The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-31
Lamar Not a Candidate.

Ernest Lamar, a leading business man
and capitalist, who has started the agi-
tation for dispensary for Selma, is
great encouraged over the way leading
citizens have pledged their support. He
was seen by your correspondent this
morning and among other things. said:
"A report has been circulated that I
have started this movement for dis
pensary in order to boost myself into the
Office of Mayor on the wave thus created.
You can state that | am not a candidate
for Mayor or any other Office and would
not accept an office If one were rendered
me. / am for a dispensary for two rea-
sons. First, 1 think 1t would be a grand
step forward from a moral standpoint. 1t
would put stop to all this social drink
ing and would lessen the amount of in
toxicants consumed. The temptation for
young men to take a social drink would
be materially lessened, and many young
man would be thus placed in a position
where he would not form the drink habit.
Then, again. it would be a great thing
from a financial standpoint for the city of
Selma. We only get in a few Thousand
dollars now from the licenses and the
floating debt OF our city is gradually
growing larger and larger l am told that
the police have to discount their salaries
from 20 to 40 per cent in order to get
the cash, as the city Is not able to settle
with them in full more than two or three
times a year. l am not advocating high
license or a dispensary from any selfish
motives whatever, but have agitated the
question to put people to thinking. so that
they can be prepared when the time
comes to act intelligently for the best in
terests of all the people.
THE cry that abolishing the saloons
will depress realty values has no terrors
for me. l own a good deal Of property
in the city of Selma and am as anxious
to see it hold Its own as anybody and
am willing to take my chances and feel
that I will not be hurt one dollar by the
establishment of a dispensary The
houses that are vacated by the whiskey
business will be turned to some other USE
The statement that it will throw so many
men now engaged in the business out of
employment and that they can't make a
living at anything else, is mere childs
talk. If they can't make a living at any
thing but the saloon business they ought
to have guardians appointed to look after
them.
There are several ways to get the mat
ter up before the Legislature. Our Sena-
tor and Representatives could be petit
toned to give us a dispensary. II they
do not see their way clear to give us n
dispensary straight out they certainly
could not object to giving the people a
direct vote on the question as to whether
we shall have a dispensary. do not be-
lieve that they will refuse to let the peo-
pie haveea say on this important uues-
ton. If. after a vote on the question, a
majority of the white Democrats of Dali
las say they are in favor of dispensary,
then I think the law ought to be so
drawn as to allow the to govern them
selves according to what they think IL
to the best interests of all. On the con-
trary, If they vote it down, then / will
be satisfied.
u have been both gratifled and sur
prised at the sentiment for a dispensary
here. 1t is a question that will grow
stronger and stronger as men investigate
1t. Marion and Tuscaloosa are living ex-
amples of what dispensary will do. Ma
rion has improved her streets put in
electric lights and water works system,
and municipal affairs are moving for
ward more smoothly than ever before In
the history of the old town. Tuscaloosa's
dispensary will net $4,000 into the treas
uries of the city and County the first
year. These things speak in thunder
tones and cannot be controverted. What
Marion and Tuscaloosa have done can be
accomplished on a much larger scale in
Selma"