The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-23

it's destructive influence and politica,
arrogance.
IT / understand the object of the
proposed election, il is for the pur>
pose of allowing few men, who are
able to pay high license, to open, in
our midst, gilded saloons, that will at.
tract the boys and young men of the
better sort; boys and young men
whose fathers have money, in the
hope of making fortunes, which means
the downfall and final ruin of the
boys. IL. other words, the movement
does not propose to allow any cheap
John saloons, where the already ruin
ed may drink and curse and revel in
their debauch; but, there is to be a
sort of monopoly of the business con,
Quoted in genteel style. The already
ruined will not be allowed (of course
no), to associate with the we'll dress
ed young bucks who are expected tC
spend their daddes' money and there
by enrich the proprietor of the high
license saloon. Against them the doors
will be barred, and, if they drink, (and
of course they WILD, the blind tiger
run in a dark alley by an agent 81
the high license saloon, will be their
only chance.
How much of revenue will the city
get out of that arrangement? About
one-tenth, 1 imagine, of what it gets
from the diSpensary; the balance will
go into the Golfers of the liquor seller
20 make him rich.
l don't think our people are SO blind
as not to see through the movement.
/ heard a story, once, of a spoiled boy
who had a bull terrier pup. Nothing
pleased the boy better than to see his
father down on all-fours playing dog
~, Ill 7cr1o II fot Il
er had tired of the amusement, the
spoiled child would insist on the per-
formance. The father tried to explain
to the boy that it was a very undigni-
fed thing for him to do, to play dog.
But pa" the little boy replied, "it
will be the making of the dog"
don't think the voters of Raleigh
should feel called upon to vote for
bar-rooms, that are to be the making
of few men; while the city is to be
the loser by the change.
1 have heard some complaints of the
dispensary, but / have noticed that
most of the compliments are aVocates
of bar-rooms. They tell us that men
get all the liquor they want; that club
rooms can send and get bottles by the
bushel basket full; that old soakS can
fill their pockets with bottles, and that
more liquor is drank than in the days
of bar-rOOmS. If that be so there can
be no complaint on the part of the
drinkers. Who, then. is kicking? OF
course it is the fellow who wants to
pay a high license and gobble up the
revenue which the city is now get
ting from the dispensary. If they
would agree to guarantee to the city
as much revenue as the dispensary
yields, close their houses at sunset;
not sell a drop on Sunday; sell only
by the package, and allow no man to
drink on their premises, there might
be some reason that would stand the
test of plain, common-sense scrutiny,
for the. proposed change. AS | see 1t,
the proposed election movement is
wholly in the interest of some few
men, who, regardless of consequences,
wish to make money. They are ask
ing the city to give them the fifty or
sixty thousand dollars which the dis
pensary pays. Yes, they'll pay the
high license ard pay on liquors pur-
chased; but, after they have done that
they viii have scooped out of the city
treasury and into their pockets at
least fifty thousand dollars that would
have helped to run the schools and
worked the roads. AS little as / like
the dispensary I think it is a great
deal better than the bar-room; and,