Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-11-06
Mistellanso'1s 8eading.
BACK TO THEIR SENSES.
SaIuda People Sincerely Anxious to
Abolish Dispensary.

| 1eel IndL IQey are CuiSSu ny TIE pres
ence of the local dispensary and have
appealed to the directors Of the state
dispensary to remove from among
them the cause Of so much annoyance
and trouble. This petition has been
refused on the ground that the law
makes no provision for the removal of
dispensary when once 1t has been
fastened upon a community.
The appeal comes from men who
have supported the dispensary law,
but they assert without reservation
that the establishment at the town of
Saluda is the cause Of much lawless-
ness. A committee Of prominent cit
izens came over from Saluda yesterday
and laid the matter before the state
board, but received the reply that the
boards hands are tied. The matter
has been referred to the attorney gen.
eral, and the next legislature will be
asked to exempt Saluda from the oper-
alton Of the dispensary law.
The contention has been made con-
|
might decrease the amount Of drunk
enness in the towns and cities, the pro-
portionate increase in the rural dis
tricts would be marked. This was ex-
emplified in part In the case at Tirzah,
and now the Saluda people declare that
the dispensary at that place Is the
cause of an increased amount Of drunk
enness in the country around. A man
from the country would go into a bar
room and buy drinks, but when he
buys a bottle, he does most Of the
drinking on the way home and COM
mits acts of lawlessness beyond the
reach of police protection.
But so far as police protection Is
concerned, the people of Saluda de-
clare that they have none. They have
been unable to keep an officer. A man
of courage was secured from Augusta,
but he has resigned and now the town
is without a police officer. On every
public day the town is taken possess
sion of by drunken men, and the dan
ger to officers Of the law Is so great
that they can get no one to perform
the duties.
Appeal Almost Unanimous.
The gentlemen who laid the matter
before the state board are Senator B..
W. Forrest, Hon. ID. B. Peurifoy, Mr..
B. W. Couch. a prominent lawyer and
president Of the bank; DR.. ]. M. Pitts,
the intendant and Rev. H. L. Baggott,
the pastor Of the local Baptist church.
They presented u petition to which had
been affixed the names Of all but nine
Of the citizens Of the town, although
the paper had not been carried around
but had been left in public place
where men could go and register their
approval of the movement without
coercion.
The petition Is signed by DR.. j. M.
Pitts, the intendant and well-known
dentist; Mr. Jno. M. Smith, town clerk;
w. ]. Padgett, the postmaster; Hon.
D. B. Peurifoy, member Of the house;
Mr.. Alvin Etheredge, president Of the
oil mill; Mr.. B. w. Crouch, president
of the bank; Mr.. T. L. Edwards, mas
ter in equity; Mr.. A. B. Cargile, editor
and proprietor of the Saluda Sentinel.
The probate judge, the coroner, the
county treasurer, the clerk Of court,
the superintendent Of education, the
county auditor, the referee in bank
ruptcy and a number Of ministers and
physicians signed the petition, showing
how general is the feeling against the
| local dispensary.
Not Merely Sentimental.
This agitation must not be confused
with any temperance movement, for
many of the petitioners have been in
favor of the law, but the record Of
crime in their own county and else
where convinces them Of the fact that
drunkenness is on the increase and
they pray for this curse to be taken
from them. A member Of this COM
mission stated to a reporter of the
State yesterday that there had been
nine homicides in fifteen months with
| in the borders Of their county, a record
of which they are heartily ashamed.
The petitioners have no complaint
10 make against the administration or
but it is the baneful effects Of having
this evil among them against which
they enter their protest. The dispen-
sary has been in operation in Saluda
for six years and the petitioners have
arrived at the conclusion after several
years of investigation.
Would Make Sacrifices.
That the people Of Saluda are very
much in earnest is to be seen from
the fact that they are willing to sacri-
flee the income which the town has
derived heretofore and is still receiv-
| ing from the dispensary, a revenue
which pays all expenses of the town
government. AS the petition so strong
ly puts it:
while the towns share Of the net
profits from the dispensary annually
amounts to a handsome sun-and we
are thus practically relieved of all tax
there is a debt upon the town which
will begin to come due after awhile,
amounting to something like $500;
yet despite all this after seeing the
demoralizing effect that the sale of H.
quors has upon the town and the sur
rounding country, we prefer to assume
the burden of town taxation for cur
rent expenses and also to meet the in
debtedness referred to than to see the
ruin which is coming to our town and
county"