The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1901-02-22
Reply to Mr.. Miller.


repeal to publish the following state
ment of facts:
More than 100 Of the white male
citizens and about the same number
of ladies in the town of Bolivar pc
titioned our representatives asking
them to abolish the present charter
aud reincorporate the town. This
petition was filed with our legal rep
resentatives, Hons. ] A. Foster, j
G.. Houston and G P. Smith. They
refused to take any action in the
matter unless an election was held,
giving both sides an opportunity to
express themselves on the question.
On January goth, we received the
following letter, addressed to G. A.
Miller and ourselves:
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Jan. %, 1901.
Messrs. r. n. Mitchell, c. \. Miller and t. D.
Newbern-We believe you are friends and we
ask you to hold elect in the town of b ,livar,
say rext Saturday Monday, giving the legal
voters If said town a chance to vote the ques-
ton of abolishing and rechartering the corporation
of Bolivar. We leave it to you TO formulate the
rules under which the election shall be held, also
who shall vote in said election. You either hold
it yourself appoint the judges and cl, rks. Now
we do this because we are called ON abolish the
charter and reincorpOrate, and know that
this will be the only way to settle this matter so it
ba final ask ia do we w. nj
it understood that if the shows that majority
favor aholshing, we will at once pass the bills,
otherwise We Will take no action in the matter.
j. A. FOSTER.
j. c. Houston.
G. P. SMITH.
After carefully considering this
letter, G A. Miller and ourselves
decided 10 hold the election on Sat-
urday, the 2nd Of February. The
only question then to determine was
the rules under which the election
should be held, and who should be
allowed to vote. A majority
thought that as our representatives
were nominated and elected by the
white voters, they would prefer
being instructed by the voters that
elected them; therefore we decided
TO allow all legal white voters to
participate. Tickets were printed
and distributed over town both for
and against abolishing and rechart-
ering. The election was held and
each side was given a fair chance TO
vote. Seventy-four voted to abol-
ish and recharter and three voted
against abOlishing and rechartering.
The result of this election was seal
ed and forwarded to our local rep
resentatives, and we believe they
will act on the instruction of the
majority.
Mr.. Miller gives his reasons for
the repeal of the present
charter: First, because we owe a
debt of $4,000, and we need the
revenue derived from taxing saloons;
that said debt was incurred to build
and equip a school house. Any one
who will examine the list who voted
to abolish the charter and reincor-
pOrate without saloons published
in the BULLETIN of last weekly will
readily see that very large major
ity of those who will have TO meet
this deficit and pay the increase of
taxes, prefer to do so rather than
have saloons. Secondly, he says pro-
does not prohibit, and that
in towns of Bolivar's size we are
Only trading saloons for ''blind IL
gers" and that the great democratic
party has repeatedly denounced such
legislation as subversive of good
etc. Mr. Miller has a |
right to believe this, aud also to be- |
ieve that ''blind tigers will fnnr-
sh in the town of Bolivar; but a |
of the white citizens be-
ieve that the person who under
axes to sell intoxicating liquors in
II near the new corporation of Boil
var, will land in the county Jail |
md remain there until he is willing
o give up illegal whiskey selling
orever. Like Mr.. Miller, we have
belonged 20 the democratic party |
III our lives, and ever expect TO be
ong to it; but we have never seen
n any platform, either state or ma
iOnal, W ord or line denouncing
ocal option as subversive of good |
The four mile law
vas passed by democratic legisla-
ure and upheld as constitutional by
democratic Supreme Court. The
ct of 1899, extending the four mile
aw to all towns of less than 1000
Inhabitants, hereafter incorporated,
vas passed by democratic legisla-
nra SinDaI bv n domnnrafio nou