The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-07
HIGH POINT WANTS Il
Splendid Delegation Speaks
for the London Bill.
Prohibition in High Point Has Been Factor
in its Great Develop
nent.

High Point took part yesterday in
pushing forward the London bill.
A splendid delegation came from that
stirripg and progressive town to bear
tribute to the value of temperance laws
and to ask the passage of the London
Bill.
The gentlemen appeared before the
committee on Propositions and Grevan-
ces of the Senate yesterday afternoon
and some short but strong speeches were
made In the party were Mr.. w. II. RAJ
gan, Chairman Board of County Com
mssioners and manufacturer; Mr.. Ell
wood Cox, bank president and manufac-
turer; Mr.. r. C. Charles, bank cashier
DIR. j. j. Cox, mayor of High Point; Mr.
s l.. Davis, chair manufacturer; Mr. w.
r. Parker, insurance; Mr.. w. p. Pickett
tobacco manufacturer; Rev. William Por-
ter. Rev. ]. w. Wilborn, Mr. j. S. Rags
dale, of jamestown, cotton manufac-
turer, Mr.. w. c. Boren, of oPmona,
manager terra Gotta works.
DIR. Cox in his remarks said that the
people at his place had prohibition, but
that the distillers gave trouble. Such as
this he believed. would be remedied by
the enactment of the Lonon bill, which
would aid in enforcing the local alW.
He declared that he had found that the
liquor traffic was very injurious to bus
mess.
Mr. w p. Pickett in his remarks called
attention to the delegation and to the
business interests and people represent
ed these being an argument that the bus
mess interests wanted such a law as the
London bill. He named as in the dele
CATION bank presidents, bank cashiers,
four bank directors, insurance men, town
officials and three county commissioner
The manufacturers present represented
fifty-two manufacturing enterprises, en-
ploying, 1900 laborers, and these repre-
sented the sentiment of IS per cent of the
laborers in asking for temperance legisla-
ton.
Mr.. s. L. Davis said he employed in
his manufacturing establishment ninety
laborers, and that not more than five dis
agreed with his sentiments on the liquor
traffic. The United States census shows
that 20 per cent of the laborers at High
Point owned their homes, and to prohi-
bition he ascribed this. A manufacturer
in another town, where liquor is sold.
had told hi that after pay day it was
difficult for some days to get his laborers
back to work as the whiskey kept them
away.
Mr.. J. w. Wilborn said that the labor
ers of High Point were buying their
homes and paying for them by monthly
payments. With liquor and the saloon
in High Point he said that theee condi
tons would not exist He told of
a meeting of 900. composed mostly of Ia
hcrers of High Point, which he had just
attended, which passed resolutions en-
dorsing the London bill and that he rep
resented the views of this meeting when
he spoke for temperance legislation.
Mr.. w. II. Raglan, Chairman Board of
County Commissioners, said that he was
known as a pronounced prohibitionist,
ard that for seven years he had elected
county commission, leading the ticket at
times with $50 majority. He was salts
fled that the passage of the London bill
would increase the Democratic majority
in Guilford county by 500. The distiller-
les in the county, he said, gave more
troubel than anything else, and
the thing to do was to pass such a bill
as the London bill to regulate them.
Contrasting High Point with its prohi-
btion and Greensboro, where liquor is
sold. he declared that in proportion there
were 800 times as many homes owned by
laborers in High Point than in Green's
boro. The men present, he said, repre-
scented 1900 people and nine churches.
The High Point delegation made pro-
found impression on the committee. The
arguments the members presented were
solid facts. There was no attempt at