The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-28
BOTH SIDES EXPECT
TO. WIN IN BRISTOI,
Strenuous Campaign, Which VIII
End on May 9. Now in \:
Progress
Ispecial to The Times pisps sch.1

tSpecial to The Times Dispe sch.1 W
Bristol Va. April 27.-It is doubt 8
fui If there is another place In the
I United States where fight overswf,is4
Key interests more people than here q
on the border between Tennessee and y
7 Virginia Multiplied thousands of
consumers, in portions OF several Of $
the Southern States and numerous
wholesale whiskey houses in various
cities Of the country. feel directly in-a5i
terested in such a fight from a pecu-
mary view. while temperance people
| throughout ting nations look on with
the keenest possible interest
The people here are now in the midst
OF such a campaign. The whiskcys
/ dealers. all OF whom are located on s
the Virginia side of the city tTennes-
see being Statewide dry territory
arc to know their fate on May 9. which,
is the date for the election. Less than
1000 voters are to determine an Issue
which affects, either directly or indt-&
rectly. multiplied thousands. scattered
over a wide area.
! The temperance people were never =
more active or determined than at
| present The most potent argument
/ which they have TO meet has to do
.
/ The business man and the property
/ owner is won't to give ear to the arr
Sument that IL is worth while to have 4
! big revenue from whiskey. that the
tax rate may be made the lowest pos
Sble ana I'm order that proper public
/ improvements may be carried on In a
progressive community. In support Of
! this view in four years. upwards OF
I 100000 has accumulated as surplus
/ In the city treasury. and this week
/ $4,000.
In the face OF these facts the term
| perance men and women are working
| like beavers Public meetings are
being held. and in every church as
sembly men and women OFFER fervent.7
prayers that Bristol and the territory
! contiguous may be rid of the whiskeyi
traffic. The money piled up in the city
! treasury is referred to as blood
money" 1T will prove blighting
curse, is the way temperance orators.
and advocates put IL. God never gave
permanent prosperity and permanent
| happiness to n community that toll
Grated such glaring evils" is the way,
one of the local ministers put it In a
street conversation. And to these
sentiments the good women OF the,
churches and temperance organizations
are adding their songs and their
/ prayers. and the manhood OF the COM y
munity is being appealed to to stand
4 up LOT lnlS vital moral REFORM.
/ Thus far only one noted speaker
has been heard in the campaign This
was Evangelist George II. Stuart the
| e-time cO-laborer of Sam Jones' Dr.
stuart, who made n powerful appeal.
will tie followed by Captain Richmond.
PEARSON Hobson. hero of the Merrifnac.t
captain Hobson WAS due to speak here
In the Y. Nj. &. y. lyceum course. The
association, however. cheerfully turned
him over to the women OF the Wom-t
ans Christian Temperance Onion for a.
lecture in connection with the cam
paign to rid Bristol OF saloons and
whiskey houses. Captain TIobson Will
speak TO men only, as the women have
- surrendered the privilege Of hearing in
order that the voters of the city ALL
the boys may hear what he has to say
or the evils of the whisiley traffic
Others who are to speak before the
close of the campaign are: DR.. James,
Cannon, Jr., OF Virginia; Mrs. Mamie.
Curtis. of Texas and Mrs. Harris Arr
mour. OF Georgia.
While the outcome of this contest is
by no means certain, owing to the
activities of the whiskey men and
their aids and the money they are sup;
posed to command for campaign pur-s
poses the temperance people believe, In.
view of the great interest being
aroused by public meetings, that they
VIII be able to carry the election An
election seven years ago resulted in
la victory for the temperance people
and closed up every saloon and wills
Key house. Three years later the,
vets pettioned for an election and
won by small margin, This time the
"drys" petitioned for the election. and
/ the temperance people are forcing the.
battle. 4 S
Many of the local ministers and other
church people express the utmost con-
hdence that their side will win. Sew:
eral big meetings are yet to be held
and the contest is destined to be at,
fever heat before the date for the
election.
Prominent among the men who are
leading In the fight to route saloons;
are: DR.. j. A. Baylor, of State street
Methodist Church; DIR. w. s. Neigh-5
bors, president of Sullins College; DR..
! j, ~ Henderson. president of Virginia
lntermont College: Alfred Fl. Blanchard
and Herbert c. Peters. attorneys and
w. l., Morley, business man. Tennessee
temperance people are also lending
their influence
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