The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-25
THE DISPENSARY LOST
AFTER A DEBATE FROM EIGHT
O'CLOCK TO TWELVE.
CROWDS WAMPED THE SENATl: CHAMBER
And theered Bo,h Sides Upoariously. Caller
les Kissed and the Chair Threatened
to Clear the Hall. No Miro
ing nf Wads
ing Of Wor DIS.

The. Charlotte dispensary bill was de-
feated in the Senate last night on a roll
call by vote of 81 to l..
Nothing that has arisen at this session.
not even the vote OH the Constitutional
amendment has attracted half the crowd
of spectators or has evoked half the in
terest< as this measure. People were
banked in the galleries and even in the
corridors leading to them. On the floor
the Hobbies were filled and Senator's
were crowded out of their seats in the
rear and forced TO occupy the aisles.
The Sergeant-at-Arms was kept busy
pushing back the crush. The doors were
ianmed until they could not be closed,
and throughout the four hours of de-
bate stood patiently waiting for the vote.
The Charlotte delegation cast the lines
of debate at the hearing before the com
mittee. The dispensary was discussed
much; Senator Osborne was discussed
more. 1t was perhaps the fact that it
was virtually trial of a Senator before
his fellow Senators rather than the
mere local matter of a dispensary for
Charlotte that lent gravity and inter
est to the occasion. That the vote was
a vindication of the Senator from Meek
lenburg and not a vote against the dis
pensary there can be no sort of doubt
The result. on such grounds. was a
foregone conclusion.
Another thing of which there can be
no sort of doubt is that the fewer oc-
casons of this kind that arise the bet
ter for this General Assembly, for the
Democratic party and for the State The
lnh 70 lnp ferI,f 81
ward left heart burnings that will ease
slowly and created differences if not
arrangements, that have no business
and no justification in the Democratic
party at this time. And that entirely
separate and apart from the merits or
dement's of the dispensary.
To that believe every moderate man.
who saw the scenes of last night. will
assent
The crowd was tolerably evenly di-
vided, though the champions of Senator
Osborne had rather the better Of it in
the number and enthusiasm of supporters.
The applause was of the convention sort
IN volume and frequency. OF the Kisses
the less said the better.
Senator Hairston began the debate
lie stated, as i'll committee, that he had
voted on the merits of the bill as he
Saw them, and not merely out Of courtesy
10 a fellow Senator.
Senator Jones. of Harnett. said that as
he understood the matter. the honor and
Integrity of one of the leading citizens
of the State were at stake. He would
stand by the man whom the State had
stamped with its approval
He was not willing that the Senator
should go down before his people brand
cd as liar. The same book that was
the foundation of the church did not
condemn drunkenness alone but
Ananias was struck dead for lying. Ii
Senator Osborne had made pledges the
Senator's should stand by him. No man
should have it to say that an ex-Attor-
ney-General had broken his promise. He
was ready to take Frank + Osborne by
the hand and say: You are a man.
Senator Eayes said he wished TO cast
his vote not from sentiment but from
deliberate Judgment. The advocates Of
the measure assumed the dispensary
was the solution of the liquor question.
lie had listened for argument to prove
1t. but in vain. There was no moral
influence about the dispensary. He had
been told by men from South Carolina
that IN many towns it was lamentable
failure. At best it was a debatable
question. The advocates of the dispensa-
ry had said that two years hence they
would nominate dspensary Democrats:
the Democratic party was not ready ia
go into the dispensary business. The
Senators had been sent for one grand
purpose: To establish forever white
supremacy and good government ANY,
thing that jeopardized that he should
oppose. Twenty-Five years ago he had
graduated with Frank /. Osborne: he
had seen him climb round by round unit
he commanded the respect of the whole
State.
Senator Mcintyre said that no man
doubted the honor and the sincerity OF
Frank Osborne. He should vote against
him because it was great moral ques
ton and he could be guided only b,
his conscience and his God. More thar
5000 men had asked for the dispensary
and the people must be heard: they ask
ed not for prohibition but only for q
better restriction of the liquor traffic
On the side OF morality and the best PEG
pie of Mecklenburg he was going to vote
for the dspensary
Senator Cooke said he would he re
creant to his sense of honor sbouId he
keep silent. Who had led the fight
against the hordes of Ignorance and
corruption i'll the last camnaign? The
goiden-hearted patriot of Mecklenburg,
Frank |. Osborne.
The vote of Mecklenburg county show.
ed that his people had rallied round him
1T mad been asserted that he had no
right to make pledge to the liquor men
Would 1t be said that the question OF
White supremacy was not more imnort.
ant than whether liquor should be sold
ps ,he drink or the bottle? If he should
go pack on any pledge of the Senator he
would be obtaining votes under falls.
pretences. He had never seen n create,
expression of manhood than when Sena
tor osborne refused to allow affidavit.
showing that representatives of hi.
county had pledged themselves to liouo
men 10 he read; he had said that /
he went down he would go by himself.
SA1aDf ton IrAV1 4 A.