The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-28
YADKIN AND WILKES NEED 70
DRIVE OUT THE CORRUPTING
STILLS.

The most strenuous and vociferous OPP
position to the bills to shut up the rural
distilleries and saloons come from the
counties of Wilkes and Yadkin-the two
counties whose people need the law as
much as those in any county in North
Carolina. Distilling has done both coun-
ties infinite harm. With fine natural
resources and with a population contain
ing many of the best people in the world,
these two counties have not made the
progress that they ought to have made.
Whskey. For many years stills. stuck
about in the mountain coves, have done
more to demoralize the people than the
schools and churches could undo. Re-
move them and in few years Wilkes
and Yadkn will be controlled in all their
affairs by the best citizens of these
counties, and the very men who now
make the mistake of standing against
their removal will applaud the General
Assembly.
The statement that the removal of
the stills in these two rock-ribbed Re-
publican counties would injure the
Democratic party should be taken with
many grains of allowance. 1t is certain
that if stills remain Democracy in these
counties will ever be under foot. With
the negro eliminated, Wilkes gave a Re-
publican majority of 1872 at the last cleo
ton, and Yadkin gave a Republican ma
jority of 648 These counties couldn't
do much worse if the moral atmosphere
was purified by driving out the stills and
the horde of political corruptionists who
act ostensibly as gaugers and revenue Of
whoopers up for the Radical party. In
recent speech in the Democratic caucus,
Mr.. Dockery, of Richmond, said: I'm
Democracy there is decency without 1t
there is none" Why not give Wilkes
and Yadkin, as well as all other coun-
ties afflicted with the demoralizing in
q
Wouldn't Democratic victories be more
apt to follow than if the old plan of
Rum and Radcalism is continued?
One of the best Democrats in Yadkin
county-a man who knows the true con-
ditions in Yadkin and Wilkes better than
any other man in the State-in private
letter to the editor says:
81 guess you had better begin to
apologize to these whiskey and revenue
fellows If the Watts or London bill
passes Yadkin and Wilkes may go Re
publican at the next election. II the
business is allowed to go on few more
years in this (Yadkin) county, prohibl-
ton law can be passed without giving
offense to any Democrats-FOR THERE
WILL BE NONE TO OFFEND"
This gentleman knows-as everybody
knows-that the rural still house is
Radical recruiting station, and that the
positions of gaugers and doodles are
held out to buy young men to Radicalism
those who are not above temptation or
whose morals are not destroyed by the
corrupting influences that are almost in
separable from the majority of the dis
tilleries. There are some men who car
ry on stills decently and honestly whose
places are free from political and moral
rottenness. But they are the exception.
These men ought to be willing to quit
the business or go where there is police
protection for the good of the morals of
the State They will do as well in a
better business.
This paper advocates effective temper
ance legislation solely because it is
needed to save the youth of the Com
monwealth. But, so far as political con-
ditions will be affected by it, this is true
Nearly all the distillers have been either
forced to become active Republicans OF
to keep silent for fear the revenue Of
ficers would prosecute them and destroy
their business. This is known of all
men. 1t is not only debauching the
morals of the State. 1t is as we'll cor
ruptlng the pCltlcS vi tHe oldte, III
stead of hurting the Democratic party in
counties like Wilkes and Yadkin, the
closing up of the stills will take away
the most active and demoralizing re-
cruiting stations of the Radical party. il
anybody doubts this. let him read the
election returns in the contest between
Kluttz and Blackburn in the November
election.
The Health Department of New York
city has found that there is a wide
spread adulteration of phenacetin. The