The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1897-10-20
Communicated.
DR.. DEAN DISCUSSES DISPENSARY.
Tells why He FavOrs the Movement ana
Opposes LeavingIt to a Popular Vote.

| Opnoses Leaving 1t to a Popular Vote.
EDITOR News: | have no apology to
make for this rush" into print, but
am also zone of You" That is, one of
those same good people whose rights we
were told a week or two ago gre being
SO ruthlessly threatened. As an earnest
advocate of the dispensary system for
| Terrell county | am especially deSlrous
that nothing be left IndOne to further
any honest purpose to attain such an END,
and while | had hoped that newspaper
controversy on the subject, even to II u
| tied extent, could be avoided, yet 50
much has been and is being said by the
anti dispensary or barroom advocates
| that is either altogether false or greatly
misleading it does seem pardonaoie TO
make at least an effort to correct some
of these impressions. No man llVeS IN
the county who regards more highly
than | the sO-called liberty and rights OF
the people as applied to politics or prop
erty; but when the moral welfare OF our
county is at stake, when the happiness
and safety of our wives and children
are the questions uppermost, are
we to consider for che moment the
dismal prospect of ballot in the hands
| of the debauched, or inthOSe OF the Ethi-
| plan ignOramus who offers himself al
ways to the highest bidder? Is there
one so blind that he can'JSee that such
contingency can only result IN the per
| petuatiOn of whiskey with all its atten"-
ant evils? There is no advocate of the
! dispensary who has SO little confidence
| in the moral worth of that element
! known as the educated, intelligent tax
! payer as that he would not be perfectly
wiling to abide decision of question
| so mOmentOus by such element, but are
our opponents ready to submit to the
dictates of this God-fearing, liberty-lov-
ing element? If they are, then we are
| with them.
The dispenSary advocates are being
accused variously by their adVersaries.
| They, the ants, begin their petition by
an appeal to the legislature to pass no
dispeusary bill at all, but they say if it
must be give us a chance to kill it with
! the unpatIiotjc, unsuspecting white man
and the ignorant negro, which classes
unfortunately, they know, are almost al
ways the majority, and few dollars
with few barrels OF cheap whiskey
would control the moral destiny of our
county These are not the exact words
of taat numerOusly signed petition, but
| these " rds convey its exact meaning.
! Can you then, my dear reader, if your
name be on that unhOly petition, if you
are a lover of your country, Of your wife,
of your child and his future, if you are
an admirer of all that promises some.
thing for what is good and pure, spend
another restful night until every veSUige
, of that name is erased therefrOm? Caa
you afford to place your name where
even possibility exists that yon are do
ing something, though small that some
thing be, to add to the cohorts of debauch-
cry that have gone before? Think, and
act before it is too late. Give US your
name for that which does at least carry
with it some promise in behalf of tenn
perance, morality and tie lessening of
vice.
Now, as 70 another pretension being
made. They tell You, if you live in or
near one of our neighborng Incorporated
villages, that Dawson proposes to m0hOp-
Olize the dispensary business. Was it
not the grand jury made up of men from
ali parts of the county that brought this
question to the front? Did they not
recommend that the Incorporated towns
/, be given the privilege Of establishing the
dIspensarv as well as Dawson? We, who
!
been the earnest advocates Of the dispen-
sarF, asked them to make such recon-
, mendauOn, believing such to be the sur
est means of finally securing the estab-
liShment of the system in the county, and
we have nOwn disposition to take from
them that privilege, for it would be in
z fact a practice OF deception, which is not
a component part of our nature. We
believe in all possible restriction DfEhe
sale Of whiskey, and wish sincerely tina.
: these places could all determine that
there should be but one place in Terrell
county where strOng drink could be OBJ
tanned, but we propose 10 lay no stone in
the way of doing what was indicated in
the outset, for we know that should
there be established in all these places a
: dispensaTy limited to operation during
the hours of sun shine such would be in
cOmparably better than a dozen bar
rooms with blinds and gambling attach
: ments, and running almost night and
day. The dispensary takes away no
mans liberty except to run barrOOm
with all its cOncomitant evils. The man
who will have his whiskey or beer can
get it decently and IN order, but must
go his way.
: Our country is large, its possibilities
are varied, so that all men can easily
find more ways than one to make a liv-
ing, and hence the few whose immediate
interests will be temporarily disturbed
for, we believe in the long-run, the inesti-
mable benefit of many will soon find
other means of support and such means,
perchancc, as will make them feel that
they have enjoyed a blessing in disguise