Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1908-01-08
The IMPENDING BATTLE.
Some Interesting Comments in Regard to
the Prohibition Election hVa "Wet."

Salisbury, N. c., Jan. 3-Tht
announcement that three months
from tomorrow there will be al
election on prohibition or saloons
has caused no little anxiety
among the whiskey dealers.
In no town of the state is there
80 much at stake in the liquor
business. Besides the thirteer
saloons, there are five distilleries.
as many wholesale houses and
some Of the dethronel Georgia Ii.
quor dealers have made arran ge.
ments for the opening of package
houses soon after the first of this
year.
The immensity of the traffic in
Salisbury is not understood by the
state at large. That it runs week
ly close to 20,o gallons, is not
to be denied. Every train on the
Southern can now be called the
"booze special" the official title
of No. z, for a long time. The
southbound trains especially 60
heavy-laden and the amount con-
sumed in dry territory is almost
fabulous.
A newspaper man last year gave
out figures that almost staggered
the community and although
there was great protest from the,
dealers, it developed that in a
clever way he had obtained his
from the wholesale men.
One of these declared that no less
than 81, 800, 900 in whiskey came
to Salisbury from home and
abroad, are more than the million
being from other places. One day
recently, the postofice people
handled 1000 money orders
through the mails and it is known
shat many checks were sent at the
same time. The jug brokerage is
great and the suit case carriers are
numerous. Dealers love to tell Of
,he bottles that come from Char
otte and Greensboro, 1t being
frequent thing to see enough to
handle 1900 gallons Of whisky
come from Charlotte to a retail
dealer. Dry territory offends
much here.
The prohibitionists are handi-
capped in the fight by two things.
The good order of the city mega
tlves the contention that whiskey
is causing ruin Of the boys. Sails
bury's dependence is wtiskey mon
ey and its abolition will work q
hardship on the schools, support
ed almost solely by revenue from
the traffic. It is certain but for
the whiskey houses, Salisbury
could not have stood the panic as
she did. They are against a hard
proposition because the city ad-
ministration is decidedly wet.
The election machinery is against
the drys. Then too there is such
a large voting element among the
whiskey institutions that the clo-
sest fight is expected. Chairman
Thomas II. Vanderford, who man.
aged the campaign of Hackett
against Blackburn, and who ran
against Mayor Boyden in the re-
cent city election, is managing
the prohibition campaign, the first
time he ever took such a part in
such a fight. Alderman Tennessee
will be with him and Judge Pritch-
ard, Governor Glenn and Rev
Mr.. Ham, travelling booze knocker
will be with the prohlbitionists
The greater portion Of the bar will
oppose the saloonists, though the
legislators will hardly go into the
fight. Representative Walter Muir.
ply. former leader of the vets.
will be active i'll this struggle.
1t is no secret that among retail
whiskey men, there Is murmurine
against the administration be.
cause of alleged violations of the
laws against retailing by the
wholesale dealers. It is known
fact that these wholesalers often
sell pints and quarts, though they
never have paid half the license
that the retail dealers do. Some
Of the saloon men have expressed
a desire to sell out and retire
They think they have been treat.
ed badly.
In all North carolina, no such
fight has ever been witnessed. The
antl-saloon and law and order
loo n1la will Hnht Tho 4ra e. l.