The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-18
..wEr" VERSUS "ORY."
Tn, Few Against the Masses
OFFICIAL RETURNS.

OPFlcIAL RETURNS.
When we las, weak pointed out that
The ONLY counties which came near to
,irjn1 \ majority for Prohibition, were
mountain counties, liz which the great
,nsiorjtv of distilleries, both licensed
and illicit. are located, we did not
know thst a single county tad gone for
Prohibition. Later returns add force to
orr remarks. For il seems the Prohi-
bitionists have carried Yancsy, Hay
wo d. and Transylvanis, and came
within Is votes of carrying Mitchell,
and 2 yoles of carrying Cleveland,
aud three votes of carrying Cherokee.
Now. we are familiar with Western
| North Carolina, and we have no hesi-
tation in saving these couatissc can show
as MANY stills. and as many farmers who
depend on their peach, apple, and
cherry brandy for tax money ~ any SIX
counties in the State. SO much Tor
the argument that the West would be
ruined by the adoption OF the bill.
Il should be noted, also, that the
counties which showed the strongest
! Prohibition strength, pro rata, are Re
publican strongholds. Mitchell, Castor,
Transylyania, Madison, and Yancey, are
rarely represented BY Democrats.
Their vote speaks highly of the
personal influence of such Repub-
leans as David A. Jenkins, j.
w. Bowman, Judge Henry, ct
al. If Reade. Holden, Smith, ct al. OF
Central and Eastern North Carolina had
norked for Prohibition, as did the Yves
tern Radicals there would have been a
different story. And having done so,
we wash our hands Of the consequences.
We mention these things as matters
of interest, rather than from regret OF
the result. We gave our personal and
editorial services in behalf of Prohibl-
ton, because we believed it right to at
least make the experiment of adopting
such a measure.
We were aware that hundreds of our
warmest friends were holly opposed to
it: and that we should suffer in poke e.
and in popularity by taking ground for
it. Fully fifty persons stopped their
subscriptions, and some of them were
dishonest enough to refuse to pay fol
the time they had read it--at over ex-
pense. Altogether we lost about $500
by advocating Prohibition and such a
sum makes a very large hole In the
pocket of a small weekly paper, In d
small town in a thinly settled State like
North Carolina where no newspaper has
ever yet succeeded IN getting 5000 bona
ide subscribers. Nevertheless we should
gladly have given twice SO much to carry
Prohibition mot this particular Bill. per
haps) because, although we do not drink,
nor have any relative who does drink,
we have seen enough of the breadth
curse to feel thar it must be fought with
all the desperation Of a Life or Death
struggle. And we trust we shall never
be found wanting, when a question OF
vital Importance to our people is up fol
discussion. Unfortunately, we coulC
not regard the late campaign as a rea
trial of strength.
The whole affair had been SO misera-
bly, mismanaged-( Tor not maonaged al
all from the very start that we could
give it only half hearted support. We
J declined to print the Bill, or puff the
negro Orators or quote the stats
tics from Name" and ''Northamptor
County or anything of the sort. Al
the same time we believe theory of Pro
hibition and total abstinence to be moi
only right but all-important; actually
indispensable to the welfare of North
Carolina and the Nation. We believe
that the great struggle is just begun.
: The continual rising tide of crime anc
ruin, resulting from ruin, well do the
work, Of itself. Many a man who hon
estly voted against Prohibition vii
within ten years, declare in a voice O
anguish 81 fought this thing once, anc
perhaps | was justiiable under the pc
culiar circumstances Of that time bu,
now | am strong for it-straight out 7
We shall be glad if this prediction
proved i'll founded. But until some
one can show us that drunkenness, anc
fearful crimes resultant therefrom, have
,. not increased 100 per cent, each tel
years, for half a century past, we shall
see no brighter prospects for the future
But now we dismiss the subject from
, our columns, with a statement of The
official vote Of the Election of Angus
4th, 1881.