The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1906-10-03
RFV, v, F. SM|THWRITES OF THE DISPENSARY
and Temperance" Says Theirs Are Old Wealth
er Beaten and Time-W Worn Arguments

in turn, are trying to use it to brighten
Terrell county. Don't be afraid of the
ghost, gentlemen; there's no harm in
it.
What does this reason lead to-?
What is its logic? Let us see. Other
people are going to kill and murder
1--WE read of 100 murders where we
hear of one blind tiger. Let us regu-
late the killing business SO that it will
not be quite so horrible. If it gets too
brutal we must stop that (barroom)
! and fix it so it will be more decent
(dispensary). One hundred thousand
poor souls fill drunkard's graves every
| year, and it stands to reason that the
$117016.79 spent in the Terrell county
dispensaries had it's proportionate
| share The same is true of every
other criminal law At least one
thousand cases of theft are reported
to one blind tiger
The terrible crime of rape is not
even stopped by the terrible lawless-
ness of mob violence.
Will any sensible man be led off
by such ghost of a reason? l hope
not.
Mr.. Mercer says if we hope, by one
fell-swoop," to bring about complete
reformation, we will be disappointed.
We do not hope to do anything of the
kind, no more than we hope to get rid
OF the tiger-nOt blind, but MANNED
that runs wide-open in defiance Of
the law-at least not for three months
more. We do hope, first, to kill the
dispensary, then, with either Mas
worthy or Martin mayor, and a good
chief of police; with Laing and Yeo-
mans as solicitors, and Hill as sheriff,
to gradually drive out the tigers till
we are free indeed.
The one says educate" the other
moral suasion," Both have been
tried for these years with the result
that the sale has increased from
s30119.32 in 1898, to $117,016,79 in
1905. Yet they tell us this is the solu-
ton to the question-this is temper
arce. If this be temperance, then i'm
purity is a virtue, and chastity is
vice.
Mr.. Mercer says morality is on the
increase. AS a general proposition,
this is true-necessarily so, because
we have III white dry counties IN
the State, while there are only TWEEN
weight black (wet) counties. What
cf the black counties? Take Terrell,
for example. In 1S97-the year before
the dispensary became operative
there we're docketed III cases IN Da"-
son. with fines amounting to $2Sl'oV'
while in 1905. there were 300 cases,
with fines amounting to Sl,62I'9O'
But saws Mr.. Mercer, this is due TO
the increased population and the ad-
Joining counties going Tor Olihu
tigers" (he means for prohibition)'
If NAV he true that there has been
some increase in population, but 1t
is not large. 1t is not true, however
that the adjoining counties have gone
dry The reverse is true. SUMTER
Lee Stewart and Webster were dry
during the first year of the dispensary'
and have been wet for the past four
wears. His argument proves TOO
much on the other side. You are re-
forrad to the poor fellow who had his
throat cut in a nearby town-no DOUBT
caused by Terrell county liquor Ihey
forgot to mention the five or six MUIR
doris within as many weeks in and
around Dawson this year, or the fear
frl tragedy that caused the death OF
vonng Chambliss in the presence OF
his wife.
will have something further to say
next week.
In conclusion, let me say: By the
holm Of God, the prayers OF the goou
women. and the votes of-wen' the.
v,on on one side--we intend to wipe
ou+ tho dispensary. This done, if men
like Temperance CD and Mr.. Mercer
will be as ardent in their opposition
70 hind tigers as they are in their
advocacy of the dispensary' proAiOi'
ton will prohibit.
'i0 W. F. SMITH.
Use the bus line: tbs on for your