The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1914-02-27

1t is, as anything that Mr.. Wepp says
direct, frank ana
without any equivocation. Any child
can understand what he means.
Mr.. Webb tells of how, on his own
motion, he went to see Mayor Crump
of Memphis and asked the mayor
whether or not it was true that the
saloons would be- closed in that city
on March /. He says that the mayor
stated to him that they would be.
The former senator then requested
the mayor to permit him to give the
good news to the people of Tennes-
see. This permission was given and
then it was that Mr.. Webb wrote his
brief communication to the Banner,
which has caused such storm to
rage around his devoted head. For
having written that little communica-
ton he has been attacked as the UNI
conscious tool of Luke Lea and
Crump and other similar unworthy
motives have been imputed to him.
Senator Webb states that he
thought it would be good news to the
advocates of prohibition in Tennessee
to inform them that he had assur-
ances that the liquor dives in Mem
phis would be closed He declares
that he understood that this was the
object of the long and hard and up
hill fight for prohibition in the state
and consequently the achievement of
the goal would bring shouts of joy
to the soldiers of the cause.
Now herein lies the only evidence
of the charge that Senator Webb is
unsophisticated in his politics. In
believing that every one would greet
his Memphis communication with
loud acclaim, the senator overlooked
the ambitious politicians and the pro-
fessional agitators. He did not reck-
on with those whose political future
or salary envelope depends upon their
ability to keep alive factional strife
and bitterness in Tennessee and their
blind followers and time servers.
Veterans who have been in this
fight from purely unselfish motives
and a sincere desire to drive the liq-
uor traffic from Tennessee are natur-
ally, as the senator expected, deeply
grateful and sincerely gratified at
any evidence that may be produced
of the surrender of the lawless IL
quor forces. Veterans like The Her
aid, who have never lodged a fight
or avoided an issue or failed to res
pond to an appeal from the forces
of good government, in all this long
and bitter conflict, to make this state
Ia better place in which to live and
to rear ones children, are filled with
praise and thanksgiving at the accu-
mulated evidences that the struggle
lis almost over and the goal almost
attained; that the liquor forces are
in their last and dying grasp. Evil
IDENTIFY Senator Webb had this class
in mind.
But the senator, whom The Her
aid has delighted to honor and fol-
low in the past and who it would be
gratified to further honor in the flu
|ture, overlooked that not very num-
erous but rather noisy and self
opinionated lot of politicians who
realize that with the passing of the
liquor issue from the politics of the
state their hope of future political
|preferement will also pass away.
They are bent on keeping alive the
issues of the past, in fomenting
strife and in blacklisting all who will
mot follow them merely that selfish
ends may be served. They have
6OAC CHC hHIlI WHICH, tucy uuucl Idhc
to read out of the ranks and cast
,aspersions upon Sawney Webb, be-
cause he was the bearer of glad It'd
iings from Memphis.
Sawney Webb has been one of the
pioneers in the prohibition move
ment in Tennessee. He was fighting
the battles of the cause away back
when those who now impute evil mo.
tives to him, were either basking in
the power and luxury which liquor
patronage gave them, or we're quietly
sitting astride the political fence.
This proves the length to which sell
fishness will carry men who ought to
and really do know better
| GENERALIZATION