The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-07-19
Tuesday July 1e, 1904.
THE DIsPENsARY CAMPAIGN.

The time is drawing near for the dis
pensary election in our city. 1t Will
occur on Wednesday of next week The
opponents Of open saloons did not see
fit to make a fight for prohibition. Ihey
preferred to attempt to supplant the
SALOON with the d~ispensary. Why they
made his choice we do not KNOW
We suppose they had reasons for SO
doing which they considered GOOD
We believe that prohibition WouIo
secure more votes in our city IMAM
''dsDensary." There a be no doubt
that there, are some of our citizens VINO
would vote to suppress the sale or ilquor
entirely who will not vote to transfer
the traffic from the hands OF prlvate
persons to city officials. These men are
sincere. They are opposed TO the HQuor
traffic in any shape or form and they
can see no good to be gained by a SIM
pIe transfer of the business. AT tue
same time there are others who look
upon the d~ispensary as the first step to-
ward prohibition and will support the
measure on that ground, although not
strong advocates in the cause.
The sentiment of the city is greatly
divided. At this writing no Il can
tell how the election will 90. Each
side is claiming that it will win. 1t rs
highly probable, though, that no mat
ter which side is victorious h matter
will be taken into the courts. Several
legal questions have already arisen
affecting the validity of the call for the
election and the conducting of he reg
istration, and we suppose that by the
time the polls close the lawyers en-
ployed on either side can scare up a
good many more legal points OF
enough magnitude to get the matter
before the courts.
There is one thing in connection with
this contest on which the people of
Wilmington are to be congratulated,
and that is the temperate n conser-
vative manner in which the campaign
has beer conducted on both sides. Ger
orally such elections cause great bitter
ness, create strife, hard feelings ara
animosity. 1t has not been so in this
city. So far as we have been abe TO
learn the campaign has been conducted
fairly and c~onservatively. There has
been an absence of that elimination
and recrimination which Is apt TO ac-
company such contests We rejoice 10
chronicle this and we do hope that in
the few days yet remaining betors
the election that there VIII be no chang
in this respect. This is an economic
question, which should be, and can be
settled fairly and squareIy by the vote
OF a majority of the people. No mans
principles. integrity or moral charac-
ter should be .impugned because OF the
Dosition he takes on this question. The
men on each side should give the other
credit for being as sincere as them
selves. Because a man faHors the CLOS
ing of saloons and the substitution OF
a d~ispensary in their place is no reason
for CHASING him as a fanatic or q nyp-
ocrite. Because another man cannot
see that any good will come TO the
community but rather harm by max
ing this change is no reason Why he
should be classed as an enemy OF the
church and religion, as being In FAVOR
of drunkenness and de~bauching the
young men of the city.
Our people have gotten along won
derfully in this campaign. Let US sll
hone that present conditions will conun~
ia # is to the interest of all concern
that it should be so. Neither side VIII
gain anything by incorporate language
and unseemly onduc
S.