The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, July 11, 1905, Page 2, Image 2
ing the Brice bill, saying they had
published only certain portions of it.
leaving out the following provisos.
which he read: A tax of one-half mill
is hereby levied annually upon every
dollar of the value of all taxable prop
erty in all the counties voting to re
move the dispensaries: any county
voting out a dispensary shall not
thereafter receive any part of the sur
plus that may remain of the dispen
sary school funds. It has even been
said that Governor Heyward has said
he wouldn't put on the extra tax.
Heyward had nothing to do with it.
The legislature had already put on
this half mill tax, and the legislature
had said if you vote out the dispensary
you will not receive any more a part
of the school funds. If the dispensary
was voted out, the county would put
on itself an extra half mill tax, be
sides taking away from itself every
dollar of the school fund.
State's Financial Condition.
"In 1904 the legislature approp;,at
ed $285.ooo to pay the interest on the
state debt and $20.ooo for the payment
of past due interest on old stocks and
bonds. That gives you some idea as
to the financial condition of your
state. Last year the county levy was
3 mills and the state levy 5 mills. This
year the legislature with all its dis
pensary money had raised the state
levy to 3 1-2 mills while the county
levy had been reduced to 2 1-2 mills"
He was not speaking for the dispen
sary strictly from a financial stand
point, but it was well worth while to
consider it from that standpoint be
cause the people. negroes. who don't
pay any taxes but two-thirds of 'the
liquor.
"After the dispensary, then what?
Blind tigers throughout the county
and social clubs in the town. with the
card -table, the social drink and the
poker game.
Some -Figures.
"Now. I wish to call your attention
to some figures. The report of the dis
pensary officials for last year is as fol
lows: Total sales. $3.374.786.43; net
earning for account school fund. $171,
377-73: net pronlt. eqally divided be
tween towns and counties. S603.998.22:
earnings for the year, for the school
fund. counties and towns. S775-375.95.
We have paid to the state treasurer
since December I. 1903, on account of
the school fund. $304.338.94. which re
duces the school fund to S4oo.ooo, as
required by law. The total assests 01
'the state dispensary at t-he close of the
fiscal y'ear on November 30. 1904- were
SI,o29.397-05, of which $52.860.56 is in
real estate. What are you going to do
with this property if you close the dis
pensary? The gross profits for the
year were $652,118.75. The amount of
contraband liquor seized was $7,146.97
Without the dispensary force, whatr
would become of this contraband li
quor? T.he net profits of the Newber
ry dispensary were $I0,918.40; of the
Prosperity dispensary, $ ,98o.98; of
the beer dispensary, $604.80. N ew
berry's share, you will see, equally di
vided between town and county, was
$13,504.18; and her share of the school
fund was $8,0o0. You now have better
school houses and larger salaries for
teachers.
"They say under the dispensary law
every citizen is a liquor dealer. Why.
the United States makes every one a
liquor dlealer by collecting internal
rev'enuet. wh'ich amoutntedI last y'ear,
whi--ker. to. and fre m' beer
cot ofth Unte -Stats tax. For
r-:venue tax you \adpy iC
tax to the United Staten. As it is it is
just the ;amne as under the dispensary;
only the man who drinks pays it.
As to Blood Maney.
S"They talk about bloo<; monev. It
isa pity that some people are not told
who their grandfathers were:' I heard
a young man say that any one who
sold liquor would steal. I told him
rio: to say tha:a any more He seemed
tget miad. anid asked me why. I
told h:im to ask hisL mother. As a
matter (I'! act. mts grandfather had
made al te monley h'e had out of
whi-key. It i *b *d moneyri to hypo
crt. but' lbse who 5t(p anid
when they went to Newberry tinderl
he old bar room system and he want
ed them to -ompare these conditions
with Newberry of the present time.
They used to be afraid to pass cercain
places; they would dread what they
I would hear inside and what they
might see coming out. Now, they had
no fear of being insulted in t."n --s
the result of whiskey. He referred
to the high license system. saying that
the rich would be able to pay the li
cense. and the revenue which now
goes to the people would then be gath
ered in by the man who was able to
pay the license. He asked the ladies if
they wanted to see the state go back
to drugstore bar rooms and to social
clubs. He spoke of the fact that the
country was not policed, as was the
town. and that it would be even more
impossible to suppress blind tigers in
the country than in the town. and said
they would flourish from 1he day the
dispensary was vozed out. He did
not intend to enter into any personali
tv. ie was making the fight because
he was the people's represe4tative.
He stood not as a leader. seeking to
dictate. as some had tried to make it
appear. but as the servant of the peo
pie he considered it his duty to tell
them what he thought of this matter.
I thought that they claimed to be
working for the best interest of the
people but here confess that they have
"no personal intent on one side of the
question." Well if they are working
for the people's interest only,
why noc go to the people
and discuss their positions. It
is no personal interest to me except
that which I have in my fellowman
and my county and do not expect co
be re-imbursed financially but I am
willing to lose the time and pay my
expenses to serve those who have hon
ored me. I haven't got a cent of it
and never expect to. They say, "If
there are any individuals who for per
sonal or other reasons desire to go
before the people and make speeches
is their own affair." Ti so why did
they go to .Ir. Jones and beg him not
to come here. They are about as con
sistent in that as in their ight for pro
hibicion. I wonder who wrote Chair
man Long's address. I hear his voice
but I see a certain lawyer's hand. He
claims to be a orator, why dodge be
hind Chairman Long. come out and
fight in the open. After 'the dispen
sary. then what?
Dispensary Not Perfect.
"The dispensary is not perfect. We
ought to get better liquor at the same
price. \\'e ought to get liquor at less
profit, and,not so many new brands.
and what the people call for at rea
sonable prices. I want the money to
go into the liquor and let it come back
to the people in value.
"The system is the best ever de
vised by man. Turn out those wvho
are doing wrong, or are not doing
their duty, and put in good men. If it
is not being run propedly, is your gov
ernent, town, coun;y or United
States, perfect? If so, why so much
discord? If you wis-h the dispensary
closed, let no man buy a drop of
whiskey. Let the so-called prohibi
tionists be as honest in practice as
they claim to be in theory, and the
dispensary in South Carolina wvill
close in one y'ear, and the blind tigers
will starve in their dens.
"I ask you in conclusion, after the
dispensary. what? May your judg
ment. may your conscience dictate the
answer, and may y'our vote b)e govern
ed by thle arP5wer that youir ennlScience
Mr. R. Y. Kibler.
Rev. J. A. Sligh.
There were continued calls for the
Rev. J. A. Sligh. and he was forced to
.espond. JI said that he wou!d nia'
gin any bad advke for anything irt
the world. He would noit tell people
to do a thing which he believed they
ought not to do. The question was
important. It deeply concerned the
people and their children, and they
ough: to look at it seriously and
thughtfully. it should be cons-idered
weI! andl sentiment or politics or
prejudcice houtld not have any influ
en ce.
In :h va C -.e ad been hl:oCre by
pe:.:sary and prohibition.. he voted for
the dispensary. because he thought
th-en abeeve yet t'nat it was the
Very Best Solution.
Whiskey was here. and oh. how some
people love it and huw far they would
go for it! He never knew how men
were such slaves to it until he entered
the Confederate army. He had no
doubt but that liquor was one of the
worst evils that ever entered the
world. It had caused more harm,
more blood-shed. more trouble in fam
ilies. It was here,and was here to
stay. The question was what dispo
sition to make of it so as to bring
about the least evil among the people.
You can't let it loose, he said. The
law must deal with it. For the last
twelve years the dispensary law had
been in force. He had voted for the
dispensary. because he thought the
dispensary law could be enforced and
that a prohibiti' n law could not be en
forced. He had looked at it from a
common sense standpoint. He thought
then that it was impossible to enforce
a pro hibition law. and he thought so
vet. There were too many men before
him who would see a negro sell blind
tiger liquor and not report it. Shall
we ha-e a law which can not be en
forced. and no law can be enforced un
less there is a healthy public senti
mnent behind it.
System and Management.
}le believed the dispensary law to
be the best law ever enacted for deal
ing with v?hiskey, but he was thor
oughly disgusted with the manage
ment. It was rotten as rotten could be
and as corrupt as corrupt could be.
Men must be elected to the legisla
ture who would pass laws to see that
the dispensary law was enforced. He
Stood With Tillman
in his letter. He -though-t Tillman's
letter was the calmest, mildest and
most sensible thing -he had ever seen
him do.
He knew that ,being a preacher.
everybody expected him to cry prohi
bition. But he was a citizen, as well
as a preacher. and he wanted the peo
ple to do that which was for their
good. and the good of their children
and their children's children. He had
no patience with extremists. Better let
extremists alone, he said.
Wanted No Office.
Mr. Sligh said he wanted no ottice.
but he thanked the people for the con
fidence they had shcwn in him in the
past. He had never wanted office as
much as some people thought he did:
he had never wan:ed it enough to tell
a lie for it or to stoop to low means.
He had always had the courage of his
convictions. and t.he courage to speak
the truth.
He didn't want to be misunderstood.
This was a complicated question. He
iardly knew how lhe stood himselt.
He wvasn't going to tell the people how
to vote. Vote as you please, he said.
They were responsible to God to do
that which, in t-heir opinion, would re
sult in the least harm, and if they do
harm that can be overlooked.
Four Classes.
The people were divided into four
classes:
. Many good citizens and c-hurchi
members and some good Christiaiis
favoed the dispensary conscientious
ly because t-hey thought it the best so
lution of the liquor question, and not
because they expected office.
2. Those who favored the dispen
sar for the benenits they could de
rive from it. popularity and offnce.
. Those wvho were prohibitionists,
because they conscientiously believed
pra;ihit ion wa, :'.e b)est solu:ion. )Ir.
Sih said he di't agree with the-c.
wihnemn. if he believed proibitionf
4. Those wh4 hated the (disp1:ry:
those who wanted to sell liquor: those
who wanted high license.
The speaker said he didn't believe
in high license. Did you ever know
a man to pay a li license but what
he lav was violated and the thing run
in'the ground? he asked. It meant
open bar rooms.
lifthe dispensary was voted out
Mr. Blease: It will not he voted out
i you will come in and help us.
Mr. Sligh: I am helping now. The
)rohibitionists and the liquor men
were now frien dlv. ae said,. but as soon
as the dispensary was voted out. there
would he a big fight hetween the~m.
The c nrorhibhi:ioni sts woul wamt pro
I c : -: n : .; 1 d *h e l t h e m o u)e i t . Y I
The q- estion askedi by Mr. P,!ease,
After the Dispensary, Then What?
been enforced like it was in the be
ginning. it never could have been vot
ed out. But the dispensary was cor
rupt. and those who were fighting it
hoped that "we who stood by it would
favor voting it out: because they know
that those who stood by the dispen
sary are in the majority. and that is
probably one reason why they don't
want discussion." This was a free
country and he didn't see any reason
for no: ..aving a full and free discus
sion. He believed there were some
good men behind the prohibition
movement: some men who loved God
and their country. He believed that
there were other men connected with
it who would willingly go with it into
poli'iCS. Some men never forgave ncr
forgot, and wanted revenge.
He wanted to emphasize that
Liquor Was Here.
-le had never been an extremist on Ii
quor. He had always contended that
liqu r was a medicine. and should be
used that way. Liquor was a good
thing in its place. and it had its place.
just as quinine or s-trychnine. But it
was here and it was not kept in its
place. and if he had it in his power
to destroy every drop of it. he would
vote that way for the good of the
world.
But as a citizen. he concluded,
knowing it is here, you know you
have got to deal with it. Take this
question home with you and consider
it. and vote, not for your own inter
ests. but for the interests of your fel
lowman and your country.
The Barbecue Dinner.
The barbecue dinner was excellent
and was very thoroughly enjoyed, as
Pomaria barbecues always are.
Some men do right only because
they are too cowardly to do wrong.
Shaking dice for the drinks is some
men's idea of strenuous physical ex
ercise.
Barbecue.
We will furnish a first class barbe
cue at Mr. Perry Halfacre's mill on
Saturday, July 22. 1905. Arrange
ments will be made for the usual en
joyments of all-present. Cooking will
be under the best arrangements.
J. D. H. Kibler.
D. E. Halfacre.
Season Tickets Via. C., N. & L.
The Columbia, Newerry and Laur
ens railroad offe-a Season Tickets to
the following points, limited until
October 31st, 1905:
Asheville. N. C. S7.05
Alexander 7-35
Arden 6.75
Biltmore 7-00
Brevard 7.90
Flat Rook 6.30
Fletchers 6.65
Hendersonville 6.40
Hot Springs 8.oo
Murphy 1I-30
Saluda - 6.oo
Swannanot 7.35
Tryon 5.6o
Waynesville 7.80
Lake Waccamaw 9.30
Wrightsville II-70
Carolina BeachI.5
Georgetown 8-30
IConway 10.10
Isle of Palms 7.90
FOR~ BARGA
FURNI
HOUSE HOI
Kibler, Do
Sullivans Island 7.90
Waterloo 1-95
Cross Hill 1.95
Glenn Springs 4.45
Spartanburg 4.10
Greenville 4.05
Parties wishing to purchase tickets
to points beyond Spartanburg will
please notify me before the trains are
due, that I may arrange to have tick
ets ready on their arrival.
For schedules or further informa
tion phone or write,
J. W. Denning, Agent.
Dr. R. M. Kennedy,
DENTIST.
Newberry, - - S. C.
OVER NATIONAL BANK.
Best Mineral As
phalt Roofing.
C. H. CANNON,
Near C.. N. & L. Depot
Just received
2 car loads of
Buggies.
I car load of
Wagons.
and a lot of up
to-date and first
class Harness.
All to be had at
REASONABLE PRICES at
A T. BROWN.
W OR K
BY A
Newberry
Steam
Laundry Co.
INS
TUR E
.1 GOODS
RY. S. C