Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-02-13
No More Intoxlcants to be Sold In
Belle Haven.


Since license was granted to sell
lliouor In Belle Haven four mouths
ago affairs have gone from bad to
worse until Saturday night, Janu iry
23rd, the climax was reached. The
town was filled with drunken negroes
defying the authorities, extingulsh-
| Ing lights, SC. One stalwart, young
negro, under twenty-one, more tur-
bulent than the others, was arrested.
While the sergeant tied him, because
he resisted and defied him, threaten
ing the sergeants life, fifteen armed
negroes stood over him. Brave indeed
Is the man who would dare to do this
alone. The whole force OF the town
was called out, which seeming to be
Inadequate to the emergency, help
was called from Exmore, which being
promptly rendered, order was res
tored.
The citizens, realizing that crisis
had been reached and something de-
cisiye must be done, called meeting
and determined that no more intoxi-
cants shall be sold here legally or
illegally. How to get rid OF it was
the question. Every citizen knew
the license had been obtained fraud
ulently, for several of the signers for
obtaining the license we're not even
jewellers In the town, not to speak OF
voters. 1t was decided to draw up
petition to the Judge asking that he
revoke the license, every man accom-
panying the petition to the Court
house, in case the holder OF the
license could not be induced to re-
linquish them, unless compelled by
law. A committee waited on him,
he consented to give up the license
and the liquors to the Town Council
for one hundred dollars, the liquors
to be returned to the firm from which
they had been obtained. The report
was made to the assemblage. After
some discussion the vote was taken,
When it unanimously-bu one
greed to accept the proposition,
even the bar-keeper and ex-bar-
keeper themselves voting that no
iutoxicants shall ever be sold In Belle
Haven. This was not conceded with
out fight to the last on the part OF
the whiskeyites, but when they saw
the determination OF the Mayor and
majority of the Council, backed by
all the best citizens, and especially
the daring of the courageous town
sergeant, they quietly submitted.
This fight has been wagiLg for
twenty years. between good and evil.
First, we had the Good Templsrs and
we hoped by pledging all whom we
could to do all in their power for the
advance OF Temperance to create
such sentiment as that the saloon
must go. Some few we're saved from
the drink habit, but when the novel
ty wore off many grew careless; in
difference superseded, the Good
Templars proved Intellectual. Then
came the Woman's Christian Tenn
perance Union hoping by their
prayers, by training the children, by
cultivating the women to WELD some
influence to get the men to perform
their duty-to rid the town OF drink
There were not many who were
strong, brave, courageous enough to
do this good work. Alas in aD evil
hour those who were, were maligned,
abused, hooted at, driven out. In the
meantime, after desperate fight,w
had Local Option for two peaceful
years. When our town was incor-
porated giving the Council the power
to grant or withhold license, we
thought we had at last found the
remedy for all our Ills. After short
season OF quiet, we found In this too
we had builded on an insecure
foundation. Men grew lax In their
principles untrue to their trust-not
courageous enough to do their duty
and gave back to the legislature the
princely power with which they had
been vested. Then came the Mann
Bill and again we began to feel Sc
cure. Many thought there could not
be enough signatures obtained to &c.
cure license; to our credit be it said
there were not legal ones enough,
but who ever knew the liquor ele-
ment to stop for legality or because q
thing was dishonorable. License
were granted, the bar was thrown
wide open to whosoever would enter
its portals, irrespective of race age or
sex. The worse time that Belle
Haven had ever known had come
Those who had labored long and
faithfully, hoping that the better
element would see whittier we were
tending and join the fight, had grown
discouraged Jehovah seemed to
have given us over to the power OF
his satanic majesty that he might
slit us. He has siited us and we are
happy to say at last we have awak'
ened to our true dignity and RESPONSE
bility. How long will we remain
alive to this new determination OF
keeping whiskey out Of our midstf
How long before we will again grow
careless and Indifferent How long
before the wiles OF satan's emmis-
saries will win us to do his bidding
againf BY unity have we driven out
the liquor traffic; by united effort we
can keep it out. Whatever is best
| for the most OF us can be made best
|