The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-27
Spirit of the Press.
A DANIEL COME TO JUDGMENT.
Charlotte News.

A DANIEL COME TO JUDGMENT.
Charlotte News.
III the campaign of education which is
being quietly waged in this city for the
abolition OF the saloons and the substl-
tuition therefor of either the dispensary
or the prohibition system, all the light
az valuable should be obtained and facts
and arguments from any quarter should
be welcomed. The position of The News
has been clearly stated namely, that it
is in favor of either plan in preference
to the saloon system and believes that
either the prohibition or dlspensary sys-
TEN Will be an immense Improvement
uron the saloon system, in decreasing
drunkenness, disorder and crime. We are
glad to give testimony this afternoon from
our esteemed contemporary, The Char
lctte Observer, testimony that is impair
tlal because it belongs to the period be-
tore the question became complicated with
personal friendships and local politics
Fhe date is December. 1896. just two
Wars before the dispensary campaign
of 1898 in Mecklenburg county, about
the issues of which some of us have
not yet changed our minds. Speaking
OF bill to make a modified State dis
peDsary system for Georgia, the editor
OF The Observer wrote
THE South Carolina dispensary sys-
tenn was suggested perhaps by sys-
TEN OF the same general kind, on a
similar scale. WHICH has been sue
cessfully operated for several years at
Athens. Ga. The general principle of
the dispensary is, we believe, of Sean
dinavian origin. An attempt is max
ing, we see, to apply the Athens plan,
with amendments, to the State of
Georgia, a bill with this object in
view being now before the State Leg
islaturc.'
Our contemporary then proceeds with
the following hearty endorsement of the
dlspensary system:
Legislation could be directed to
no better end, and this proposed Ceor-
gia law has much to commend it, Ii
is not a prohibitory measure, and
is not obnoxious to attack, therefore,
as sumptuary legislation 1t is re,
stlictive, purely, REMOVING a lerGo
part of the temptation to drink now
afforded by the saloon There is to
be no selling by the drink and no
drinking on the premises, where the
liquor is sold. This puts much CT the
temptation cut of the way
And then follows a notable homily
upon the real evil of the saloon. ne
do not recall that we ever saw the case
prt better. While conservatvely stated, |
it is i'll fact terrific arraignment of the !
saloon system, and we comment it TO
the voters of this community as the final
word on that subject No accidental cir
or political entanglements can i
explain away this unchanglng evil OF the |;
system. Hear this Daniel whom VIC have !
brought to judgment:
Few things are more alluring to
q party of men of convivial habits OF
disposition than to line up at the
counter and take drinks until the
drinks have gone around the CROWD at
least once Even sitting down in a
quiet place around a bottle, fianked
with water, ice, sugar, spoons ard
glasses, does not begin to compare
with it, The line up at the bar rep
resents the climax of sociabiIity and
it has been responsible for many fell
low getting full many a time with
out generalization or previous de-
sire
And then our friend begins to argue
or this as moral institution in that
{ is bound to decrease the evil of drunk
nness. Hear him: &
Anything that divests drinking of
its social charm is a distinct gain
for the cause of temperance: and il