The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-12
TO|SNOT D|SPENSARY
To be Voted on by Citizens
of Town.
Animated Discussion Before Senate Commit
lee Yesterday Afternoon With Big
Delegations Present.

the township would decide on the qucs-
!, tied by the Senate Committee on Propo-
/ sitions and Grievances yesterday.
| The proposition for the voters of the
town alone to decide this won out by
a unanimous vote. 1t was a meeting that
drew a crowd, both sides TO the ques-
ton being represented by attorneys.
while big delegations pro and con We're
present from Toisnot, sometimes known
as Elm City, Wilson county.
| The delegation which appeared to urge
that the town alone should decide the
question had in it Messrs R. S. Wells,
| merchant and banker; DR.. B. Chears,
practicing physician: Rev. j. H. Buffalo,
minister S. B. Winstead, merchant and
editor; C. M. Winstead, farmer; w. O..
McKeel, merchant; E. H. Wick, merchant
and capitalist; w. E. Parker, railroad
operator; V. C. Langly, merchant and
| butcher; j. K. Dixon, tobacco dealer; j.
| T. Watson, merchant and farmer; A. L.
| Peacock, merchant; +. Fl. Braswell. trav-
cling salesman Rev. r. d. Carroll, min
lister. The delegation which asked that
| the township voters pass upon the Ques-
ton of dispensary or no dispensary was
| composed of Messrs. j. D. Dawes, r. w.
Williams, j. L. Farmer, G. T. Dawes,
w. E. Bats, r. B. Braswell, E. NJ.
| Hedgepeth, G. F. Dawes, j. w. Cox, f.
w. Simpson, ID. c. G. Armstrong, Jno.
| G.. Owens.
| The discussion of the matter was
| opened by Mr.. r. N. Simms, attorney, of
! Raleigh, who spoke for the town. He
| presented the following facts. There
are in Toisnot township 115 voters, of
| these 76 had signed a petition for the
town to decide the question by an cleo
| ton, the dspensary to go into effect on
| the first of July. A petition had also
been signed by nearly all the ladies in
| the town and the men signing, as shown
| by the tax books, represented the ma
! jority of the wealth of the town. Five
| men were away when the petition was
| presented and only thrty-four were not
represented, almost every one of whom
was directly or Indirectly connected with
the business the bill would hurt.
| Mr.. r. T. Barnhill of Toisnot, made
a vigorous and forcible speech for the
township. He did not believe that the
majority of the wealth was on the other
side. Some of the petitioners were from
out of town. There We're peculiar rca-
sons why Toisnot township ought to vote
on the question. Some of the people in
the township owned property in the
| town. Some men had signed the petit
ton who did not understand it aud the
people in the township ,hnk they hav-
right to decide. There were as many
|
the other Mr.. Barnhill proved to be
an able attorney.
Rev. R. B. Carroll, Baptist minister,
spoke for the dispensary by the vote OF
the people of the town. He said condi-
lions with the bar-rooms we've bal in
Toisnot. Social drinking and night drink
ing were doing damage He plead Fer
a vote of the people of the town
Mr.. T. B. Winstead, as business
man, urged the same, as did Mr.. r. S.
Wells, another business man, and DR..
Chears, a physician. The latter said
that all four physicians Of the town
were for this
Mr.. S. A. Woodland, of Wilson, an at
torney, urged that the decision be left
to the people of the township. He said
the cashier of the bank, and represen-
this vote. He was informed that some
men had signed both petitions. He
thought that a State bill would cover
the whole question. He disapprcved Of
the division of the taxes one-half to town
and one-half to schools of the town. as
it ought to be one third to town, one
third to county and one-third to State.
There were six towns in Wilson county
a o,,lx~ two hol oclyn fnr lien orin
The representative from Wilson, DR..
Croker, was in favor of bill to pro-
vide for an election in all the town
ships. He made a strong argument.
Senator Brown here stated that no
matter what was in the bill the Revenue
Act would provide that each disponsary
should be taxed.
Mr. Woodland urged that the man out
side of town who had interests in it
should have a vote in the decision He
declared that what Wilson county want
ed was a vote for the entire county. IN
der the Watts bill seven towns could
sell liquor, While under the London bill
only two could sell. The Elm City peo-
pie want exactly what Wilson had. If
Wilson has open bars Elm City wants
these, if Wilson has dispensary, Elm
City wants it. Uniformity is wanted in
| the county. He said that it was best
! to leave the settlement of the question
| to a general law and that if this was
not passed then there would be no ct
| tempt to block legislation for ToisnoJ.
| DR.. J. H. Buffalo, Methodist minister,
spoke for the vote of the town to de-
eide. He plead for this because of the
| bad state of affairs in the town which
| the people could control. His speech
was one of the most forcib1e and elo-
quent made. During it there was
dramatic interruption. 1t was claimed
| by the opposition that Mayor Peacock
was opposed to the town voting and was
with the other side. His son, young
man, who was present, at once arose and
said his father was not for the opposition.
Mr. Buffalo plead ably for a favorable
report, laying the burden on the honor
and the conscience of the committee.
| Mr.. S. G. Mewborne, of Wilson, an at
| torney, spoke for the township, and said
that though Mr.. Buffalo had spoken elo-
quently, yet after all it was only FAR
room, even if called a dspensary that
| he was asking for co-partnership in.
He believed that the people of Toisnot
if they were to vote for dispensary