The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-17

was driven from their midst ana q
cordial invitation was extended to
the manufacturer and az a conse-
cuence Gastonia is now one OF the
most prosperous manufacturing
towns In the state. Who would not
be willing TO sway a bar room for
cotton factory? / think 1t would
be a good bargain If we could ex-
change every bar room in Whining
ton for one cotton mill with cap
itaI OF one hundred thousand dol
lars
Yancey county affords a striking
illustration as TO the evil effects OF
whiskey. / can remember when whis-'
key men completely dominated its
affairs At that time the county was
noted for the many murders, assaults
and all manner of crimes that were
committed within its borders on ac-
count of the use of whiskey. The
good people of that county at last
realized the importance of getting
rid of the whiskey traffic and they
secured the adoption OF stringent
prohibition measures, and today
Yancey county is one Of the most
quiet, prosperous and law-abidine
counties in North Carolina In this
connection ! desire To call your at
tention to the following letter writ
ten by Hon. G. E. Gardner, lead
ing lawyer at Burnsville, in regard
to the effect OF prohibition:
81 notice that the ti-prohibition
people in the circulars that they are
sending out to the voters OF Ashe-
willie say that prohibition does not
prohibit and that crime in many
places increased under prohibition.
am unable to controyert these
statements as to other localities, but
in my county, Yancey, wish to say
that prohibition has done more to
the upbuilding of the people moral
ly, socially and financially than any
other one thing Indeed it is consid-
cred by our people as the greatest of
all our blessings. To illustrate, when
| liquor was sold in the county crime
was committed almost without res
friction, the Jail was full any many
criminals had to be carried to other
| county jailS. Our courts were entirely
taken up with the criminal side of
| the docket and special terms were
often held in order to try criminals
But now, since we have prohibition
four days only are used in each year
| for the trial Of the criminal docket.
: Our penple are almost a unit on this
/ question and | very much doubt if
there could be one hundred persons
found IN the entire county who could
be induced to sign "a petition for an
election to vote uBon the question
If the ants doubt this statement
invite them to send some old gen
tleman who used to visit Yancey
when liquor was sold and let him
judge Of the effects of prohibition in
old Yancey.
| Respectfully,
&c E. GARDNER"
| For a number of years / resided in
the county of Madison and while there
was, actively engaged in the practice O.
lav, During the greater portion Of the
time that county was cursed by the
sale of whiskey. Affairs become ssc
in4olerable ia that county, owing &C
the many crimes that were committed
= that some of the newspapers spoke OF
that section as Bloody Madison" The
time of our superior court was taken up
to such an extent With criminal busi-
Iiess that We were compelled to ey-
tablish what was known as an infer
ier court for the purpose OF tryins the
minor criminal otfenses and
leven then the entire time Of the superb
lDr court WIS consumed in the trial
OF the higher grades Of mis6emeanorS
and felonies
During the eleven years thus ensag-
ed, attended the courts of Mcdowell
Mitchell, Buncombe and Yancey, and
N that period / was called upon to de-
Tend about fifty seven persons CHARGED
with murder. | kept record Of each
case from which I am prepared to show
that at least 80 per cent was caused
by and directly traceable to the use OF
whiskey. BY local option the people OF
Madison county have secured abs S0lute
prohibition at all points except Mar
shall. The last legislature passed a
law prohibiting the sale of whiskey at
| Marshall to take effect some time In
the near future. Since prohibition has
been adopted in every section of that
county with the exception of the point
| I have Just named, there has been a
complete change in the moral and in
dustrial status of the people of that
section, and whereas it took two courts
under the reign of whiskey to trans
act the criminal business, under the
present system one of the courts has
been abolished and | am Informed that
crime has decreased to such an ex-
lent that the superior court is able to
attend to the business, both civil and
criminal, in that county, and once we
| set rid of whiskey in Marshall, l am
quite sure that Madison will be able
| to take her position alongside the good
old county of Yancey. While whiskey
was permitted to be sold throughout
the county, its paper was worth from
25c to SOC On the dollar now its coun'y
paper is worth 10Oc and the people are
happy and prosperous Yet we have
the powerful administration of the ev-
, ii agency of even one place for the sale
and distribution of whiskey. While
Madison county has no saloons, as be-
| fore stated, it has what Is even worse