The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-08-18
SENSATIONAL MEETING
At YOUNG'S GROVE
SENATOR BLEASE'S SPEECH
CREATES COMMOTION.
Rev. P. H. E. Derrick Charges 8lease
With Insulting the Ministry
The Lie Passed.

About seven hundred people gath
cred at Young's Grove, two miles
from Prosperity, Tuesday to listen to
the discussion of the disoensary ques-
tion. The meeting was quiet in. the
morning, the audience giving close at
tention to the speaking.
However, when Mr.. Blease started
10 speak in the afternoon the meeting
- took sensational turn. In the
course of his speech, Mr.. Blease took
occasion to denounce some Of the pro-
hibitionists as hypocrites, and he
spoke of the church as being full OF
rascals. Some in the crowd remon-
strated and a conmotion followed.
A detailed report of the meeting
is given below.
The first speaker introduced by
Chairman Goggans was
Hon. Arthur Kibler.
He said the sale of liquor by the
state is injurious to the citizens, and
counties all over\the state are on the
verge OF ridding themselves OF the
curse. The dispensary does not IN
any way lessen the sale OF liquor, but
on the other hand, the advocates OF
the dispensary are trying to make
the institution popular in various
ways. Mr.. Kfbler read statistics OF
the sale of liquor in the dispensaries
of the county There was over So2,-
900 worth of liquor sold in 1908 and
this not including the beer dispensary.
Speaking of the school fund, he said
that of the S26,1o5.oo that the schools
got not one-twelith Of that amount
came from the dispensary; and that
without this little money the schools
would have run with only 8 or 10
days short term. They say if you
vote out the dispensary we will have
to raise $4,000 to run the county,
Who is paying this money now? II
is not the man worth thousands Of
dollars, but the poor white man and
the negro who drink liquor. There
are men in this county who cannot
resist the temptation OF whiskey who
wish the prohibitionists God speed
in this movement. They want to stop
the curse and want the people of the
state to help them. Cut off the money
received from the dispensary, and put
the extra tax on the people if it need
be, and let the rich man pay the tax
as we'll as the poor soul who drinks.
The dispensary people fought the
Bricr h'1 and added the half mill tax
to re the people so as not to vote
out the dispensary, but the counties
are not nlinding that, as over dozen
counties in the state are soon to have
elections on the question.
He referred to the Spartanburg in
vestigation in passing, the short meas
ure in bottles. buying of officers,
buying the Spartanburg Journal to
fight for the maintenance Of the dis
pensary, the changing OF labels on
bottles of whiskey. and other dis
graceful acts as practice4 in Spartan
burg county.
Didn't deny that prohibition does
not prohibit fully, but will cut down
sales considerably He referred tc
prohibition in Maine and in Kansas
and also in counties in tire state, and
said that after Newberrl county had
had prohibition four years and then
it turned out that prohibition was
worse than the dispensary. he was
willing to join the people TO vote
anything in.
Mr.. Kibler closed his speech with
plea to the people TO rid the county
OF this curse and that the judgment ot
God rests on the people Of South Car
olina at the ballot box. He received
the attention OF the audience through
out, and was literally applauded a
the close OF his speech.