The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-07-17
THE COCAINE HABIT.
Much More Serious Danger Than Is
HydrOphObia.

HydrOphObia.
Within recent wears the oooaira
""'i' among negroes has grown to be
great evil in Charlotte and MANY
other Southern cities. The negro who
takes cocaine becomes temporarilv
| craZed and there is no crime which he
VIII rot commit or attempt when
| under its influence. Policemen dread
him as they dread nothing else, for
ne has both maniacs strength and
a marliac's fury. In Charlotte are
joints where cocaine fiends hold nor
iodical orgies; these places, filled
with crazy demons, bear little resem-
blance to the dreamy atmosphere of
Chinese opium joints. Opium or it's
derivatives-morphine, heroin, etc.,
would from the standpoint of So
ciety be far preferable. To procure
cocaine the habitue will undertake
any crime; and since he is or soon
becomes, worthless as worker.
crimes and shifty expedients consti-
tute almost his only resources. The
police know we'll that the FREQUENT
purse -snatching on Charlotte streets
are attributable to the cocaine fiends.
They know, too, that crimes of vio-
lence in the community arise mainly
from the same cause. Thus the CO.
caine negro commits crime to supply
himself with his drug and is a most
dangerous criminal when supplied.
Continued spread of the habit threat
ems the nogrO population, and the
white South in it's relation to the ne
lgro population, with q menace un-
mistakably grave.
These remarks are written without
any reference TO the recent cases in
the recorders court of Charlotte for
selling cocaine improperly on pre-
soription. One defendant was very
little blamable, according to the evil
dence and the courts decision, and
the other still less. We are discuss
ing the large problem of the cocaine
negro. This Is primarily a problem OF
how to cut off his supply, and it pre-
sents great difficulties. The madden
ing drug has so little bulk and weight
that enough to debauch a whole city
for weeks can easily be carried in
one pocket. Negro vendors of CO.
caine sell by the "sniff," and the
trade yields huge profits. These ne
groes seldom have very much diff
f1culty in getting stock, for, just as
there was always whites willing to
sell Indians guns and rum though
the massacre of white women and
children Inevitably followed, so there
are white men now who will sell me-
groes cocaine. And it should not be
supposed that drug stores are the
only source Of supply. There has
grown up a distinct cocaine trade.
1T Is strongly believed that the drug
Is shipped to negro vendors in Char
lotte by. a regular purveyor from at
least one outside point.
AT Senator Kluttz's instance the
last legislature closed up a wide gap
previously existing in the law of hab-
Informing drugs, and 'habituaa
users" can NO longer buy from drug
gists without prescriptions. Since
then prospects for curbing the drug
habit In general have been improved
by a proposed limitation, manufa C.
turing and importing pharmacists as
senting, upon the amount of such
drugs to be imported each wear
through American custems houses.
In cities where the evn has grown
1T behoowes the police te exert them-
selves actively. Every one working
| against rocaine will have the graft
tude and support of the better class
colored people, who recognize in this
drug deadly enemy of their race.
Charlotte Observer
| One Way 10 Get Things