The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-10
ARGUED IN COMMITTEE
BOTH SIDES WITH PETITIONS
AND COUNSEL.
"AsrRo>G nRs, AV,RysfRoNG Term"
Said Mr.. Moses n. Core en- Few. fsb'rt W.
Smith Charged that Part Of the Anti
ip-nsa'y Petition Mas
Fraudulent.

Apparently the dspensary will have
to be cassed along with politics and re-
ligion as things concerning which it
is hard for men to differ in an altogeth-
err amicable way. That is the idea one
gets after more or less experience with
dispensary hearings.
A large crowd of the solid folks of
Greensboro came down yesterday 10
urge the Joint committee on Propositions
and Grievances to report to the Assem-
bly, favorably a bill establishing dis
pensary in greensboro. They asked that
the dispensary be estahnshed uncondi-
tionaly, without submitting the question
to a vote of the citizens of the city.
The opponents of the dispensary APP
peared by counsel. Maj. Charles NJ.
Stedman, r. Il. King, Esq, and Judge
McRae representing them. For more
than three hours the committe listened
to an able presentation of the question.
The dispensary advocates, who had the
crowd by large majority applauded
vigorously when point was scored, and
the scoring was sufficiently frequent,
on both sides.
along toward the end when DR.. Egbert
W. Smith, pastor of the Presbyterian
church Of Greensboro, having scanned
the petition presented against the dis
pensary closely before he arose, de-
nounced It as fraudulent and intimated
that the dispensary people were net
being honorably dealt with by the
''antis." He explained that he did not
intend to charge the gentlemen present
with responsibility for anything that
was dishonorable and the hearing pro-
ceeded.
Mr.. a. NJ. Scales spoke first for the
dispensary. He said that over 700 of
the 94S white voters of the town had
signed the petition which truly represent
ed the sentiment OF the ton. An oppor-
tunity had been given every signer to
take his name off it if he SO desired His
petition bore the names of more than
LOO of the voters of Guilford coun-
ty.
Rev. l.. Johnston for the dispensary
said that the material interest of the
community depended upon the moral
interests. 1t was not urged that the
dispensary did not improve the morals
of a community. The changes had been
rung for months past on white supre-
macy. The white people of Green's
boro wanted the dispensary. He wished
to make a plea above all for the Chris
tian women who opposed bar-rooms.
The dispensary was Democratic. The
majority were for it. All that was asked
of the Assembly was to acquiesce III the
wish of the majority. No man had
refused to sign a petition because the
matter was not to be submitted to a
vote of the people.
Mr.. Speight Hunter for the dispensary
said that some opposed the dspensary
from good motives but many of the
worst element Were opposed to it. If
the negro were eliminated there would
be no objection to leaving it to vote.
The advocates of the dispensary rep
resented all classes.
Mr.. II. Il. King spoke against the
dispensary. He said that for some years
the Democrats had met with no oppo-
sition in the city government The city
registration books did not show the full
white vote. The registration books of
the last State election show 1.494 white
voters The present plan was to make
the dispensary law apply only mile
beyond the city limits. Within three
miles there were several distileries.
Some names appeared on the petitions
for the dispensary more than once. He
presented petition against the dispen-
sary which he said had been circulated
for only few hours, but leading citi-
zens and business men had signed it.
He said the personnel of his petition
could not be challenged. No effort had
been made to bring citizens to Raleigh
to oppose the dispensary. His petition
represented the men who had made
Greensboro prosperous town. Many