Watauga Democrat, March 12, 1903
Raleigh Letter
Raleigh, March 9—By the time these lines are read the
General Assembly of 1903 will be a thing of the past.
Its closing hours were marked by active hard work, and “dead
loads” of it was accomplished. The Legislature was practically in continuous
session during the last three days, adjourning only for meals and completing
the day’s work at a late hour, keeping both branches in session until midnight
and after.
While this Legislature on a whole was an “eminently
respectable” one with a number of decidedly able men in both branches and was
“above the average” especially if we include the recent Populist Legislatures
and those which in years ago were controlled by the Republicans—still the
number of “big men” was comparatively small.
In the Senate, for instance, after excepting about a half a
dozen gentlemen of real ability and valuable experience in public affairs, the
average Senator was not up to the standard of North Carolina, and did not
compare favorably with the one of two years ago especially. Indeed some of the
men who occupied senatorial seats ought never to have been sent here.
This writer has been reporting the Legislature for many
years, and is in a position to speak intelligently on this subject. But I shall
not hurt any one’s feelings by referring even by inference, to any individual.
As usual the work of the session was directed by the leading
spirits—and it speaks for itself. The liquor question has not been agitated so
much in a generation as during the last two months—and the “liquor devil” made
his presence even to the last expiring breath of the legislature.
The most effective piece of real temperance legislation was
the passage in the House last Friday of the bill to compel all licensed saloons
all over the State to close business at 8 o’clock p.m.
It is the night drinking and “treating” in saloons that
starts the appetite in 90 per cent of the young men of the South, and it is
responsible for 99 per cent of the debauches and “protracted sprees” indulged
in by men of mature years. It is the starting point of the downward course that
leads to wrecked constitutions, financial and moral poverty, the “jim jams” and
to hell on earth and hereafter.
Not much from a temperance standpoint is expected from the
Wattslaw—or, rather the Simmons Aycock law—except in the country and
unincorporated villages, and the stronghold of the saloon has never been there.
But it will turn the distilleries from the country to the towns and if one
one-hundreth part of what some people said is true and the country is to be
congratulated on that, at least, and the cities and towns correspondingly
pitied.
But politics always plays the most important and winning
part in these fights and in this fight there was no exception is the rule. So
the Senate referred the 8 o’clock closing saloon bill of the Hosue to the
Judiciary Committee, instead of acting on it directly as it has done in the
closing days in other matters of moment. This action settled its fate, and the
8 o’clock saloon bill did not pass the Senate as many hoped it would.
After all—leaving out the moral and spiritual effects of the
proposition—it is a question whether it would have been wise, from a political
standpoint, for any party to take such a radical step at once.
Some sensible men say “it would have split the party wide
open.” Not that the saloon men could do this but because a considerable
percentage of the voters oppose such legislation.
An attempt was made to incorporate a number of little
villages during the closing hours, but only a very few succeed in getting
thro’. The object was to continue distilleries or establish new ones therein.
It is understood on the strength of advices received from
Washington that Sam Vick, the negro postmaster at Wilson, will walk the plank
this week and that Dr. B.T. Person will be appointed to succeed him.
Raleigh is to have a great Street Fair and carnival in May,
lasting one week under the auspices of the Knights of Pythins.
An appropriation of $50,000 (to come from the surplus fund
of the Agricultural Department) hasa been made for the erection of an
agricultural building at the A.&M. College.
The Senate Saturday afternoon passed the bill of
Representative Newland, appropriating $1,500 for a building and $2,600 per
annum for the maintenance of a training school for teachers in the six western
counties of Ashe, Alleghany, Watauga, Burke, Yancey and Caldwell and it is now
the law. He had a hard fight to get it through, however.
The bond issue bill was amended at the last moment so as not
to make the interest “not to exceed 4 per cent,” instead of 3. The amount of
the issue is limited to $300,000.
The Legislature will adjourn sine die today (Monday) at
noon. For which one hard-worked newspaper man will be duly thankful.
LLEWXAM
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