Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-07-26
PROHIBITION IN CHARLOTTE.
Wonderful Change For the Better Since
1QO5

The Atlanta Georgian published In
it's issue Of last Monday the following
interesting letter from Mr.. Heriot
C1arkson, chairman Of the North
Carolina Anti Saloon League, dealing
with the effect that prohibition has had
on the city Of Charlotte.
A newspaper editor has requested
me to write you as to the beneficial re-
suits of prohibition In the city OF
Charlotte, and hand you herewith
booklet showing what the leading bus
mess men, bankers, farmers, laborers
and others say. The substance Of each
testimony is, THAT 1t helps business
and Is blessing"
Prohibition went into effect on jan
uary 1st, 1905, in the city Of Charlotte.
The majority against the saloons was
4s5. The election took place on July
5th, 1904. The recorders court shows
that the total number Of arrests for
1904, the last year whisky was sold,
was 2,405 and during the year Of 1905,
the first year prohibition went into ef-
feet, 1,496, a decrease Of 909 arrests
the first year prohibition went into ef-
feet.
1 have lived in the city since 1872.
I have known the city from a small
village till now, when 1t is one Of the
finest Industrial and educational GEN.
ters in this section of the south, having
a population Of about forty thousand.
Property has increased in Charlotte
from 10 to 25 per cent since prohibition
went into effect, and never in the his
tory of Charlotte has there been so
much building.
On the Goth Of May, 1906, there was
a great celebration Of the Mecklen-
burg Declaration Of Independence.
There was never such an assemblage
In the city Of Charlotte, and the uni
versal expression was that there never
was such a sober and orderly crowd
gathered in this section Of the south"
A learned Judge in North Carolina, who
was against prohibition, and who saw
the good order that prevailed at that
celebration, declared that he was about
convinced that prohibition prohibited"
The prosperity Of the city has new
er been greater. Merchants have been
greatly benefited, as they have gotten
money that once went to the saloon.
The wage Garner and laboring man Is
putting his money in the building and
loan associations and in the savings
banks.
This section has wonderfully devel-
oped the cotton mill industries. The
cotton mill owners and the cotton mill
operatives have been in opposition, as
a rule, to the saloon, and in my opin-
ion, as solicitor Of this Twelfth judicial
district, comprising the counties OF
Mecklenburg, CASTOR, Lincoln, Cabar-
rus and Cleveland, the work OF prohi-
bition has done wonders and untold
benefit to the mill owner and the oper-
atives, and all sorts and conditions of
men.
In one county, CASTOR, twenty-five
years ago there were about three cot
ton mills and about forty-eight distil-
eries and many saloons; but today In
CASTOR county there are fifty cotton
mills in operation, and about ten In
construction. and not legalized distil-
lery or saloon in the county.
Just recently. in Lincolnton, where
the prohibition law has been enforced,
there was a gathering Of some twenty
thousand people at a Fourth OF July
celebration, and the papers commented
on the fact that never was such So
Der and orderly crowd gathered In
Lincoln county.
write from long years Of experience
in watching the liquor traffic. l give
1t as. my opinion that prohibition
when the law is enforced, is the great
est blessing that can be given to any
community. / hope to live to see the
day when the saloon, "the blot on the
garment Of our country" will be wiped
away. l wish you success in your fight
in Georgia.