The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1907-10-10

newspaper, in reply to the charge that
Hendersonville is largely infested with
blind tigers, the Asheville Gazette-News
(which tor reasons known only to itself
copies al Oh the article except the last
paragraph says:
1--WE want to assure the Hustler,
which lives up to its name in q manner
that makes of it one Of the best weekly
papers in the State, that this paper has
not the least desire to drag the fair
name of Hendersonville in the dust.
Furthermore, it should be said that it
was not our purpose to bring into ques-
tion the efficiency of the officers of that
place. We had In mind, rather, the
difficulty that, in the very nature of the
case, attends the effort to secure evil
dence against these speakeasies-places
where whlskey Is sold under the sane
ton of the United States government.
4A0E0 II III 4OAOSo4OA APSA
vile in calling attention at this oppor-
tun time to these known facts. Indeed,
we admitted in this same connection our
OWE abandoned condition, and told how
AsheVille was tarred with the same
stick through the maintenance OF 30
places which we're licensed by the Fed
eral government, Some of the licenses
held ut He~ndersonville, says the Hust-
Ter, are paid for by people who desire
20 sell amid drink called Beerine.'
Doubtless the trainers of the Pure Food
law we're wise in imposing q tax upon
this beverage. In fact, we suggest the
possibility that an analysis might dis
close the fact that "Beerine" is not
more desirable, gastronomically speak
ing, than the straight article from which
IL derives it name, applied to it, no
doubt, for selling purposes. Anyway,
We had no way of knowing, at this dis
Ance, whether the purchasers OF licen-
es to sell spurious and malt liquors in
H0ndersonville were giving their custo-
mers straight goods, or whether their
drinks we're being mixed. We have
been told, s~emi-oficially, that our orig
inal statements of the number of Fed
eral licenses held in Hendersonville was
rather wide of the mark; that instead of
Is licenses held at that place there were
nesrer 20. However this may be, we
expect TO get some accurate information
on this point, and we shall gladly give
the exact facts in q day or so, when the
data comes to hand. In the meanwhile
we assume that it is true that there are,
rs a matter of fact, quite g number of
Federal licenses held in HendersonV1lle
by people who have purchased the priv
ilege of selling whiskey, and further
more, that the assumption is safe that
these licenses are not being paid for al
together by people who + moved to
make the investment ont of patriotic
considerations, growing out of . desire
I o assist in l~iquidatng the government
debit"
Our best bow to the Gazette-News for
the handsome bouquet it 10 gracefully
hands out to Us in the opening sentence
of the above and we have pleasure In
the fact that it disclaims any intention
of dragging the fair name of Henderson
vile In the dust, or bringing into ques-
ton the efficiency of our officers. We
have 10 say, however, that if this be
true, it has been exceedingly unfortu-
nate in the language employed in its
discussion Of alleged conditions here
especially in the In%sinuation: "and the
men who conduct these (blind tigers)
do not appear to have great difficulty in
escaping detection by local officers.
II occurs to US that this is equivalent to
saying the authorities are winking at
Hawlessness, which is far from being the
truth. HendersonvilIe may have, in
time past, been afflicted with unfaithful
officials, like many other municipal
ties, but NO such Icharge al be truth
fully brought against the present eff
cient police department, to which, is en-
trusted the important duty of enforcing
the laws enacted for the government of
the city. And If the people do their
duty this boast Of whiskey advocates
hat blind tigers exist in Henderson
sOnvllle will soon be changed into quite
: different "tune." AS previously