The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-12
WILL WIN BY 375
Dispensary Advocates Have
Completed Their Poll.
Reports From Every One of The Eight Precincts
Show Majority of Nearly -Four
Hundred.

The Executive Committee of the Anti
Saloon forces of Raleigh held a meeting
yesterday afternoon to receive reports
from all the precincts in the city. Those
advocating the dispensary have not been
making any great hurrah or putting for
ward any great claims. But because they
have not been seen much in the public
does not argue that they have not been
at work A systematic canvass of each
precinct in the city has been made, care
fully gone over by residents who know
the voters, and after all the reports were
handed in to the chairman yesterday it
was seen that the anti-saloon forces have
a clean majority of 375. They are con-
fdent that if the opponents of the saloon
press the issue upon the conscience OF
the people many others not yet determined
what course to pursue will come out and
help to swell the majority against con.
tinuing twenty-four saloons in the capital
of North Carolina
"A leader of the anti-saloon forces said
last night:
Eyes, we are very much gratifed at
the reports made by good men in each
ward. 1t was better than we had hoped.
1t encourages us to press the fight earn
cstly to victory. We recognize that the
fight is not won yet We know that the
saloon men in Raleigh and the big dis
tillers away from Raleigh, will bring to
bear every possible influence to change
the result Whiskey and money will flow
like water for the next twenty-five days,
and we know that it is the general opin-
ion that these two things will work
wonders. We believe the people of Raj
eigh cannot be won by either and that
they will be poured out in vain But. if
the men who wish to close up the saloons
and make a better city of Raleigh, sit
still, we recognize that the strong lead
we have now would be dissipated In
contests like these every sensible man
knows that it takes work-hard work
unceasing work, to win against the
whiskey forces We appeal to every good
man in Raleigh to come out on the SIDE
of temperance and lend his influence to
win this fight.
The figures presented by Hon. A. A.
Thompson that Raleigh's drink bill an
nually amounts to $172,675 astonished
many good people who had been inclined
to shut their eyes to the MAGNITUDE Of
the evil right at their doors. These words
from Mr.. Thompson's speech ought to be
read and re-read and seriously considered
by every voter in Raleigh:
Just now the city is stirred from GEN.
ter to circumference by the tax question,
and yet this tax is STA 900 more than the
entire receipts of the city government
from all sources for the year ending
March list, 1902. 1t costs more by
$4,000 than the entire income of the
county of Wake, including the road tax,
graded school tax, and all State taxes.
If you add every dollar expended by all
the churches in the city for all religious
purposes. to that expended by all local
charitable organizations, the amount
would fall far short of the amount paid
for saloons
I'm addition to these items of first cost,
saloons are continually making paupers,
lunatcs, Migrants, beggars, orphans
drunkards suicides. and an endless array
of criminals What this will cost no
actuary can ever ascertain, but we know
the bill of costs which our people will
have to pay will be immeasurably in
creased, and the day of final reckoning
long deferred.
Saloons also reduce the earnings of the
people They are the bane of all indus
trial and commercial undertaking, Every
large factory is injured and all large
commercial enterprises have been har-
raised by them.
"a city afflicted with saloons is not
the best field for launching great enter
prises of any kind, because the unrestrict-
ed sale of liquor is the worst disorganizer
of labor"