The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-18
The D|SP[ NSARY As
AN EDUCATOR.
A Maker of Sentiment That
Will Eventually Danish
Traffic in Whiskey.

To the Editor: desire TO congratulate
the good people of Raleigh, on the splen-
did victory in the interest of temperance,
and righteousness. won by them in the
election against the saloon last Monday.
You, Mr.. Editor, deserve much credit for
the final result; and l am sure the good
people of the State appreciate most high
Nv your faithful, and effective service,
rendered in the interest of temperance
and sobriety. l have no hesitancy in
placing myself on record, in giving it as
my opinion. that a well regulated dis
pensary is the longest step in the direc
ton of the final destruction of the drink
evil. Having been in this fight for more
than thirty years, and having carefully
watched the results of the good people in
their effort to eXterpate the drink evil,
which is without question the worst enc
my of our civilization. / feel it my duty
to give expression to my views at this
time. do this the more readily, because
the best allies of the whiskey power have
been found among the fanatlcal, and UNI
reasonable advocates of temperance. These
mistaken enthusiasts have been impracti-
cable, and in demanding too much at the
start, have defeated their own efforts, and
fallen into the traps set by their shrewder
opponents For whatever may be said OF
the whiskey power, no one who has ever
come in contact with it, can question its
ability to take care of itself and use men
for its own advancement. These children
of this world have ever shown themselves
wiser in their generation than the chill
YITI 1nrr l1,1
prohibition, we have driven the whislxey
out of licensed saloons into the unlicensed
drug stores, and the evil has gone on In
the face of law. Unless the sentiment Of
the community was strong enough to ban
sh the evil without the aid OF a statute.
The dispensary is the best educational
agency to bring about this state of public
sentiment 1 have yet seen. 1t takes the
profits out of the business, to the indl-
vidual; it does away with the social feat
ures of the saloon; it puts an end to
night drinking, and the bar-room as a
loafing place. 1t takes the influence of
the whiskey ring out of politics, and there
by tends to promote civic virtue.
To make the dispensary a success, it is
necessary to put your best men In charge
OF it: and there should be no man put on
the board of commissioners. who is not at
least in favor of temperance. and eternal
ly opposed to drinking whiskey You do
not want men who will press the bust
ness for revenue 1t is a mistake to run
the dispensary to make revenue. The less
revenue you get from it. the better for
the community. But while the people
drink, let the profits go for the benefit
& . IL I ott lp oh 81 Jan dc
pensary board be to lessen the drink habit.
and as you educate the people up, tighten
the screws on the dispensary; and when
they are ready for it. restrict the sales at
the dispensary to necessary purposes. /
am in favor of establishing dispensary
in every prohibition county, from which
liquor may be dispensed for medicinal pur-
poses. and not to allow it bought for this
purpose anywhere else. The evil is SO
great, and so hard to control that it cam
not be handled with safety as other medi-
zines are IF it should cost something to
provide for its sale as a medicine, it will
pay in the end to control the sale of it,
so that no one may be allowed to sell it,
except proper, and good officers appoint
ed for this purpose.
In graphing with this evil we are con
fronted with a condition, and not a theory.
The solution of the question demands cour-
age and wisdom The howl of the fanatic,
nor the chicanery of the whiskey power,
should not prevent the good people of
this good old State from adopting the
best, and most practical means, to even
tually Danish this king of curses from our
commonwealth. In a generation the drink
habit may be cured. Close the saloons,
and you close the drunkard factories. The
business may be kept up in a small way
for awhile, but when you do away with
the open saloon, you put an end to the
drunkard making business,
l am personally a tee-totaler; and | do
not believe there is much whiskey need
ed as a medicine; but 1 know that there
is such a general opinion that it is good
for snake-b bites, and the like, that it is
hard to Danish it suddenly. Our Ameri-
can citizenship presents a stubborn
front to any person, or law, that says,
you shall not do anything. In con
ital city on the splendid victory won over
the forces of evil and may our Advise
Heavenly Father, enable you to get the
full fruit of it; and so manage the dis
pensary, that all men throughout our
country may take knowledge of YOU and
join you in a wise, and effectual solution
of the whskey evil.
l.. L. NASH
Rocky Mount, N. c., Oct. 10, 1908.