The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-08
LAST STRONGHOLD
Richmond County to Drive
Out Saloons and Stills
The Board o. Aldermen of Rockingham
Have Notified Saloons They Will
Not Be Licensed After Decem.
Der First. The Jug Trade.
Special to News and Observer. }

NSpeclaI TO News ana ODSefSeT.J
Rockingham, n. c., Dec. THE
new Board of County Commissioners
organized yesterday by electing H. B.
Ledbetter chairman. l.. 3. Williams
of Hamlet, was elected attorney for
the board.
The LIQUOR traffic in this county was
hit Il heavy blow last night by the
Board of Commissioners of this town.
A resolution was passed declaring that
no license to retail liquor in the town
of Rockingham should be issued after
January 1st, 1905. The saloon keep.
ers were notified of this measure in
order that they might dispose of their
stocks by that time.
The prohibitionists of the county
will present a petition to the Legisla-
ture asking for law prohibiting the
sale manufacture or Importation. of
liquor in the county. 1t Is said there
are already some eleven or twelve hun
drcd voters names on the petition
which is a large majority of the reg
istered voters in the county. The
prohibition sentiment in the county
seems to he overwhelming. The
movement is primarily a moral one,
of course, but the political element
is entering into it also to a large de-
gree. The prohibition sentiment has
been strong in the county for some
time. The most of the liquor men in
the county have been Democrats, and
were loyal to the party in 1898 and
1900. Since then the party has been
slow to modest their business, and in
decd has SloWn them many tatoIS.
1t is said by partp leaders that they
have mistaken the cause of this dis
position to let them alone, and have
attributed 1t to their own personal ill
fiuence, and that as result of this
tried To nominate the Democratic
ticket in The last primary, and failing
in that. used their influence to beat
the ticket nominated. or at least gave
only apparent support.
The Republican party in the coun-
ty. stands for the liquor traffic, hav-
ing passed resolution in the county
convention opposing the Watts law.
This atitu le of the liquor men to-
wards the Democratic party. and the
attitude of the Republican party on
the liquor traffic in the county, naS
caused many who are fundamentally
opposed to prohibition to favor it on
grounds of party policy.
In opposition to the petition for
prohibition. the liquor men are circu-,
;ating d petition for an election on the
question. The prohibitionists Will
take the position that an election Will
be useless, and an unnecessary expense
to the county, since a large majority
of the qualified voters of the county
nave already expressed themselves by
way CT petition
Ii is rumored that petitions against
the liquor traffic in this county Will
be presented from some of the I'd
joining counties. 1t seems that Rich
mord furnishes the stock for the blind
tigers and walking saloons OF the sur
rounding counties. Since the decision
of the Supreme court in the case of
State VS.. Patterson. in which it was
ne!d that the anti-Jug law was III
force all over North Carolina. the
drinkers and vendors in prohibition
territory have mad to go after their
liquor themselves or send agents. The
jug toters from Scotland Rsheson and
on down the Carolina Central come up
to Hamlet on the afternoon train, and
return, leaving Hamlet about nine
O'Clock on the lug train, as it is
known. The Arson county contin-
gency stops here, coming over on the
ten O'Clock train at night, and re-
turning on the eleven o'clock train.
Saturday night brings the biggest
crowd. Last Saturday night the train
coming in was late, and they didn't
have time to get their jugs and catch
the train back, so they had to lie over
till Sunday morning Many persons
got up early Sunday morning to see
them off They say it was a sheepish
looking crowd There We're some
forty or fifty jugs. it is said. Some
were carried by negroes, some by
whites. Ito would be interesting t
trace this caravan, and see where it
goes