Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-10-22

I
mind, We suggest the following:
Il. A new law to meet the require
ments of the Federal Webb law.
go. A law to empower the Governor
of the state to remove or suspend from
ofhce unfaithful city officials for good
cause.
80. A law to more definitely pre-
scribe the right and the procedure OF
The courts for the removal of county
officials for misfeasance, nonfeasance
Or malfeasance in Office"
| GENERALIZATION OF REGULARS,
Over against the clear-cut, ringing
! declarations We have in the platform OF
eralization:
We are opposed to the repeal of any
| OF the temperance laws now in force,
| and we pledge the Democratic party to
their maintenance and to such addition
al legislation as may be necessary to in
sure their right enforcement"
In view of the fact that law enforce
ment is the paramount issue in the pres
emit campaign, we regard the fragment of
the above sentence which refers to the
question, and which is all the platform
has to say on the subject, as entirely in
adequate and out of all proportion to the
great interests of the state which are in
volVed in IL. To those who put the de-
sruction of the liquor traffic above party
success, as the principles of the Anti
Saloon League require, the declaration
of the regular" platform on law en-
forcement looks very much like an eff
fort to evade the real issue of the cam
paign.
% Nation wide prohibition.
On this question the Independent DEM
ocrats speak as follows:
mot forgetting for a moment the
necessity OF eternal vigilance In Tennes-
see, we are glad to note that the move
ment has been nation wide, and we here
by pledge our heartest support to the
proposed amendment to the Federal Con-
sale or importation of intoxicating liq-
uors as a beverage in the United States"
The Republican platform declares for
nation wide prohibition in the following
I'VE hereby declare ourselves in favor
of the adoption of an amendment to the
Federal Constitution forever prohibiting
the sale and manufacture of intoxicating
beverages. We obligate ourselves to the
support of this amendment when it is
submitted to the Legislature of our state,
and we call upon the people to instruct
their candidates for the General Assem-
bly, in favor of this amendment"
What has the regular platform to
say on this subject? Not one word.
(c) The election laws.
All three platforms declare in favor OF
the present election laws. However, this
is belated endorsement as far as the
regulars are concerned. They have
lOuBHl tIlS law ever since llS passage.
Their present endorsement of it is not
only late, it Is also partial and reserved.
The regular" platform says;
ton should be given to both political
parties on the State Board of Election
commissioners, and it was for the want
of bona fide representation that we have
heretofore criticised the present election
laws. This law is a good one if properly
administered, and we pledge our party
to maintain the present election laws
and to the fair administration thereof, to
the end that the spirit of the same will
be carried out and both parties properly
and equitably represented"
THE OBJECTION.
In this statement objection is raised
not to the law, but to it's 'administra
uon," which, as explained, means "the
want of bona fide representation" The
phrase bona fide representation" is not
explained Its meaning, however, is un,
mistakable. "Bona@ fide representation"
means liquor representation. 1t can not
laration itself comedies that both par
ties should be represented on the State
Election Commission. The objection to
this law lies deeper than party lines.
regular" Democrats, Gen. Rye included,
so far as we are informed, have object
ed to 1T on the ground that the Election
Commission has not been dominated by
is the only objection they now have to
1t, If this were matter of party poll
tics, pure and simple, it would have nc
place in a declaration issued by the Anti
Saloon League. But when the reverse is
the case and the party question is elm
mated and the liquor question remains,
we regard it as of paramount Importance
that our organization and it's friends
work for the defeat of any candidate who
proposes to have the State Election Com
mission composed in part or in whole OF
the friends of liquor. Such result, il
brought about, would threaten the pro-
hibiton cause with irreparable damage,
if not utter destruction.
2. The official pronouncements of the
candidates.
The Anti-saloon League addressed
both Governor Hooper and Gen. Rye g
communication calling on them to state
in their own words, not in the words OF
the platforms, their positions on the. is
sues which most concern our organiza-
ton. Both in his answer to our commu-
nication and in his campaign speeches
Governor Hooper has been direct and
definite. This is true also Of Gen Rye
except with regard to, the most import.
ant point of all, namely, the enforcement
of the law in the large cities. For this
our greatest problem, he offers in 8
sible solutions, such as the use of the
recall, the creation of a special commits
sion, the removal of officials through the
Attorney General of the state, or Though
court he does not say). He gives no as.
surance as to which of these methods
if any, he will advocate Space will not
permit us to point out the objections
which we have to Gen. Ryes pronounce
ments on this question. 1t is sufficient
to say that he does not tell the people
plainly how he proposes to remedy theii
CHER trouble-the notification of law lr
the large cities On this point his own
pronouncemsnts agree with the declara-
tons of his platform-both are entirely
too general.
THEIR RECORDS.
g. The records of the candidates.
For four years Governor Hooper has
fought valantly for our cause against
odds which for most men would have
been overwhelming. 1t is to his efforts |
most of all that we are indebted for the
in 1918 of law enforcement leg |
islatios.> The passage of one law alone,
the so-called nuisance law, has |
done more to destroy the liquor forces in |
the large cities than any one thing that |
has happened since the state wide law |
was passed His fight for this law alone |
should make it hard for any true foe OF
liquor to vote against him.
Gen Rye, on the other hand, has not
been our friend, but our opponent. Until
he became a candidate for election to the |
he has worked consistent
v and without variation against the |
things our organization has fought for |
Turing the past five years His CONVEX |
sion is so recent, and took place under |
.uch circumstances, namely, while he was |
candidate for nomination, as to make II |
Inwise for our forces to put him for |
ward for the chiefN administrative office |
If the state. We shall be glad to know |
hat his conversion to our cause is genu- |
ne for we welcome all true converts to |