The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-12-03

4
was converted, as am informed, DE-
or to September IS, 1918 On septen
Der Is, 1913, Gov, Patterson gave OIL
spectacular interview addresses,
10 the People of Tennessee" i,
which he discussed the liquor cues
ton in all of its phases, and amont
other things he said:
THAT | became a prohibjtionis
IN personal sense and will remain
one is true; but my opinion now is
as it has always been, that prohibi
ton by law is failure and has onl,
multiplied the evils which it has in
tended to cure
"On the question of the Webb-Ken
yon bill, in the same interview. Gov
Patterson said
The Webb-Kenyon bill passed by
congress which was intended to pre-.
vent shipment of liquor to prohibi.
ton states is nugatory, as it provides
no penalty and need not be consider.
ed in this discussion
:" The United States has its legis-
lation and law, and every state in the
union has its separate legislation and
laws. The United States government
derives large part of it's internal
revenue from the tax on liquor. It
protects the shipment of liquor from
one state to another under the inter
state commerce clause of the consti.
tuition, and the state itself is abso-
utely without power to prevent it. x X
" Again X X x X
so that no liquor could be
bought in Tennessee, yet, under the
federal law it could be bought in any
other state in the union and brought
into Tennessee to be consumed nv the
people as they pleased, and any effort
on the part of the state to prevent
1t would be unconstitutional and void
We thus see from the infirmity of
our state legislation, the decision of
our supreme court and the constitu-
ton of the United States how far,
even in a legal sense, Tennessee is
from being prohibition state.
again,
That prohibition has failed its
most ardent advocates will reluctant
y admit. Its failure is not only in
Tennessee, but it is universal diff |
,ering only in degree of failure.
Again,
If (the prohibition question: is
)eing used by designing men seized |
With the lust for Office and power,
md it has brought US to the verge
II political and moral bankruptcy,
md all this time it has been refused
'atriotic consideration and honest
reatment. The time has come when
here ought to be no lodging or eva
ion, and the sincerity of man should
q tested. My opinion is, that any
aw enforcement bill, which may be
assed of itself will not solve the
rouble, and its good results will be
Again,
Il am convinced, as | have always
cen that the best solution from all
Jew points of right and expediency,
! to provide for a legal number of
laces in the larger cities of the
tate where liquor could be sold
Again,
THAT liquor will be used until
EN- learn to fight and conquer their
IN appetite is a truth, and we are
wing witnesses to the dismal failure
prohibition to alter that truth,
Again,
I'VE have more officers to arrest,
ore grand juries to indict and
,urts organized to try offenders, and
e may have additional law enforce 8
ent measures, but the law which
use them will remain. is not the
,st we can do the certain per-
ct, genuine reform, to repeal the
W itself. u
JSipned) M. r. PATTERSON" h
If Gov. Patterson was in favor Of q
pealing the prohibition laws in Sch a
mber, 1919, when did he change? q
d he change after he became sala.
ID speaker for temperance? Or, r,
| he change after he thought he a,
W a chance of becoming senator h,
exchange for giving up what he II
lied his life long convictions? He 81
Ks me to speak out on the nuisance m
V and ! have spoken out. He says w
". when he wants office, that he a.
in favor of the custer law. When he
he come out in favor Of the GUS he
law? Was it after he wanted Of G.
)? Let him speak.
Gov. Patterson answered questions ad
ZEE and four put to him recently u,
the Anti-Saloon League in the af- al