
n the prohibition law as they were for
nerly in favor of the adoption of the
aw. This question is too grave, too
ar reaching and menacing for the
democratic party to dodge. 1t is now,
md has been for more than three years,
he great issue which has called for a
light solution and men who recognize
possibility will not seek to evade it.
~ am as much opposed, F" said the
governor, "to the lawless saloon as /
I'M to the prohibition law. The liquor
ariffs should be regulated and restrain
d by law and this can be done, not by
,utlawing it, to spread unrestrained
throughout the state, and especially in
he larger cities, but to restrain and
control it by the power of the law.
Local option, high license, segregation
md strict regulation are the only prac-
ical ways Of dealing with this prob
EN-.
~ believe that we havenow reached
he point where ali factions of the DEM
,cratic party are ready to attempt
ane solution of difficult problem free
rom passion and as becomes men Of