The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-05-08
4 Gard From DIR. Anderson.
FARMvTIIF. "a. Nav 4. /

| per DISCUSSIONS ana above all Things
hate 10 display TO public gaze the weak
side Of my fellow-man. When, how
ever, a man takes the unwarranted lib
erty Of using my name in print and in
doing so questions as to whom shall
bear the responsibility Of statement
made by me, as the chairman Of the
dyspeusary board, (the only living
member) saw fiji to do, in the last issue
of the Examiner, then he must take
what he deserves, as others have done,
aGd what is now coming to him.
This chairman Of the dyspensary
board" came before the town council
Of Farmvile and in very forcible
rather than elegant way, stated that
the dyspensary board Ia thing not in
existence at the time) had purchased a
stock Of liquor, rented a house, en-
ployed a manager (all Of which the
town was supposed to pay for and
would probably on the next morning
open up business at the same old stand.
The town council saw fit not to en-
dorse this hasty and illegal action,
whereupon the second member Of this
/ dyspensary board asked "who should
bear the expense which this Illegal
board had incurred ?n He was prompt.
| ~ Informed that the matter would be
settled when the dyspensary question
was disposed Of.
Mr. w. 4. Clark, the third member
Of the dyspensary board, was not pre-
sent when the statement above re-
ferred to WAS made to the council.
I When the statement was quoted to
him he said had he been present he
should have objected to it. He farther
said that he had been present at the
meeting Of the dyspensary board the
night before the council met (the only
meeting Of the board since its Organi-
zation) and that the arrangements sta
| ted by the chairman TO have been made
were discussed, but that all bargains,
deals and transactions were condition
al-that il, they were not bargains,
deals or binding transactions unless the
town council decided to open the dys-
pensary and saw fit to stand by the ac-
| ton Of the dyspensary board.
In addition to the above the morn
ing after the council meeting Mr. e..
n. Bliss said to Mr.. Leroy j. Verser that
he regretted the fact that the council
did not decide TO open the dyspensary
as had i, done so the dyspensary board
had agreed to take his stock Of whis-
key and house rent off his hands.
could cite additional testimony and
publish several aflidayits but the above
seems to me sufficient proof to convince
any unbiased mind that the statement
made by me 10 the House Committee
on April q, is easily and amply yeri-
fled. | proved the statement at the
time by two witnesses then present
and can prove it by at least that num-
Der any time I am called upon to do so.
The member Of the dyspensary board
present before that committee at the
time did not deny il, but only defend
ca himself by saying that not ne but
the chairman Of the board made the
statement. This fact can be amply
verified also should the parties interest
ed desire it..
And / "leave this affair to the pub
lic.u and these two honorable men,
bers Of this wonderfully active dyspen-
sary board may settle among them
selves where the responsibility for
such a statement rests" AS to the re-
sponsibility for any statement made
by me before the House Committee or
anywhere else take this opportunity
to inform all interested that / am
strictly responsible and would be glad
to be held so 10y them either individu
ally or collectively.
/ suppose it is my duty to also take
notice Of the certificate Of Mr.. &. II.
Bliss accompanying DR.. Bidgood's re-
ply to my statement. Mr.. Bliss as
serts that Judge Watkins never had in
anyway any interest in the business
conducted by him or later when owned
by his brother" Unfortunately for
that statement Judge Watkins admit
ted before the House Committee, when
faced by the facts and proof Of them,
that he did own an interest in that bu-
siness and does own an interest in the
stock Of liquor in that house today.
It gave me pain rather than pleasure
to disclose the above facts before that
committee, but they were forced by
the very remarkable line Of cross
Questioning to which the Senator sub
iected the witnesses before the COM
mittee. Among other things uncalled
for and immaterial to the facts in the
case. he laid considerable stress upon
the fact that three members OF the
town council owned an interest In a
store house which was rented as sa'
loon. and thus insinuated, yes, actu-
ally argued that these three gentlemen
were biased in favor Of saloons and con-
sequenuy opposed to a dyspensary.
/ Similia similibus curantur.
I regret that the Senator, the dyspen
sary board and my extreme temper
ance mot temperate) friends, have
gotten into such a mix up upon this dys-
pensary question. 1t grieves me to
know that they spend sleepless nights
over it. All the worry and mental
anxiety they have had is due to their
failure to appreciate the fact that a
small, very small, minority cannot die
tate to a large, very large, majority in
this free, civilized, enlightened Amer