The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1901-02-15
To The Pub1ic.

1ndsnucn as my Dame mas Deen
used quite freely in discussing the
proposed repeal of the charter of
Bolivar by one of the local newspa-
pers, | desire to state as follows:
On January %, ult., Messrs. r.
n. Mitchell and T. D. Newbern
came to my Office and presented me
letter signed by our local repre-
sentatives in the Legislature in
which the following is embraced:
''Messrs. r. n. Mitchell, c. \. Miller and t. D.
Newbern
ave believe you are our friends, and we ask you
to held an election in the town of Bolivar, say
next Saturday or Monday, giving the legal voters
of said town chance to vote the question of
abolishing AMI recharterins the corporation of Boil
ivar. We leave it to you to formulate the rules
under which the election shall be held; also VINO
shall vote in the election. You either hold it
yourselves or appoint the judges and clerks.''
The balance of the letter is not
quoted because it refers alone to the
action of our representatives on the
result of the election and is imma-
terial TO the matters discussed here
in.
| pleaded that the time allowed
was too short to properly notify the
voters. They insisted on holding
the election on Saturday, only four
days thereafter, and that only
whites be allowed to vote. | asked
for time TO consult the opposers of
the repeal and was given until 2
o'clock p. m. to see my side. l
waited in my office until o'clock
pm. to see the gentlemen, they then
appeared with a scout and dried
paper as follows:
''The election shall be held on Saturday, Feb. 2
1901 three judges and two clerks will be appoint
ed polls to be opened at II o'clock and closed at
o'clock pm. all legal white voters in the town
of Bolivar will be allowed vote; the ballots are
to be written printed white paper with the
words For Saloons and Against Saloons this is
the real question This January %, 1901.
"R. y. MITCHELL,
ct. d. NEwBERN."
l only quote the rules above, as
the balance of said communication
has been published and is inmate
rial herein.
| insisted that said rules were
unfair to our side, disfranchised a
large number of legal voters, and
did not conform TO the requirements
of the request of our representatives.
They demanded that they be car
ried out. / then refused to 90 in
to said election. And then | said
you have changed the question: from
"AboIishing and rechartcring" TO
For saloons" and against sa-
LOOMS" manifestly to prejudice
the matter. They changed it
back, as learned on election day
on their printed tickets. They
held their election on the day
appointed. The opposers of repeal
took no part in same. They did
not even get majority of 'all the
legal white voters in the town of
Bolivar" No man who knows the
true number of white legal voters
will claim this. Moreover, as /
learn my motives have been assail-
ed in opposing this repeal, l give
First. In part through my eff
forts the town of Bolivar has incur
ed a bonded debt of $4,000 to
build and equip a magnificent school
building. | conducted all the cor
respondence and in the main person
ally carried out the negotiations 10
borrow this money. The plighted
faith of the town was given to
promptly pay the interest and create
sinking fund TO pay the principal
of this debt, and / vouched for that
promise, along with the other
friends of said school. The saloons
of the town pay taxes more than
enough to pay the interest on this
debt, and create a sinking fund. If
this revenue is lost, an additional
tax sufficient to meet the deficit will
have to be put on property. We
have already laid the taxes on prop
erty and polls to the limit of the
law, and the burden is being gen
orally complained of.
Second. My past experience has
taught me that prohibition does not
prohibit, and that in towns of Boil
wars size you are only trading sa-
looms for "blind tigers by adopt
ing prohibition.
Aud besides no great convention,
state or national, republican or dem
ocratic, has ever sanctioned it; and
the great democratic party to which
| have ever and ever expect to be
long, has repeatedly denounced it
as subversive of good government
and the personal rights of the citi
zen.
The state of Kansas is now in the
throes of revolution on account Of
Prohibition-the ''joint runners"
on the one side violating the law in
openly selling whiskey, and Mrs.
Nation and her followers violating
it on the other side in the wilful
destruction of property and melting
riot.
In Bolivar we have had a law
abiding, peaceful, quiet community
for IS years | prefer this state of
affairs to flying to the fields of the
s'blind tiger" the "jug drinking"
condition and all their attendant
disorders and wilful violations of
the law. In other words, l prefer
the saloon, its revenue and lawful
Iona li1afi0n n tho SGhIIn6 fi0or''