Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-09-17

it will be for them and the entire
country.
We commend President Wilson and
his Secretary of State, the Hon. Will
liam Jennings Bryan, for their earn
est efforts to keep our nation and its
people out of war. But in the event
that their efforts shall fail, and
we are forced to take up arms in de-
feuse of the honor and dignity of our
country. we. as patriotic citizens, do
here and now pledge them-eur hearty
support.
We congratulate the state of Tennes-
see on the fact that the true democrats
and true republicans of the state have
laid aside partisan politics, and have
united for the purpose of redeemiug
the state from corrupt ring rule, and
to forever drive the damnable liquor
traffic from the confines of the state.
While we are proud of the progress
we have already made along this line,
every intelligent person must know
that the coming state election is the
supreme test of honest elections, tenn
perance legislation. law enforcement
and good citizenship.
When the democratic and republican
parties united for the purposes above
stated, an organized element of the
democratic party deserted their former
traditions and anti saloon declara-
tions, and went over body and soul to
the liquor traffic. A great many re-
publicans, both white and colored,
Joined this saloon element of the dem
ocracy, thus making an unsavory con-
glomeration of humanity which they
themselves are pleased to label "regu-
lar democracy. This misnomer was
applied to this conglomeration for the
evident pu rpose of misleading the ig-
norant voter. They hoped to drive
him into line with the Turing whip of
party regularity. Subsequent events,
however, showed that they had fear
fully underestimated the intelligence
of the average Tennessee voter.
After making repeated criminal at
tempts to force bill through the last
state legislature which had for it's
manifest purpose the turning over OF
our election machinery to the lawless
saloon and allied elements of the state,
and testing that so-called law through
the supreme court of the state, and
also testing all the temperance laws
passed by the last legislature in the
same way. trying to sustain the one
favorable to the saloons, and trying to
destroy the ones which are not, they
now come before the people of the
state with platform declaring for the
present election laws aid all the tenn
perance laws. the very laws they SO
vigorously fought in the last legisla-
ture, and continued to fight SO long as
they had any hopes of accomp fishing
their purpose of liquorizing the state
without another appeal to the people.
They dread the people, who bave al
ready twice spoken in unmistakable
terms on this subject, and the liquor
ties are beginning 20 feel the force of
the old latin adage, 'Vox populi, vox
DEL" "the voice of the people is the
voice of God"
What produced this radical and sud
den change of sentiment The answer
is easy. There has been no change of
sentiment The wiley liquorites saw
that they could not win in the open
with the issues clearly drawn, and
having no sense of political honor,
they have resorted to this brazen sub
terfuge as their last desperate effort to
regain power in this state
Unfortunately for them, the allies
are standing, "lke stone WALL" by |
their guns. They are paying no at
tention to the siren songs of honesty
and temperance proclaimed by the liq-
uorites at this late hour.
We remember too we'll how. during
the last legislature, their cohorts out
ragged the common decency of all pol
itical parties in their efforts to rob the
honest people of the state of the sacred
right of franchise by placing the cleo
tion machinery into the hands of men
who would not hesitate to resort to
any depth of political corruption in
order that they might ply their hellish
business to the destruction of the
youth of the country and all that is
good and pure.
We are not unmindful of the fact
that this hellish scheme would have
been accomplished. bad it not been for
the foresight and undying loyalty and
patriotism of certain members Of the
legislature, who were willing to sacri-
fee their political fortunes, If neces-
sary. on the altar of their country's
welfare. The people of Tennessee, ir-
of party affiliations, owe
the gallant men who left the legisla-
tive halls of the state capitol for the
purpose of protecting them in tteir
right to govern themselves, debt of
gratitude which it will be hard to pay.
We do not endorse abscondence from
the legislature for partisan purposes,
but when an emergency arises which
threatens the very foundation of popu-