Year: 1874

We published in last issue the tive


clauses on the liquor question. proposed


by the Constitutional Convention. but as


there are many persons who do not un.


derstand the matter fully, we reproduce


them this week. They are as follows:


SEc-License TO traffic in spiritous, vinous


or malt liquors, under 9, such reS9ialions and
| be granted, but this section shall not prevent
| the General Assembly from passing laws fc
| restrict such traffic, and TO compensate the
Injuries resulting tnereIIOm.


SEC.-No License to traffic in intoxicating
| liquors shall hereafter be granted in this State
but the General Assembly may by law, restrain
| or prohibit such tra1iic or may provide against
the eN lis resulting thereflom.


They are TO be separately submitted,


and the one receiving a majority OF the
| votes cast will become part of the Con


stitution. In either event, the Constitu-


ton will be changed. In the adoption of


either section the matter is thrown into
! the Legislature. The first section does


not make it obligatory on the Legsla-
! ture to grant license, but gives the priv
iIege. By the second section the Legisla-


ture has no power to grant license, but
has power to restrain or prohibit. If
this section is adopted and the Legisla-
ture takes no action whatever, there
will be simply free trade in liquor. Yet
they may under it, make q local option
law, or regulate it in any manner they
see fit, except to give it the absolute
sanction of the law in the form of
| license.


On this question there will be just two
parties-the Liquor party and the Tenn
perance party. The liquor party will
vote for license, and the temperance
party will vote no license. The Gazette
argues that temperance men will vote for
the license clause, because it leaves the
whole matter with the Legislature. II
what the Gazette says is true, then there
will be an overwhelming vote for the
first clause, because the liquor men will
vote for it to a man, because it gives the
Legislature the right to license the
traffic. We think the Gazette is mis-
taken. Some temperance men may vote
for the first section, thinking that, as the
traffic WILL in all probability, continue to
exist, it ought to aid in paying our reve-
nue. tax, but large majority of the real
temperance men of the country, regard
less of party ties, will cast their votes
against license The power of the Legis-
lature is as great under one clause as
the other; by the first, it is allowed to
grant license, but not to prohibit; by
the second, tits allowed to prohibit, but
not to grant license. If the Legislature
is to be restricted, we prefer to restrict
on the safe side, and shall favor the
adoption of the second section. The
fight on the liquor question has been in
progress for many years, but it has been
SO mixed with political parties and the
general politics of the State that fair
issue has never been made between the
friends of temperance and the friends of
the liquor interest. At the present time
this is not the case. There is no necess-
ity of bringing the question up in a po- |
liticaI shape at.all. The vote will in all |
probability be taken in August next, be-
fore the time of holding either of the |
State Conventions, and may be disposed |
of purely on its merits, each voter cast
ing its ballot on the side that he thinks |
right without regard to party affiliations.
Neither party, as party, has expressed |
itself on the question, nor is it necessary |
to attempt to make political fight of it. |


In favoring the adoption of the second |
article, we are obeying opr private con-
victions of duty as an individual The |
Herald, as the organ of the Republican
party, and a representative of the people |
of the county, will give space to argu-
ments on the other side of the question, |
should the favor be requested