The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-31
Leader of "For Saloons
Forces Makes Charges
Against Dispensary.
"PUT UP OR SHUT UP"
The Aldermen Should See That There
is no Deviations From the Law,
and No Abuses.

j. Sherwood Upchurch, leader of the
"For Saloons forces in Raleigh and
alderman by the grace of the liquor
power, yesterday fired what the salOo 4
campaign to restore saloons to Raj
eigh.
The big gun" is series of resolu-
tions drawn up by the For Saloons
crowd and their attorneys, alleging
many complaints against the manage
ment of the dispensary and demanding
an investigation. Those folks in Raj
eigh who know the animus of j. Sher-
wood do not attach much importance
to his attack upon the diSpenSary
management. They know it is made
at this time in the interest of return
of the malign influences of the saloons
and that they are not made in the in
terest of good management of the dis.
pensary. The most casual reader will
see that some of the charges are the
merest moonshine and mean nothing
and are not worthy of consideration.
All the charges are made by j. Sher-
wood Upchurch i'm order to try to
make public sentiment against the dis
pensary i'm order to get saloons back
In Raleigh. The fact will doubtless
cause the board to say to j. Sher-
wood Upchurch: "As to your charges
bring forward proof and witnesses to
substantiate enough of them to war
rant an investigation"
But independent of the motive that
prompts the charges. the board SHOULD
look into the specific charges carefully
and If any such evils as are alleged
exist. have them remedied. The law
should be strictly enforced.
Under the new city charter the
Board of Audit and Finance is directed
to check up the books of the dispen-
sary. 1t will do this frequently and
regularly, and it's reports should be
made TO the whole, public SO that the
whole affairs of the dispensary shall be
open to the taxpayers. The oppon-
ents of saloons in Raleigh will see to
it that any abuses shown to exist in
the dispensary are corrected. but they
will not accept j. Sherwood
whereases and resolutions until he
accompanies them by evidence. If
every statement made by j. Sherwood
should be correct. it would be an ar
gument merely for better regulations
and better management of the dispen-
sary, and would not make IL vote
among sensible men for the return of
the saloons to Raleigh.
Here is the complaint which j. Sher-
wood has put in the hands of Mayor
Johnson. 1t is presumed that he will
introduce it at the meeting of the
Board of Aldermen on Friday night of
this week:
j. Sherwood Upchurch's Allegations
and Unsupported WhereaSes.
Whereas, there are many and ser
iouS complaints from the people of the
city of Raleigh concerning the regula-
ton and management of the dispen-
Sary, which are based besides the fact
that the public are kept in the dark re-
'arding the details of its financial con-
uuct, upon the following SPECIFIED
grounds, together with others, to-wit:
1. Under the Watts Law, it is pro-
vided that no dispensary shall make
over 80 per cent profit; whereas in
certain instances the Raleigh dispen-
sary has made over 100 per cent.
profit.
g That the management of the
dispensary buys a large portion of the
liquors handled by it from and through
local agents and friends in Raleigh.
none of whom ever handled liquor be-
fore and thereby depriving the city of
the commissions which would neces-
sarily come to it, if bought direct from
the liquor houses and distillers.
g. That the dispensary is not OPP
Grated in accordance with the rules
prescribed by the Board of Aldermen
and the Watts Law:
(a) That the said rules provide
that the manager of the dispensary
shall keep book in which shall be
put the brand of whiskey, the price
paid for it, and of whom it was pur-
chased. and the amount purchased,
none of which is kept in this instance.
OBJ That the dispensary manager
is required to make a report to the
Board of Alderman quarterly; thai
the reports made by the said manager
are unintelligible and incomplete and
nothing can be learned from them.
4. That certain brands of whiskey
handled by the dispensary are shown
preference over other brands.
5. That the public complains that
the quality of whiskey purchased by
them is not up to the standard of what
they have been getting from other
reputable houses. And on account of
this a number of leading citizens arc
purchasing their liquors out of the
State.
6. That the dispensary has been
selling and is now selling whiskey to
minors.
Z. That the inventory rendered by
the manager of the dispensary is in
complete
8. That upon the label of Bud
weiser beer it is stated that no Bud
weiser is genuine Budweiser, unless
'tButdeiser'' is burnt on the cork:
that a great part of the beer sold BY
the dispensary under the brand of
Budweiser and labeled as Budweiser.
and sold for 15c straight has not this
name burnt, printed or marked on
the cork.
9. That the law of cleanliness is
not observed by the dispensary in
bottling whiskey
TO- That Roseneck beer is sold for