The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-04

to tote petitions around Ralelgh in or
der to harass the people by an election
For Saloons" The News and Obser-
YER in an editorial. said:
1.-The majority of the people of Raj
eigh have made up their minds never
to permit bar-rooms with their Sc
ductive sinful influence to again open
their doors in the capital Of North
Carolina. That determination was eX-
pressed two years ago when they were
driven out. There is a minority in
Raleigh that want the return of the
saloons, but they are impotent 20
open again, these dens that exist to
steal away the brains of boys and
men.
IF left to themselves, this minority
could not have obtained one fourth
OF the voters in Raleigh to order an
election. The petition tOters were pai,i
with money. Who contributed tho
money raised to procure the petition:
Not the business men of Raleigh, the
great majority of whom oppose the
return of bar-rooms. 1t was contrib
uted by men who hope to open saloons
in Raleigh and by wholesale dealers
who hope to sell liquor to these sd
looms. RALEIGH is A PIVOTAL
POINT. If the whiskey forces can
restore bar-rooms in Raleigh they
feel that it will help them to secure
victories elsewhere. Therefore they
would put up ten thousand dollars or
twice that amount to secure for
saloons victory in the city of Raleigh.
The attempt is to let outside liquor
forces determine what policy Raleigh
shall adopt. The people of Raleigh
will resent such interference and re-
buke it in a telling way"
The answer to that editorial was
an assertion that THE BUSINESS
MEN OF RALEIGH" had conceived
the idea of holding the election and
had entire charge of the campaign and
that ex-bar-keepers had nothing to do
with the agitation. 1t was we'll known
at that time that some of the petition
toters had been hired by Mr.. Ed. V.
Denton, Secretary and Treasurer,
and that 1.-The business men" who were
behind the movement were Ed. Dem
ton, ex-bar-keeper, now living in Raj
eigh and S. r. Smith and L. n.
White, ex-bar- keepers of Raleigh who
are now in the whiskey business in
another State who wish to return to
Raleigh and reopen saloons. But the
bluff that the agitation was begun
by business mem mot at any time in
the liquor business may have
fooled some folks, but they will now
be undeceived by evidence that shows
who is behind the movement and the
methods they are using to get money
to run the election for return to the
saloon evil in Raleigh The evidences
below shows that The News and OBJ
server knew what it was talking about
when it declared that outside parties
were putting up the money through
local whiskey men to try to secure an
election.
While the paid men were toting
around the petition and putting on
the names of folks who did not live
in Raleigh, and others who had no
right to vote, the following letter was
sent out by the business men" C'not
the work of organized liquor menO
for money to help carry the election
For Saloons in Raleigh
"OfIice of Ed. " Denton,
Secretary and Treasurer.
Raleigh, n. c., August rs, 1905
MY Dear Sir:
II doubt npt that you have watched
the Liquor PROBLEM as it has been
handled in North Carolina. We now
ask you to read this statement, and
then act as your best judgment die
tateS.
Recent legislation, now being en-
forced, is meeting with an unanimous
condemnation of the business men
throughout the larger cities where po-
litical liquor agitation has been forced
upon them by the AntiSaloon Lea
que The people have been quick to
learn that. liquor in politics means
political graft, rather than a moral
sentiment. Business men and inter-
ests soon discovered that the Dispen-
arv conducted by Christians CD gov
erned and controlled by municipal
boards of Aldermen, for revenue only,
are not the preached reducers of
the consumption of liquor or the less
ening of crime. Nor has it had a ten
dency toward the elevation of the
moral tone of any community where
tried.
Raleigh, the Capital of the State,
has tried the DiSpenSary and her buSl-
ness men and interests do not want
any more of it. Her business men
have petitioned the Board of Aldermen
for an election as to the continuance
of the Dispensary or return to a
High License System. They were
successful III securing the election,
which will be called at the September
meeting of the Board, and the cleo
ton will be held about October 10th
to 18th this year.
This move is not the work of or
ganizcd liquor men, for there are but
few of them left here. 1t is the
united interests of the business men,
and the work SO far has been we'll
done and successful. But there is
much more hard work to be done,
and many voters who must be sup
piled with honest argument and litera
ture to interest them i'll the fact that
High License System. rightly enforced,
is the only safe manner to handle the
liquor problem. Every voter who
does not cast his ballot weakens both
sides. The Anti-Saloon League will
make desperate fight in this cam
paign for votes. The opposition or
License people must do likewise.
'RALEIGH Is THE PIVOTAL
POINT IN n GREAT BAJT'LE IN
WHICH THE WHOLE STATE IS IN
TER ESTED, AND TILE EYES OF