Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1909-04-20
SALISBURY, N. c., APRIL 20, 1909.
SOME REMARKS AS TO CON
DITIONS IN SALISBURY.

no lawful reason why any one
should be found drunk in or about
Salisbury, there is likewise no
reason why the talk of bar-rooms
and blind tigers should be such a
conspicuous subject of conversa-
ton. If by popular vote, it had
been decided that no more cotton
cloth was to be made in the state,
under similar penalties as these
narrated in the prohibition meas
ure, we take it that the mills
would have closed and that the
law would have been obeyed WITH
out question and the manufacture
of such goods would have ceased !;
there would have been no further
controversy on the subject. But
not so with the whiskey men, in
stead of submitting to the will of
a great majority of our citizens
and the legislative enactment,
they, being accustomed to the
violation of all laws that exist for
the regulation of their traffic and
the protection of society, have set
about to deliberately violate the
prohibition act. They act as
though they we're above the law of
the land and look upon the ex-
pressed will of the people with
contempt. At least, judging by
conditions here, such an assertion
does not miss the mark very far.
For instance, there seems to be as
many DRINKS on the streets here
now as we're to be found before the
list of January, (of course the an
ti-prohibitionists are all ready to
say I told you such would be the
case, and a very few less saloons.
just how many places have United
States license to sell whiskey,
they have a few bottles Of ginger
ale and Coca-cola in their show
windows, have screens up at the
doors and windows, pay rent en-
tirely out of proportion to the
profits possible for a soft drink
stand, and employ from IL to
four clerks, some of whom are reg
ular drink-mixing bar clerks.
Such are the facts on the surface,
to be seen by the most superficial
observer, unless he is a member
of the Salisbury police force.
Such an array of facts cannot
fail to impress any one with the
fact that these places cannot ex-
ist, cannot pay such rents, nor
employ the clerical force they do,
on the pretext hat only a few bot
ties of soda-water and chi" beer
are the only articles which they
have for sale.
Now, as to why these exist, we
assume, the following reasons to
be correct: The parties conduct
ing these places have something
more than soft drinks for sale,
Judging by the facts set forth
above this unnamed article is
whiskey or beer. They are in the
business for the money to be made
out Of it, and finally because the
authorities are making no effort
to stop them. The responsibility
of experimenting and bringing such
v%iolators of the law to justice is,
primarily, on the shoulders of the
mayor. the chief of police and his
officers. These men know, as we'll
al others, that violations Of the
prohibition law are being prac-
ticed, yet they are, 90 far as ap.
pearances are concered, making
no effort to perform their sworn
duty in this particular. In short
it seems as though they are really
winking at the violations and con-
sentlng thereto. We have been
told, or rather it is of common re.
port, that the officers frequent
these places, that they do not
make arrests because the mavor
claims he has no authority in the
premises and that the officer who
dares to do his duty will soon find
himself off the force. Hence,
with the town and county govern
ments aiding and abetting these
violations. both directly and in
directly, regardless of the fact
that a large majority of the coun-
tvs citizens voted to have these
institutions removed, they remain
contrrry to the law, contrary to
the public will, and if they are to
be brought to justice and their
danradatinns are to be stoprad. ii