The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-05
THE FIGHT AT AsHEVILLE.
On Thursday, After Heated Cam
paign, the People Vote on the
Dispensary Question.
Especial to News and observer.)

Asheville, N. c., April 4.-The eyes
of the city are turned toward Thurs
dav April 6, the day of the dispen-
sary election when the sixteen bar
rooms of Ashville will be weighed in
the balance and the people by their
voters say whether they prefer them
to a dispensary. The campaign of the
past three weeks has been the hottest
ever waged here. A great deal of per-
SonaI feeling has been injected into the
discussion of both the dispen-
sary and anti-dispensary forces and
mud-slinging has been the or
der of the day. Speakings by one
side or the other have been
held almost nightly for the past ten
days or two weeks, and notwithstand-
ing the frequency of the mass meet
ings. large crowds have invariably at
tended.
The fight against the bar-rooms of
Asheville has been led by some of the
most prominent Democratic and Re-
publican politicians of this city and
section, and these leaders have swung
to the standard of reform" large
numbers of church and laboring peo-
pie The brunt of the fight for a dis
pensary has fallen on State Senator
Chas. A. Webb, more than any other
man, and the manner in which Mr..
Webb has acquitted himself has won
for him the plaudits of his personal
and political friends in this city and
county. Side by side with Mr. Webb
and other Democrats of the city, Col.
V. S. Lusk the old "w&r horse" of the
Republican party, has stood and thun
dered against the saloons and beSought
the people OF whatsoever party or
calling to rally to the standard of ere
form" and aid in the establishment of
a dispensary. The addresses of j. w.
Bailey and DR.. A. H. Moment, of Raj
eigh, in behalf of the dispensary move
ment added greatly to the cause and
Mr.. Bailey's great speech here ten
days ago is still the subject of much
favorable comment.
Arrayed against the dispensary adj
vocates are the saloon men, their
friends, and many business men of the
city.
The i-dispensary campaign is in
the hands of a central and executive
committee, composed of business ard
professional men. There are aStute
politicians on both sides and the men
who have fought and won battles i'm
the past have been chosen by the two
factions in the present fight. 1t is n
contest the like of which has perhaps
not been witnessed in North Carolina.
There are as able men and eloquent
speakers on the one side as on the
other high-toned and wealthy citi-
ZeIS are Cc De iona IN the ranks OF
the anti-dispensary as in the ranks
of the dispensary forces; prominent
church people are fighting the dispen-
sary as bitterly as other prominent
church people are fighting for it, The
contest is, in short, a battle of the
giants, and while claims of victory are
made by both Sides the more conserv-
ative residents declare that the re-
suit of the contest is in doubt ana that
neither side has sure" thing.
Chairman Erwin, of the dispensary
executive committed, declares that q
poll of the city shows a victory for the
dispensary and that the days Of the
saloons in ASheville are numbered.
This announcement by the popular
young chairman and astute politicians
at a largely attended meeting was
received with long and hearty ap-
plause
on the other hand, Chairman
Bourne, of the anti-dispensary execu-
tive committee, a man of known poll
teal sagacity and corporation counsel
for the city of Asheville, states that
the dispensary proposition is defeated
by at least $50 majority. This state
ment is based on a poll of the city
likewise. There will be little money
or whiskey used in the election Thurs
day. Mr.. Webb's corruption bill, pass,
ed bv the last Legislature, will have
the effect of estopping all former COR
rupt methods, and the workers will
be compelled to rely upon suasion for
| victory.