The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-08-18
DR.. Geo. 3. Cromer


his usual good natured manner tell
ing joke about the beer dispensary
situated so as to catch people ''comin'
and 'gwin' who come to town on
the trains.
Mr. Cromer said he was not Out
for any personal gain, but that he
had been invited TO speak here and
he accepted the invitation as pri-
vate citizen. He referred to the open
letter which he wrote to Senator
Tillrnan and said the next day after
the article appeared in the papers,
some fellow wrote to him asking him
to run for governor. Il am no candl-
date" he said, "and I wouldn't have
any office in the state on silver wait
er." (Cheers.) Il don't care if you
are for me or not. I'd rather be a
private citizen than anything else" "
When the movement was started
against the dispensary it was to boost
no prospective candidate or for any
body's personal gain. But it was to
test the question whether the people
wanted the dispensary or not.
He said he did not want TO make a
temperance speech, but none but the
widows and orphans know the ef-
feet of wine
In 1892, he said, the people voted
for prohibition. In Newberry
county prohibition won by 4 to 7.
But we didn't get it, but we got the
dispensary instead. Seventy-nine
ree-holders- "a of these were
negroes-overrode and wiped out the
wishes OF 1908 voters OF the county
and this is why we have dispensary
in the town Of Newberry.
DR.. Cromer said he saw enough of
the dispensary in the mayors court
in Newberry; and the dispensary is
rotten to the core. There was never
such a state of Affairs in the history
of South Carolina, as revealed by the
investigating committee at Spartan
burg
The speaker referred to the SOCIAL
Club in Newberry, saying that he
didn't know what they did up there,
but knew how people talked about it.
He said, IF anyone will get anyone
to give me the evidence l will wipe it
out" the gambling features.
Speaking about the revenue fea-
lures, Mr.. Cromer said that some peo-
pie thought he wanted to get rid OF
the dispensary and then have bar
rooms in order that the town would
get all the revenue, but he said the
town gets more revenue from the dis
pensary than it did from the bar
rooms when he was first mayor OF
Newberry.
1t seems that the whole thing is a
| question of money. Here are some
| figures as to taxes:
Greenwood-Prohibition 5 I-2 mills
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. E 1-2 mills
Newbeuy-Dispensary 2 1-2 mills
Union-Dispensary 7 I-2 mills
In 1892 the taxable property in
Newberry was s4,S3o,37o then the tan
was I-2 mills. In 1904 the taxable
property was S5,67S,ooo and the taS
was three mills.
Then let the dispensary- 60, the
people paid more taxes last year thar
in 1902. and we are in no better fix as
to public roads, etc, than we were
bef5re' DR.. Cromer said he believed
the curse of God rests on the dispen'
sary. He appealed to the audience or
the highest grounds and said it wa:
wrong TO attempt to corrupt the
morals OF county by fastening tn!
dispensary upon the schools; anc
God will make us pay for it. Il
the people want prohibition, if the,
come out as I believe they are goins
to do, l believe we can enforce pro
hibition.' With prohibition in New
berry. 9 out OF 10 of the people who
can get whiskey in Newberry now
can't get it.