The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-01

u = 90.
bnrDarism, and the revolving disclosures
lad to tho issuance OF q warrant TOR
Mccoy, 1t belng served this morning
despite his attempts Of evasion.
=0 rhoro nro others implicated, includ-
ing tho sexton, j. w. gEPayne,f ms Two
sons, Lloyd and J.aR, Payne ana 3. s9y era
whose names CANNOT Do s1V cii u ti'' .iAo'
= Mccoy made bond for his trial Thurs
day next. 5.is
The Martlnsvle D'spensary-the Other
Side
AMartInsville, Va, Fob. Il, l9O3
Editor Of Tho Times Dispatch:
slrI-ETnyinc noticed In your Issue Of the
16th Inst, I. a communication on the Mar
tinsvllle DIspensary. which Is q gross
n, isrenre sentntlon Of tho facts. and as
wa constitute the Dispensnry Board.
which your correspondent nsinuates has
been violating the law In conducting tho
dlspensary, we DESIRE In justice to our
selves ana community, to mako plain
statement of facts with regard TO mo
MartInsyille Dspensary. Prior to 1902
the open saloon had held sway in our
town for many years apparently growing
worse and moro dsreputnhle each year,
They we're severely criticised by tho pas
tors Of our churches and by almost ev.
cry travelling man who visited our town.
great many of our bsst citizens. among
whom were tho pastors Of all our
churches, with single exception. real
izlng that such dsgraceful state OF af-
fairs should be remcdicd. after cool and
deliberate Investigation decided that n
dlspensary was the best solution OF tho
q,iostlon. Several dlspensnry bills were
examined and finally ono which seemed
bost to suit our conditions was chosen!
This bill was introduced in the Virginia
Legislature by our worthy representative,
Hon. w. II. Grnvely, and became n law.
provided 1t received tho endorsement OF n
ma ority OF tho citizens Of the town. At
the election held APRIL 9th CT last year.
1t was carried by large majority, re-
ceiving almost the unanimous support of
the best ctizcns of the town. who have
business here and the interest OF the town
at heart. In accepting tho management
Of tho dispensary, for which we were to
receive the magnificent sum of3twelve
dollars per annun. except the chairman,
who gets fifty dollars per annum, We ex-t
pected to be 1nisrepresented by bar-room
bums, who had lost their respective CALI
inga but with the greatly improved
moral condition OF the town we were
hardly prepared for such q course from
n man who claimed to be called OF God
to preach peace on earth and good will
l. tUWuEuS IIluH. bul, IIC
correspondents opinion to the contrary,
the Martinsvile Dispensnry has greatly
improved the moral condition of tho town.
ms any of our citizens not swayed by pre-
1udice will testify. The Mayor and po-.
lice are practically without job. There
are no town prisoners In our jail at pres
ent, nor has there been one a third Of
tho time since the establishment OF tho
dispensary. AS a comparison, In Janu-
.thara wa nj
before the Mayor and fines imposed
amounting to sG3.5o In January. 1908,
there were five cases before tho Mayor
with fines imposed amounting to 50.
The merchants OF tho town have sold
moro goods, and their trade has been
much more sa tisfactory since the dlspen-
sary opened. Formerly great many
Of the factory hands when payday
comes round, would have to settle their
bar-room accounts first and after that
had very little to pny the grocery and
dry-goods bills. Now, they have no
liquor accounts to pay and Gun keep their
other bills paid up without any trouble,
We could give numerous examples, in
stances and reasons which would con-
vince any fair-mlnded man that the dis
pensary has done more for morals, good
order and decency then any reform
mcasuse ever undertaken in this COM
munity, but we do not wish to trespass
too much on your space. We are al
ways willing to give any information We
possess in regard to the dispensary 1
Your recent correspondent said that
many who favored the act did it, be-
licvng 1t the lesser Of two evils. mas
much al tho same person could not p,lr-
chase moro than one time in tWenty-four
hours, and the said person would have
to register his name,' and that the LIQUOR
must be examined by chemist" .''NNere
these measures enforced It would not be
such u brilliant financial success But
they arc not now required Now, In
making the above statement, your cor-
respondent displayed either ignorance,
and that without reason, or a disposition
of careessness in handling the truth, for
| the Act referred to was published at least
twice I'M the Henry Bulletin. published at
Mnrtinsville and no such clauses as re-
ferred to In the bill except the nero
statement that tho Board may have the
liquor analysed II they deem it neces-
sary, Absolutely nothing Is said about
the number OF times tho same person
shall purchase liquor In twenty-four
hours or that he shall rngister. Tho Art
vas published here IN the local paper so
that every citizen might know exactly
what he WAS voting for
Tho further statement of your cores
pondent that tho dspensary Is In the
hands of the church is untrue, ana his
last wall fayoring the saloon rather than
tho dispensary. emphasizes his anti-saloon
procliyities at least with a. vengeance,
| When tho correspondent WAS collecting
| the DATA for his article he told two menu
bers OF the Dlspensary BOARD that no
| could say ono thing-thnt ho believed the
| Dispensary here was conducted strictly
according to law-yet a few hours after
/ a. 4, ffs.,. VA