The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-01-16
LETTER FROM DOTE
Discusses Sheriff, Liquor Selling,
R>J Croe~ .n1 over Taxes

L
Disousees Sheriff, Liquor Selling
Red cross and Lower Taxes.
Not having heard from our Ole
friend, Col. ,Dote Smith for severa
weeks, we were undecided whether
[he had Joined the bird gang, got in
Jail, or fallen into a quart fruit jal
and gotten drowned. What therefore
was our surprise when we received 8
letter from him whele we were "a
wondering" 1t reads somewhat as
follows:
Abvul, 8. c.,
fridy thirteanth janniwary.
Dote Smith
Fish Merchants
Newspaper Correspondent
Abbeville, s. C.
friend edditur: i has been reedin yore
paper fur sevrul weaks now or whut
am gittn of it and is undercided
whuther you is now printin a nuis-
paiper or a almernack. if you is
tryner run a almernack you had bet
ter quit becos man what tends
prairmeatin and preechin murch as
you do will sleep late and no nuthin
bout the sun risin. all you will kno
is when it set. if. you wanter go in
the almernack bizness i suggest that
git two little erly rzers like allen
Merkanty and dunking Murkersing
to do the ritin and maybe they kin
tell when the sun rizes. .
j sea that the .sheeruff has kap-
tured 40 stills and maid 81 arrests
in and durin of last yeer. that was
in 1921. but what bout 1920. that
was the yeer he fooled the peepul
out Of bout 1900 hundard voates.
the furst arrest what the sheeruff
made last yeer was 5 of our mill boys
bout S miles from toun on the snaik
rode. they had 5 qts. Of icker fur
there own use and the sheruff made
them pay $196 per qt. apeece fur
it. then agin the sherff arrest
gorge pritchard kar with a qt. OF
ticker ridin .roun in it and gorge
along too. it never has bin, proved
that gorge was sellin no licker. !
thinks sumtimes that the little fishes
is all that eaver gifts eort in theas
matters. hear that the depperty
sheriff of mackormick konty and the
sheriff of linkin konty, ga. have ar
rest 8 stills and 4 niggars on cherrie
hill in mackormic CO. for maxim
and sellin licker. the niggars wus
hired by somboddie else i guest but
the offisars never gifts there when
the high-ups is about. the poar white
foaks and niggars has got no shoes
and no klose to wear in mackormick
co. and cant say that blames them
fur sellin a little Ticker if it will git
bred. when mans wimmin foaks
and chilun haint got bred and klose
to ware it maik a diffurce. ...
sea that the red Krost is still
sticken on the winders to show that
the peepul helped in the war, but
what j wanter kno is whar has the
red crost gone when the peepul is
sufferin at home? It look like sum-
thing Good be dune for the .sufferin
foaks at hoam when so menny foaks
jist busted there sides to help the
Belguns, or sum; uther furrin peepul
what we air not Gavin quainted with.
i notist that they is goner lowar
the taxes. CESS that means that they
will reech down lowar and talk liter
holt and squeaze the peepul a little
moar. my tax is bout as high as me
and lizzie boath kin reech now with
the help of the boys, and think that
it wood be better to bolish the whole
bizness, why not cut the guvnar's
salliry down little. will guvnar
this stait fir a dollar and haf day
and wurk a wun hoss farm to booy,
and saive the peepul bout ten thous-
and dollars and if evry uther man