The news & observer., 1901-02-21
!: UNDER THE DOME. !


The Fayetteville Dispensary matter IS
in muddle. Its the worst tangle OF any
proposition that has come before the Leg
islatre in many years. Talking about the
matter last night a gentleman said:
shortly after the election, some of the
opponents of the dispensary advocated
submitting the question to vote OF an
the qualified voters Of the county Cart.
e. T. McKethan. one of the members OF
the House, who personally advocated the
dispensary, opposed that plan, declaring
that he would not submit to being IN
structed by negro votes. He proposed
leaving the question to a white primary.
Later Senator McNeill and Mr.. Mchethan
united in requesting the Cumberland
County Board of Elections to call a white
primary 10 settle the matter Mr.. HAN
the other member Of the House from
Cumberland, telephoned his assent to the
plan Then the County Board of Elections
refused to call the primary, and Senator
McNeill and Representative McKethan IS
sued the call themselves. Mr.. Hail de-
clined to join in that call. The advocates
Of the dispensary refused to have any
thing to do with the primary and at the
election on Tuesday refused to vote. On
Friday of last week. Hon. Henry l.. COOK,
chairman Of the Democratic County COM
mittee, requested the Senator and hep-
resentatives to postpone the primary un-
til some day after February 26th, stating
that then the dispensary men would take
part in it under certain regulations, ana
both sides would abide by the result OF
the white primary. Senator Mcneil re-
fused to accede to the request for post
ponement, saying the request had come
too late Capt McKethan felt that he
could not alone recall the call, having
given notice weeks ago that it would be
held and that he would abide by the re-
suit. The dispensary folks notified all
advocates of the dispensary not to take
part in the primary. and so the primary
election was a one-sided affair, only a
very few advocates Of the dispensary
voting. The opponents of the dspensary
were very active and brought out their
vote The official returns, if | may so
call the result will show that less than
one thousand voters in Cumberland voted
TO repeal the dispensary out of Demo-
cratic vote of 2,719 and all white oppon-
ents including Populists and Republicans.
The friends Of the dispensary claim that
this shows the true situation and true
feeling of the people.
ats queer business, anyhow, this get
ting or not getting dispensary. no.
tice that Senator Alexander and Repre-
sentatives Ardrey and Shannonhouse. OF
Mecklenburg, refused to vote for a DIS
pensary unless in white primary ma
iority of the qualified voters of Mecklen-
burg county voted in favor of the dis
pensary. The dispensary advocates de-
manded to have the dispensary men get
only majority Of those participating III
the election, but the Mecklenburg delega-
tion insisted on majority of the quail
fed voters. whether. they went TO the
polls or not If dispensary must have
majority of the qualified voters to be
established in Mecklenburg, ought not the
opponents TO be required TO get ma
jorty of the qualified voters in Cumber-
land before aboIishing the dispensary in
Cumberland. If not. why not?