The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1905-02-02

You say tnefe Is HOLnlnk ekeFakAug1H any |
form of the whiskey traffic and / agree with
you IN that-but do you know that we are
all In a aense interested in it. Much of
our United States taxes are paid by revenue
arising from the making n selling of
liquor. We are partners in the business
already. The pay of our army and navy to
protect n country, the pay of our Federal
officers comes partly from this traffic.
There is nothing elevating in the traffic.
but we are in it all the same.
Your reference to the ''blind tiger is
rather amusing-you miss your simlle so
badly. The tiger is with us blind or open
loose2 But, you say, the officers, the ofa-
cersl-they will drive him out. As to that
I cannot reply. 1 speak of conditions as
they are and have been--the future is judged
by the past, it Ia said.
There are other attendant evils than
drunkenness thst :blind tigers foster. In
fact drunken ness is one of the. least Of the
list of evils that grow up and fl 'urish with
''blind tigers" disrepect for the law, perjury.
houses OF i'll fame and::the unspeakslbe al
tendants upon the same are a few of the
evils of which blind tigers can boast over
and beyond those of a ~dispensary. We
owe 1t to ourselves and to our own to
choose honestly the less or least of the
| eYils set before US when it is necessary as
In the present case, to choose at all. Drunk
ards and gamblers, / am sorry to say come
as often from homes of over-strict parent
| al care, as from ally other homes. Wits
key seems sweeter when obtained In some
clandestine way aud many drink in viola
ton of law who would not care to drink
when the whiskey was obtained in a legit-
innate way. There is something facinat-
ing to the boys in violating the law and
escaping detection. Think how often and
with what peculiar pleasure you yourself
when q boy broke the rules of your teacher
IN school. No sweeter pleasure In all the
world, wa there? Then don't forget the
boys nature, and by overzealousntss in try
ing to protect the boy from one evil drives
him into half dozen others.
Many people will drink in spite of all
laws, divine or civil, aud will find and
have he whiskey whether they go to de-
cent places or to other places for il. 1t
takes greater influences and stronger laws
than haye ever yet beea found or enacted to
overcome the human appetites for drink.
Find the cure for the desire to drink and I
viii be with you for q "dry" town. Other
wise, let US regulate the sale of whlskey-
chain the tiger as it were, and reduce the
necessary evil to a minimum.
AS 70 the monetary question involved
there need be NO discussion. Our high
taxes have alread diven many people-pro-
s~pective citiz"ns-away from Henderson
Vile and they will continue to do so as long
as they remain what they are. The bur-
den is simply getting beyond the power If
the poorer classes to bear. I know of
mo- other town In the state in
which the tax rate ls SD high. A dispen-
sary would easily cut the taxes down one
hall, ''5lood money or no blood money"
II It were possible to improve the NOR
alsof the town n at the same time les
sen the, burden of taxes one half would you
be in favor of doing it or would the cry of
''blood money make you ''stand pat" for
the loose tiger!
NV friend, the '~'alluring dens of vice"
are with US now without the dispensary.
The good class of people you speak of whG
visit US likewise drink their liquors and
wines. They have It ordered from other
towns or get 1t from the blind tigers"
eight per cent of them-and that includes
most all the mel and many of the women
drink whiskey, beer or wine. Of course
they are good people and we like to have
them come, and they will come non the
. fewer because they can buy what they want
to drink from a dispensary instead of hav'
Ing to have it shipped to them by some poor
devil who does not fear to violate the
laws he swears to obey. Nov, let US study
these questions like honest men and not al
fanatics scared of ''bloOd money" and de-
eide them as good citizens should decide
all publiCAquestions. Ii it he best to have
q dispensAIy let US have one While Others
as good as we work and vote and pray fol
u dispensary, let US not call them deatf
traps where blood money is coined. By
: prejudice is one way to decide a question
by reason is smother, but the latter is ur
= dOubtedly the better way and the longes
done. / shall be satisfied with a verdict o.
the people on this question.
With good will to all whether they agret
with you or me, I am Yours truly
ONE PETiTIONER.