Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-10-04
How DanyilIe was Voted Vet,

S,n, the the Christian Advocate.
.oc,rd 10 the recent local option
Lotion in Danville. rs a reply to
- EDITORIAL from the News-Leader
rb;cb we printed last week:
Editor Christian Advocate:
Dear Sir and Brother:-At your
roonest give below some of the
o.nses which led To our city being
roted wet" ON September l4th,
h, maio ity of eighteen. The
hattie was a strongly contested one
an each side. but without any i'll
feelings showing itself on the sur
face. -.
When Danville was voted dry, y
more than two years ago, by a
majority of two hundred'and three,
there was at that time a qualified
voting strength of more than twelve
hundred who entered the contest.
A. the election held this month,
There we're only eight hundred
opalifed voters and less than seven
hundred exercised their franchise.
large number of those who aided
bv their votes in banishing the
saloons from our city, found them
selves this time disqualified to rem
der service in keeping them out,
by reason of the fact that they
were too late in paying their CAPT
tation tax to enable them 90 partic-
mate in the election. The law re-
ouires that the capitation tax shall
be paid six months prior 10 an
election. Some Of our wisest men
and leaders in the fight in some
instances were debarred from vot-
inc. OF the ten ministers of white
congregations in the lst. 2nd. Bird,
and 4th wards, where the election
was held North Danville was not
allowed to vote on the question
along with the other sections Of the
cityl only four ministers were quail
flied 10 vote, namely, Revs. Amiss.
lambeth. Laird and Hedley. Those
disqualified, we're Revs. Rawlings,
Harmon, Roades. Hicks. Reed and
Hall. Of the six colored pastors
in the wards voting, only one was
qualified. While the North Dan
ville ministers were not allowed TO
cast a ballot in the election. want
to say that i'm Revs. Atwill, Lump
kin, Holland, Elsom and Doggett
the cause Of temperance had the
strongest OF advocates who failed
not to put in the best of work for
the cause. No more valuable ser
vice was rendered by any than
was that so ably contributed by the
brethren from across the river"
On the platform, in the pulpit, in
Conference, and at the polls, they
can properly be placed beside the
best workers. Brother Atwill's
address the night before the cleo
ton before an audience that over
taxed the capacity of the largest
hall in the city by four hundred.
was maSterly presentation of the
successful working of local option
IN DanvilIe. His arguments for
keeping the saloons out were I'M
answerable.
The liquor advocates have been
on the alert for an opportunity to
catch their opponents mapping"
ever since the time expired for the
closing of the SaloOns-two years
SO as To get vote ready that
would be to their advantage. So
on December 81, 1904, a gentleman
acting for the agent of Portner
brewery Company called at the
TAX collectors Office and paid the
capuatIon tax of more than one
hundred and sixty voters with the
aVowed purpose of defeating local
option IN Danville. This same
gentleman stated from the witness
stand IN open court that he paid
the taxes without the knowledge or
consent of the taxpayers them
serves. 1t was by these votes that
our city was voted wet" on Sep
emoer 18th. At one precinct
'"enty-four of these votes were
cast at another two. at the other
precincts they were rejected upon
TIE ground that they did not per
Sonally pay their taxes out of their
own Wv money" as required by law.
Inc decision of two of the Judges
d. one voting precinct end in
"''owlng such votes to be cast re-
-
suited IN securing enough votes to
give The city over TO the saloons