The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-22
THE BENEFIr OF THE DOUBT.

1dE bENEF1t UE Inc UUUbEs
There may be some voters in Raleigh
who say that they wholly abomnate the
saloon and its evil influence, but are
doubtful whether the dispensary is the
best way to be rid of the whiskey evil.
To such men this question IS addressed:
If you recognize the demoralizing infu-
ence of the saloon, do you not wish to
minimize that influence if, you cannot
fully destroy it? If the dispensary did
not end the temptation of the social glass
will it not cut off twenty
three places which you admit send out
evil influences and only evil influences?
Is it not better to have one place where
liquor is sold, not to be drunk on the
premises, than to have twenty-four sa-
looms running wide open nineteen hours
out of every twenty four?
The saloon is strongly entrenched in
Raleigh. 1t has caused the ruin of many
bright young men in this city who would
never have become drunkards except for
the brilliant lights, the mixed drinks, and
the social features of the bar-room. The
establishment of dispensary ends all
these things at once and cuts off the pc
culiar temptation to which too many
young men fall easy victims.
Suppose the dispensary is not the per
feet solution? What then? Do you wish
a perfect plan of remedying the saloon
evil before you will strike blow at the
deadliest enemy of mankind?
The vote on the sixth of October is NOT
whether the dispensary is the best method
OF reducing the saloon evil. The vote is
this: Shall we close up the twenty-four
open saloons in Raleigh? That is THE
question and nobody can dodge it. That
question is addressed to the conscience of
every voter in Raleigh, and the man who
says he wants to shut UP the saloons and
votes against shutting them up when the
opportunity presents itself-that man is
voting directly as the whiskey sellers
wish him to vote and not in the interest
of temperance.
But suppose he says: Il doubt wheth-
err the dispensary will promote temper
ance," what is the answer to him? Here
it is plain and straight: You KNOW
that the twenty-four bar-rooms in Raj
eigh promote intemperance. You say
you have doubts about the dispensary
Well, then, give the dispensary the benefit
OF the doubt and vote for it. If it does
not promote temperance it can be voted
cut at the end of trial of two years.
Is there any reason why any good man
should vote with the liquor dealers to
perpetuate their control because he has
doubts" about the good results of dis
pensary? If he is in doubt, then if he
wants to put an end to the evil influences
os the saloon he should give the benefit
Of that doubt to the cause this is cham
pioned by every preacher. every church
official, every Sunday school teacher and
the best men and women in the city.
The man who gives the benefit of the
doubt to keeping twenty four saloons
open nineteen hours a day for the next
two years, now that the responsibility is
put upon him, may not wish to keep
Raleigh in the clutches of the liquor in
terests. but he is doing it just as effective
" as the men who get rich selling wills
key.
The benefit of the doubt! Are you
doubtful about the dispensary? Give it
and not the saloon the~ benefit of your
honest doubt.
Isn't it safer to give the benefit of the.
doubt to the side that embraces the
bulk of the Christian men of the city than
to give it to the saloon-keepers who are
enriched because your sons and your
neighbor's sons are tempted by their
open places to make shIpwreck of life?