The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1914-04-01

LUIS his conduct in reference &c
that bill justify his boast of being
the dauntless champion of the people
against the trusts? Does he, in his
Vaunted crusades against them, make
a distinction against a Kentucky
trust, which has great political infu-
ence here, and as a Pennsylvania or
New Jersey trust, which have none?
Isn't it evident to the people of Ken
lucky that he is undertaking to mis-
lead them, and is trying to raise a
false issue to divert their attention
from his own record, which shows
that he is the servant of the greatest
and cruelest trust of all
My position on this subject is we'll
known. I believe it is conceded that
I have had some important part in
the enactment of the temperance leg
islation in this state, in the better
enforcement of the laws regulating
the liquor traffic and in the increase
of taxation on that business. Under
laws which I actively helped to pass,
the greatest part of Kentucky has
become dry territory. l helped to
pass. and as governor, signed the
County Unit law of 1906: and in the
Democratic convention of 1911, l sup
ported the County Unit plank in the
platform, which demanded an amend
ment to the law by extending the
county unit to all cities, and the gen
eral assembly of 1912 passed that
amendment. l have fought for the
principle of giving to each county the
right to decide by a vote of the people
whether or not alcoholic liquors
should be sold in the county. I favored
the increase of the saloon license in
the revenue bill of 1906, which brought
additional revenue into the treasury.
I also favored the gallon tax upon
rectified whisky proposed in the same
bill; and when the lobby of the rec
filters succeeded in defeating that tax,
l called a special session of the gen.
eral assembly to pass it, and it was
passed, putting one cent and quar-
ter on each gallon. That tax has
been yielding each year to the state
treasury about fifty thousand dollars.
/ favor the Webb law passed by
congress, and if l had been a mem
Der of that body, either in the house
or the senate, when the bill was up for
consideration, | would have remained
in Washington at my post of duty and
voted for it, and if l am elected TO
the senate, and it should become nee
essary to pass an amendment to that
law, or additional legislation, in fur
therance of the principle of allowing
each state to protect its dry territory
from the invasion of the liquor traffic,
l shall favor such a measure. and |
shall never be found lodging that or
any other question.
Two Measures Approved.
l cordially approve the two meas
ures just recently passed by our gen.
eral assembly, one known as the
Hampton bill, and the other as the
Frost bill. The first is intended to
make more effective the remedy given
by the Webb law; and the second, to
complete the operation of the County
Unit law, so that an election under
that law can be called by twenty-five
per cent of the voters of the entire
county, instead of requiring twenty
five per cent in each precinct of the
county.
While l was governor my attention
was called to the fact that the law,
which required all saloons to close
on Sundays, was regularly and fla
GRAVITY violated in the city Of Louis
vile. There was no ordinary power
In the hands of the governor to COM
pei its enforcement, and the most /
could do was to request officials there
to enforce it. Ny requests were not
regarded; but in the course of time
the court of appeals decided that the
election of 1905 was void by reason