The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-17
Home BuiIdng, rs Fayetteville Street Raleigh N. G.
NO AYDEN DIsPENSARY.
Jnsayorable Report by House Liquor
Traffic Committee.

After D not, vigorous and at times
sensational argument for and against
a dispensary at Ayden, Pitt county, ali
unfavorabl report by q vote OF ten to
seven WAS yesterday ordered on the
bill by the House Liquor Traffic Com.
n1ittee.
Representative Little, of Pitt, who
introduced the bill, stated that he
would take neither side in the matter,
but would act Oh the bin as the COM
mittee voted. Repre- sentative Laugh
inghouse expressed regret at the state
Of affairs existing at Ayden and hoped
This could be remedied.
Ayden is now a dry town, except
that the testimony gwen is that foul
or five blind tigers keep it terribly
wet. A petition from 50 voters asked
Tor q dispensary. while from 81 came
. request that Ayden be let alone.
Both sides TO the contest told Of ter
lible state of affairs, but both urged
the committee to settle the matter, as
an election would cause bi00dshed,
deaths, tire ana Il general bad time.
-Four years ago the town was wet"
and screens were ordered down. Two
years ago the school was incorporated
against liquor and the town is now
dry in name, hut wet in fact, lc-
cording to all testimony.
Mr.. f. G.. Coke spoke for the dis
pensary, showing Il petition of IS
names for it. He told of blind tiger
troubles and urged the dispensary as
the solution, that twc-thirds OF the tax
payers and two-thirds of the citizens
wanted t. Being asked why he would
not report n blind tiger" he said he
was a moral coward" that he did not
want to be shot at or burned out.
Representative Laughinghouse asked
that the matter be investigated and
deplored the condition IN Ayden. He
said that if officers like Judge Shaw
were to hold court it would be all
right, but that there We're two old
grannies on the bench to one of the
shaw kind.
Mr.. w. r. Hart spoke against dis.
pensary and told OF blood, fire and
death at Ayden. He preferred a high
license saloon TO a dispensary and
would not fear TO report blind
tiger"
Rev. a. 4. King, pastor of the Zap.
fist church and principal of the grad
cd school, spoke against a dispensary
He told of the past evil days in Ay-
den. but that nov with about a thous-
and population il was doing better, had
electric lights. telephones, graded
schools. He did not find Ayden 50
bad. and said that names on the other
petition had been gotten by uisrepre-
sentation. THAT is false" cried out
DR.. Joseph Dixon. Mr.. King insisted
that he was right and that the desire
for dispensary did not come from the
real temperance people.
Or. Joseph Dixon made a vigorous
plea for the dispensary. He told of
drunks, rowdyisnl. the terrorlzing Of
kyden by desperate blind tiger" men,
of his efforts to have, these punished,
Of the open sale of whisKey by blind
tigers OF five men supporting their
families by this Illicit trade, that pro-
hibition At Ayden is a monumental
failure that Rev. Mr.. King did not
know real condition, nor what he was
talking about.
Then after talks By numbers Of the
committee an adverse report was made
by a vote of ten TO seven, many mem
hers not voting, as they came in late.
In all the debate 1t was announced by
either side that the other were good
men and true and Ayden was reported
as being in n garden spot of Pitt, yet
| blighte1 with a reign Of terror, of be-
| ing burnt out three times, and OF the
desperate character of the illegal sell
erS of whiskey.
L a favorable report was made on the
| bill to prohibit, within one half a mile
OF Collision High School, Chatham
county, the selling or disposing of for
| gain any wine, cider, leruna, perlinia,
| checkers. Wattsine coca cola, bceIine
or anything in any way intoxicating.
A favorable report was ordered on
| the bill to prohibit the sale of whiskey
| in any form in Johnston county III
towns of less than $50 bona iide in
| habitants This knocks oIt one place
with voters A bill is 20 be introGuc-
ed to allow the five dispensary towns
in Johnston &c vote on the matter ot
| dispcnsaries or prohibition.