Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1914-07-03
NOT LOCAL ISSUE
SAYS NJ DANIEL
Baptist Minister Delivers Able
Address in Support of State
wide Prohibition.

tN,sSSOi VI eiiS ~ ~ DaPbioC NHuiNll, VI
Richmond, delivered powerful SER
mon last Sunday night on Liquor
and Local Government" ridicul-
ing the idea that the liquor dealers
are concerned in, or supporters, of
local self-government. DR.. Mcdaniel
said in part:
1.-The liquor interests retreat slow
ly and die hard. They contest hotly
every foot of ground. Driven from
one stronghold to another, they are
now making their last desperate
stand. Surrounded on all sides by de-
termined temperanceforcs, the enemy
has changed positions so often that it
has faced in every direction in the
last decade.
"Whiskey men know their case can
not win upon it's merits. Not one of
them is willing to debate the real
issue. They endeavor to give respec-
liability to a bad business by enlist
ing reputable citizens In it's suppurt.
They attempt to divert the peoples
minds by the specious plea for local
self-government. Only the simple
minded will be deceived
Informed people know that the
liquor traffic has ben the relentless
opponent of local self-government.
For years Congress considered local
elf-government bills controlling in
terstate liquor shipments. The traffic
fought every one of these bills with
might and main and money. The liq-
uor interests were unwilling to leave
the question to the separate States.
They affirmed that the States had no
right to interfere with interstate ship
ments. For such a crowd to pose now
as the champions of local self-gov-
ernment is almost blasphemous.
again, informed people know that
the liquor traffic is not now under
local self-government. No city in this
Commonwealth can give a man the
right to sell liquor without the con-
sent of the State; and city and State
combined cannot confer upon the high
est or humblest citizen the privilege
to sell liquor without the consent of
the Federal government.
"Again, informed people know that
the liquor traffic of Richmond is vio-
lating the principles of local self
government every week in the year
and almost every day in the week.
The voters of hundreds of precincts
declared their opposition to the liquor
business, but in spite of the expressed
desire of the majority, the liquor
houses of Richmond are invading dry
territory of Virginia with their bane-
full business. Our sister State of
North Carolina, by a majority of 40,
900 abolished the saloon from the old
North State, but the liquor houses of
Richmond, indisregard of their boast
ed battle cry, ship thousands of gal
Ions of whiskey intoasovereignstate.
The Local Self Government League
was organized to catch fish. If it
catches any friends of temperance
they will be mere suckers.
Furthermore, informed people
know that to admit the contention of
the liquor dealers would be to nullify
the principle underlying important
legislation and cause political chaos.
Hitherto, States rights meant the
right of the majority of the citizens
of State to enact such laws as they
deemed best for the State as a whole
1t meant that all powers not granted
to the general government were re-
served by the States. Now we are
told by these new statesmen that
States rights means 'whiskey rights
that a minority of whiskey interests
shall be permitted to flaunt their
odious banners in the face of the ma
jority of the people of the Common-
wealth. If John G. Calhoun should
rise from the dead he would not rec
ognize local self-government' as his
child. If Daniel Webster could hear
these preposterous propositions he
would not pause to refute them. Some
advocates of local self-government
say they would favor national prohi-
bition, and few, in their enthusiasm
for sobriety, assert that if their vote
could make the world dry, it would be
dry. What becomes of the local self
government mans principle when he
favors nationwide prohibition? Does
he not see that he has surrendered
principle for expediency? He did not
really oppose prohibition because it
was undemocratic, but because he
thought it was inexpedient. Then
local self-government' was mis-
nomer.
Cali informed men also know that
a kindred question of liquor, viz;
gambling, is not settled by local self
government, Some men enjoy nlav.