The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1903-02-19
THE ROME DISPENSARY.
Rome, Ca, Feb. eth, 1903.

EDITORS MARIETTA JOURNAL The in
closed reference by the Marietta Jour
nal to the Rome Whiskey Dispensary
was clipped from the Rome Tribune
yesterday and am tempted to reply
thereto. The Tribune is paper that
never loses an opportunity to misrep-
resent the Dispensary and has been it's
persistent and consistent enemy from
the first. We all know, in Rome, that
the Tribune is fully identified with the
barroom side of the whIskey question
1t is opposed to prohibition and to any
thing else that seeks to hamper or re-
strain the operation of the whiskey
business as manipulated by he bar
room crowd. This is we'll know to all
temperance people in this community,
and if the Rome Tribune had made the
comments on the Dispensary, attribut-
ed TO your paper, would, of course,
pay no attention to it. But have TIE
greatest respect for the Marietta Jour
nal and the highest regard for its edi-
tors, and for that reason | feel disposed
TO correct the erroneous impression
sought to be created by the inclosed
clipping.
beg to say that the Rome Dispen-
sary is not advertising for customers
IN papers in adjoining Counties" as al
!eged by you. wrote the rules for the
Dlspensary when it began business and
is is expressively prohibited from ad-
vertising for or soliciting business any
any way.
1t is fact that some of the whole
sale whiskey men, who sell goods to
the Dispensary, have inserted adver-
easements in various papers, stating
that their goods can be had at the
Rome Dlspensary; which they say is
done to meet the advertisements of the
retailers from other points seeking bus
mess IN this territory. But the man.
agement of the Dispensary has nothing
to do with this advertising business,
does not pay for the same, and has no
control over it.
L desire to say further that the Rome
Dispensary is not Dragging on the
large amount of money it is making"
Under the law the Dispensary Com
missioners are required to make month
~ settlements with the County and
city for the amount of profits accruing
on sales made during the preceding
month. These statements have been
published, which is the extent of the
Dragging" done by the Dispensary.
Inc whlskey gang prophesied that the
Dlspensary would not make any money,
but would involve the City and County
in debt. 1t was, therefore, due the pub
lie to let them know what the Dispen-
sary was doing. The domination of the
barroom element in our City Politics
ana In our community became intoler-
able under the old regime, and the rep
resentative temperance people of the
County supported the Dispensary in
preference to barroOms, as the least of
two evils We do not regret it.
ANY tair-minded citizen of Rome will
tell you that the Dispensary method of
dealing with the whiskeY question is
vast improvement on the barroom
plan. The records of our City will
show that the arrests for drunkenness
have greatly decreased since the es-
tablishment of the Dispensary. | can
say as citizen of the town, deeply in
terested in its welfare and prosperity,
both morally and financially that the
Dlspensary is in every way an improv-
ment over barrooms.
AS long as people will drink whiskey.
L believe this Dispensary system is the
best that can be devised for its sale,
Rome has tried prohibition and after
two years went back to barrooms by
large majority. The Dispensary was
the best thing in sight, and we took it
as the least OF two evils, and after a
trial we know it is vast improvement
on parrooms. In dry county / would
oppose the establishment of Dlspen-
sary in wet county / would advocate
it. w 7. NEFr
We do'not desire to have a contro-
versy with the writer of the above ar
tlcle. But if the Rome Dispensary is
not advertising its trade, then the adj
vertisements in : the Cedartown and
Adairsville papers are misleading the
reading public, and these advertise
ments are probably doing the Rome
dispensary much good in securing or
ders. AS to whether there is any
Dragging" done or noy, when you
boastingly give the figures and profits
to show the prophecies of the oppo-
nents OF the dispensary are false, then
you give the matter coloring thar
makes Dragging" very plausible in
depreciation.
You are entitled to your preference
whether you have barrooms or dispen-
sary, but the evil that flows from a
whiskey barrel in a barroom is the
same that flows from whiskey barrel
in dispensary. The published report
that your dispensary manager has been
indicted for selling whiskey to minor,
we conclude is no worse record than