The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-20

county. He had received letters say
ing for Gods sake save the people
from the hauling of Whiskey from
Hamlet and Hoffman off into the
county" He earnestly asked the COM
mittee to vote favorably on the bill.
Williams Stirs Up Things.
Mr.. Leonidas NJ. Williams, of Ham
! let, appeared as an attorney for the
whiskey interests He said that but
two of his side appeared, but they
represented thousands at home and
| had not brought $50 people, but that
he had petitions to show what the
people of the county wanted.
Here Mr.. Cameron Morrison, who
appeared in favor of the bill inquired
Mr.. Williams, you are a paid attor-
Iney of the whiskey interests. are you
not?"
Then, quick as a dart came the re-
ply: u
appearing for the same interests that
!you appeared for two years ago
This reply created great laughter. but
Mr.. Morrison later had his inning and
won vociferous applause.
| Mr. Williams urged that the matter
of prohibition in Richmond county be
left to a vote that it ought to be gov
erned by the Watts act, for which the
| Representative of Richmond, Mr..
A. S. Dockery, had voted. The dis
| tillers he held, were now in the towns
complying with the law. He urged
that the men engaged in the WhlSkey
| business are good and honest men,
true Democrats, who had stood firm
and as Red Shirts had aided in DEM
ocratic victories He held the matter
to be local measure and that other
counties had nothing to DO with the
matter, it pertaining to Richmond. his
closing argument WAS to urge that the
Watts law be adhered to, or that the
matter be left to a vote Of the people
of the county, the law, If passed, to
go into effect not before July. lie
said in answer to questions that Rep
| resentative Warburton was against the
bill. AS to the number OF registered
voters on his petition he did not know
He thought nearly all were, but was
not prepared to give an affidavit. There
are about 1900 votes lin the county
and the $50 on the petition of the APP
plicantS for prohibition are sworn TO
as registered voters. He concluded
with a plea for a vote of the county.
| Mr.. Hector Mclean here insisted
that if the distillerS wanted to leave
the matter of the town to the county
this was not the Watts law, and If
the diStillers wanted to act outside
of it. the prohibition interests had the
same right.
MorriSOn's Virile Argument.
Mr.. Cameron Morrison who repre-
scented the petitioners for prohibition
then arose and he was applauded. In
opening he said:
| II made the mistake two years ago
of appearing as an attorney for these
people, but | have seen my mistake,
and I regret il, but seeing my error
have a right to be Inconsistent and
to get away from wrong. i plead that
II am guilty of that Inconsistency
which allows man TO quit serving the
devil and to serve God, and in this
matter the scales have fallen from
my eyes.
Mr.. Morrison then went on to show
the evil things done in Richmond
county because of liquor from Hamlet
and Hoffman. of murders, deaths on
railroads, of horrid deaths while men
were insane from drink. He said that
he had taken part in the contest which
gave liquor men the privileges they
had and as TO this when contraSted
with men dead from liquor he cried
out:
"Give me back the life of one of
them and / will give you back every
cent you have ever paid me, and be
more than glad TO wipe out every
thing 1 ever did for you
He showed that the act sought, is
not in conflict with the Watts act that
hibitirg the sale of liquor. that in the
Legislature which passed the Watts
act there was after its passage
great number of towns and counties
made dry, that the language of the
Watts act allowed this, and that it i'll
became Whiskey men who bitterly
fought the Watts bill to now seek its
aid and plead for shelter under it by
misinterpretation. He read a list of
such acts passed and there are many
such.
He read a letter from Mr.. A. d.
Watts, author of the Watts act, en-
dorsng the Richmond county bill and
| wishing success for IT. The principle
of the Watts law he held to be for the
purpose of keeping liquor out of the
country, where there is no police pro-
lection, that there was no Inhibition
from giving special laws and that
the passage of the bill asked was in
inc with the Watts Jaw.
AS to the declaration made that it
was not understood That men had been
paid to circulate the petitions for
the whskey men he called on Mayor
w. n. Everett. of Rockingham, whose
character he declared is "as good as a
presiding elders to certify to the fact
that the circulators of the whislley
mems petition were paid for their
h work. Mr.. Everett gave the name of
the man and the circumstance.
The measure Mr.. Morrison said, was
no radical measure. The aldermen
of Hamlet he sclared, were elected
by Whiskey interests, that the mayor,
*. A. Lackey, is the manager of r. A.
Iackey'S Whiskey interests, and his
office is over d bar-room. AS to the
declaration that the bonds of the town
We're in danger because of the liquor
license being lost he declared that
the owner of the town bonds, Mr..
.Bonsall and his sanity wife, were both
praying for the passage of the bill,
and that Major John d. Shaw, repre-
seEting the SeabOard Air Line was
ready to declare that the Seaboard was
anxious to get rid of the whiskey
places and ready to pay an increased
tax Major, is not that SOP he asked.
I'VE are begging this committee to
let us do it," cried out Major Shaw,
and there was roar of approval.
Then Mr.. Morrison declared that
Mr. Goodwin. a Republican, is here
working for the bill and he beloved
that every Republican in the county,