Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-09-18
The Proposed Repeal Of
Our Prohibition Laws
lsilena Moore Holman.l

vile, Memphis and Chattanooga
The candidates running on that
platform will work and vote for
the repeal of that law Should
they succeed in controlling the
legislature, the laws passed by the
legislature of 1909 will be repealed.
Should they be repealed, it will be
the FIRST backward step taken in
the history Of the temperance
m vement in Tennessee. DO the
friends OF the Four-Mile Law want
to see that first backward step
takeni Do you believe if that
step were taken it would stop
thert1 Doyou not know that it
would nOt2
One of the strongest liquor pa
pers in the state came out just a
few days ago with this comment
on that plank Of the platform of
the party il gave its allegiance to.
II liquor is a good thing for Nash
Vile, Memphis and Chattanooga,
why is it not good for the smaller
towns If it is a bad thing for the
smaller towns why is it not bad
thing for the citiesF And that is
the whole thing in a nutshell.
There is not reason for repeating
the laws in the cities, that does
not apply with equal force to all
the towns in the state. There is
not a reason for having the law in
the smaller towns that does not
apply with equal force to the
cities.
Early in the year, when the
question of party policies for the
coming campaign was being dis
cussed, one of the strongest liz.
uor men in the state, discussing
the cant and hypocrisy" Of his
liquor allies in combining their
"fervent patriotism as relates to
action on the liquor laws, TO only
four counties of the state, said;
at should be settled, not in fouI
counties, but in ninety six" An
other liquor paper, commenting on
the remarGs of this politician,
said: 1--WE do not believe that the
people of Nashville, Memphis and
Chattanooga are in any wise Of
superior mould to those of Other
parts of our proud sovereignty
and they should not be accorded
rights under the law denied tC
others"
Already candidates are in the
field with the tag of "party nomi
nee" on them who are declaring
openly in favor OF the repeal of the
entire law, and the restoration o
the licensed saloon to all tn,
towns in the state.
Do you not see the inevitabl,
trend? If the legalized saloon il
restored to the cities, it will b,
followed sooner or later by tn,
restoration of the sllOon to ever,
town and village in the state,
the liquor men get and keep con
troll of the state. That is wha
they want and what they woul
demand, should they control tn
Legislature.
The passage of the law in 1905
extending the Four.Mile Law t
the entire state, was but the ir
eviIable outcome of the sure an
steady growth made by the la
since it had been put on our sta
ute books in The early seVentie
Up to 1909, it had driven the lega
lZed saloon from the e.tire sta
except from those three cities, an
one small mining town, No sta
in the union having state wiz
prohibition, had so nearly drive
the saloon from the entire sta
before the passage of a law givir
the state entire prohibition, as ha
Tennessee. Georgia had more thS
= thirty wet counties, when 1t toe
up the fight for STATE wide prot
bitiOn and won. North CAROLYN
Mississippi, and other states h,
G each good number of entire W
counties, when they took up t
fight for stale wide prohibits
and won. renness had only I
r. four wet towns.
There Is not a doubt but I'll
Tennessee, as u whole, wants I
: state wide law. 1t was passed