The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-02-18
sdWING THE WIND IN THE BOOZE
E BUSINESS E s.s'E

BUSINESS s.f'".
Seme citizens have been heard to re-
marx that they opposed Statewide liquor
referendum because it would bring on a
big fight, which might hurt North Caro-
lima. Also, some politicians have been
heard to remark about the probable effect
of such fight on the fortunes Of the pre-
dominant party.
Now. that the county option plan has
BEEN forced on the State what we snail
have is, ultimately, one hundred county
elections on this issue; with the chances
multiplied ten-fold, we believe, that dlsas-
trous results will be realized as to State
conditions and the final results as to the
Democratic party.
The issue could have been decided, as
il was decided twice in the past, in State
wide election. In that case there would
have been one instead of 100 elections;
and within a few months the election
would have been thing OF the past,
whereas, under the county election system,
the State will undoubtedly be tfghting ana
voting for years to come.
The only reason, of course, if one gets
down to the basic facts of the case, why
county option instead of Statewide voting
was adopted was due to the certainty IN
the estimate of conditions by the vets, that
the, State would go dry in Statewide
election. The county option plan will Sc
cure legalization of sale of booze in num-
ber of counties and will make the entire
State wet in so far as sale and consump-
ton of liquor is involved.
This statement is not an argument Tor
legalization of the sale in all counties Dut
is a plain statement of fact as to the con-
ditipns which will prevail when number
of counties have voted wet. Then the
vaunted legalized, law-abiding booze busl-
ness will be in exactly the position occu-
pied now by moonshiners and bootleggers'
II will be supplying liquor to dry terri
tory in violation of the will OF a majority
of the citizens of said territory; and IN
MANY cases in violation of the provisions
of the very law enacted by the vets.
And will all of this bring to an end the
illicit liquor traffic? Any intelligent ten
yeat-old boy of North Carolina knows the
answer to this question.
We are told that conditions are lovely In
all the counties in which the liquor bust
ness has been established under county
and State protection and participation
YET a careful checking of the facts vii
show that liquor consumption has IN
CREASED in all, of that territory and in ad
ioiAing dry territory, and that all the evils
accompanying the liquor business have
also increased, including drunken driving
of motor vehicles and murder on the high
ways.
That is not all the record shows, how
evef. An additional showing of the facts
is that the illicit liquor traffic has not beer
DESTROYED in the wet counties. In the Sen
ateI debate on the liquor bill the wet Sen
ator from Beaufort was answered by dry
Senator who read stories from the Beau
fort newspaper detailing the capture ano
destruction of several illicit stills within
few miles of that city. 90, Is
Of course the purpose of the county OPP
ton bill is to Control the booze business
and promote temperance" We shall see
how much control and how much item
perance" the plan produces in North Caro-
lima.