The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-17
FIRST OF CAMPAIGN
CONTINUED from / Page.)


matter, / wish to clearly define my
position in regard to the manufacture
and sale of whiskey. am unalterably
opposed to the manufacture and sale
of whiskey and 1 am likewise nrG1iy
opposed TO the establishment of a dis
pensary in any section of this state.
| am here today to plead for the
cause OF humanity as well as rha
business interest Oh North "a. .oliIla 1t
is also my purpose to make as strong
plea as / can in behalf of the wives,
mothers ad children OF the Old North
State.
The issue involved in this cam
paign affects every man, woman and
child within our borders, and under
these circumstances, it is with q
sense of grave responsibility that [
enter upon discussion Of the issue
thus raised. ! wish it TO be distinctly
understood that it is not my purpose
to deal severely with those who may
be engaged in the liquor traffic | be-
lieve that the saloon keepers of the
state, taken as IL whole, will COM
pare favorably with any class of in
dividuals engaged in that business.
With few exceptions they are honest
q spirit of kindliness :ad good feeling
for this class of people that l shall
endeavor to convince you that it is to
our best interests from every CON
cefvable standpoint to drive liquor
out of the state.
/ take il that there are some peo-
ple in this city who advance the the
ory that the adoption of prohibition
will materially damage the business
interests of this community. This is
not unusual to me nor is it in the
nature Of q surprise to learn that
some of your substantial men enter
tain this view. Some OF the best cifl-
Zens OF my own city took the same
position during the prohibition cam
paig which. we had there last fall
and this contention, when not proper
ly answered, was the most effective
weapon that was employed by the an
u-prohibiuOHiSts in that campaign.
In discussing this question it rs my
purpose to be perfectly fair and to
meet Our opponents squarely on their
OWE ground. There is no disposition
on gny part to shrink from the issue
thus sought to be raised, and / de-
sire to say, not in theNspirft of boast
ing, but in all candor, that / feel that
/ am prepared TO demonstrate to a
mathematical certainty that pEohibi-
.tion will internally help rather than
injure the business interests OF your
progressive city.
In order to fairly test this question
it will be necessary to examine exist
ing conditions to such an extent as
to enable us to reach fair and i'm
paritl conclusion as to the lprGJible
reult of prohibition in the event OF
ITS adoption We are told that if bar
rooms are driven from the city of
Wilmington that you will have a.
dead town in the future. | deny this
proposition. If there is a merchant
present who is of opinion that he
would like to employ drunken clerks
or a drunken manager in his estab
liShment, or that the presence Of the
bar room is essential to his success
in any sense of the word i would
be pleased to have him state to me
upon What theory he bases his con-
elusion. | think l may safely assume
that there is not a merchant in this
city who would for one moment en-
tertain the idea of employing drunk
ards to conduct his business, nor
who would insist that the presence
III LA6 DrtI IOOuI IS SSScutHll 10 HIS
success?
| imagine that the merchants Of
your city are exceedingly anxious to
sell their goods, not only at remun-
erative prices, but that they are @anx-
ious to have for their customers men
who are able to pay their bills
promptly That unfortunate class of
our population who have become ad-
dicted to the whiskey habit expend
the greater portion of their earnings
with the bar keeper on Saturday
night, and as a result, they are not
in a position to pay the merchants
the bills that they have contracted
in the meantime for those things
that are necessary to maintain and
support their families.
Therefore, it cannot be contended
that the absence of the bar rooms
win injure the merchants of the city
OF Wilmington, and [ insist that it
may be fairly assumed that the es-
tablishment of prohibition will ma
teria1ly benefit all classes OF our
business men. The bankers are not
benefited by the sale of whiskey,
and will under no consideration en-
p1oy those unfortunate young men
who have an appetite for strong
drink
understand that you have q num-
Der OF important manufacturing en-
terprises and I venture the assertion
that there Is not a single manufac-
turing plant in the city wherein
drunken men can secure employment.
Those manufacturing concerns would
not for one moment think Of employ
ing a superintendent who is addicted
to the use of whiskey to manage and
control their affairs, and l have tried
as hard as / could to conceive some
sensible reason for the assertion
that the sale of whiskey would be Of
service to the manufacturers of our
state.
The truth of the matter is the
manufacture and sale of whiskey in
a community to anY considerable eX-