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VOL. 25. SMITHFIELD. N. C.. FRIDAY. OCTOBER 19. lOO(?. NO. 38.
HISTORY AND STATUS (
QUESTION
A Summary of The Facts Tha
Knotty Problem of Hand I
DEMOCRATS WILL REPEAL LAW.
The Republican Party in Their Conven
tion in Smithfleld on August 11th
Passed a Resolution With The
Idea As It Appears, to De
ceive the People.
The Republican convention,
which assembled in the town of
Smithfleld on the 11th day of
August, passed a resolution
which is so absurd on its face
that it will hardly deceive any
one. The resolution was intro
duced and adopted for the pur
pose of catching votes, but when
the voters of Johnston County
?examine the provisions of that
resolution it will hardly succeed
in deceiving anyone.
It may not be amiss to review
briefly the history of liquor legis-j
lat.ion in Johnston County. It|
has been fully twenty years since!
the sale of liquor in Johnston!
County was restricted to incor
porated towns. Directly after I
the war at a few places in the i
county liquoi was sold, but the
sentiment of the people became
so strong agaiust the practice of
selling liquor where there was no !
police protection that by com
inon consent the sale of ardent
spirits was restricted to the
towns.
i ears ago tne noara 01 bom
inissionrs of .Johnston County re
fused to grant license to any per
son to conduct a bar-room in
the country. This determination
of the commissioners was receiv
ed with approval by all political
parties. The Republicans had,
control, practically speaking, of ?
the Legislatures of 189") and
1897, but even those Legisla
tures did not dare to defy public
sentiment by the establishment
of bar-rooms in the country. By
common consent of all political
parties the sale of whiskey was
restricted to the towns.
For nearly a quarter of a cen
tury public sentiment all over
the State has demanded that the
sale of whiskey by small meas
ures should be restricted to in
corporated towns, A few stills
were allowed to remain in opera
tion in the country, but these in
stitutions caused so much dis
turbance and disorder that the
people living in the country de
manded that they should be
abolished. Even the Republican
Legislature of 1897 legislated
whiskey stills out of existence in
several counties of the State. A
law was passed by that Republi
can Legislature making it unlaw
ful to manufacture whiskey in
the county of Franklin, and the
question was never submitted to
a vote of the people. A law was
passed by the same Legislature
making it unlawful to manufac
ture whiskey in the county of
Union, and the question was not
submitted to a vote of the peo
ple. The same Legislatureof 1897
passed an Act providing:
"Section 1. That it shall be j
unlawful for any person to sell
or manufacture any spirituous
or malt liquors in the county of
Columbus, except as hereinafter
provided. Section 2. Provided
this Act shall not apply to in
corporated towns in said county
of Columbus, nor to that terri
tory in Fair Bluff Township, in
said county, lying on the South
side of the Columbia & Augusta
Railroad."
The ratification of this act was j
not submitted by that Republi-i
can Legislature to a vote of tbe;
people of the whole county, nor
even to a vote of the people in
the territory affected by the law.
Public sentiment all over the
State has been against the sale
of whiskey in the country and
couDty after county, through
their Representatives in the Gen
eral Assembly, have demanded
the restriction of the sale of |
liquor to the towDS. For some
IF LIQUOR
IN JOHNSTON COUNTY.
it Have Led Up To The Present
ling This Vexed Question.
time it has been the policy of all
political parties to leave to the
towus the determination of tbf
question of whether whiskej
shall in the towns be sold through
the dispensary or through li
censed bar-rooms.
Since 1900 every town in.John
ston County where whiskey was
sold, either through bar-rooms
or through a dispensary, except
one, by popular vote has determ
ined to discontinue the sale ol
ardent spirits. The exception to
the above statement is the town
of Jerome. In Renson, Four
Oaks, Selma, Pine Level, Kenly,
Clayton and Smithtield, elections
have been held and the result in
every one of these elections was
adverse to the legalized sale ol
whiskey. There was no politics
in anyone of these elections. No
body attempted to make any
political capital out of the result
either one way or the other
Party lines were not and could
not be drawn, for the question
was not a party question. Re
publicans and Democrats voted
for dispensarv and Republicans
and Democrats voted against
dispensary.
Since these towns have voted
on the whiskey question it seems
that the Republican convention
is trying to make political capi
tal out of the result. Republican
leaders are trying to divide the
Democratic vote and array the
I country people against the town
people by saying to the country
Eeople, "Your privileges have
een taken away. You are not
allowed to buy whiskey any
longer. The sale of whiskey has
been forbidden in Johnston Coun
ty and you have not been allow
ed to vote on the question."
These Republican leaders are en
deavoring strenuously to put
the blame on the Democratic
party for what the people of the
towns did when everyone of them
knows that many Republicans
as well as Democrats voted
against the sale of liquor. Ev
ery sane man knows that there
wos no politics in anyone of
these elections.
The bar-room was originally
driven out of the country because
the country people demanded it.
If the question was submitted to
a vote of the country people to
day whether bar-rooms should
be permitted to operate in the
country we hazard the statement
that such a proposition would
not receive the votes of one hun
dred white men in Johnston
County.Until Chapter 248 of the
Laws of 1905 was passed the
people of Johnston County, sub
ject to certain restrictions, had
the right to make and sell wine
and cider. An immense petition
was sent to our Representatives
while the Legislature of 11)05
was in session asking that a law
be passed forbidding the sale of
all kinds of intoxicants. Nearly
2,500 voters signed that peti
tion. and our Representatives in
the Legislature felt justified in
passing Chapter 248 through
the General Assembly, because it
appeared to them that a majori
ty of the voters asked for it.
Our Representatives did not in
tend to pass a bill making it un
lawful for our farmers to make
and sell wine and cider of their
own manufacture but since the
passage of the act it has been
construed to have that effect,
and some of the farmers of our
county, who for years have been
accustomed to manufacture their
jrrapes into wine and their apples!
into cider.felt that a great injus
tice had been done them by for
bidding them to sell the products
of their farms.
The Democratic convention
which met in the town of Smith
field on the Is' day of August, J
by a vote of nearly four to one.
passed a resolution instructing
pur members nominated for the1
Senate and the House of Repre- j
| sentatives to repeal Chapter 248,
i so far as it affects the right of
the farmer to make and eell wine
and cider manufactured from his
I own grapes and fruits. Our can
didates for the Senate and for
| the House of Representatives de
t clare that they will see to it that
the law is amended so as to re
store to the farmers of Johnston
. County the right to make and
I sell wine and cider from their
own grapes and fruits.
If elected, as we believe they
'I will beoverwtielmingly.our mern
| bers of the General Assembly will
i j see to it that the right to manu
facture aud sell wine and cider is
restored to the farmers of this
county. But, if the unexpected
i thing should happen and a Re
i publican delegation is sent to
Raleigh, it is hardly to lie expect
ed that their influence in securing
I the passage of such a law would
be as effectual as the influence of
a Democratic delegation, for un
less all signs fail there will not
be more than thirty Republican
members in the next House of
Representatives,and the influence
of a Republican delegation from
Johnston County would hardly
be as great as that of three Dem
ocrats whose wishes their Demo
cratic colleagues would be dis
posed to carry out. We mention
' this to remind the voters of
Johnston County mat a Demo
cratic convention this year has
dune what, it alwavs tries to do,
and that is to carry iuio effect
the wishes ot the people.
Mut, ou August 11th, a Kepub
lican convention assembled in
Smith field adopted the tollowiug
resolution: "That at sometime
between April the 1.1thand.1 une,
1007, the (]uestiou of the mbnu
tacture aud sale of spirituous
liquor be submitted to a vote of
; the people ot the county, and if
a majority of all the voters favor
i the sale then in what manner, be
| determined by an election of all j
I the voters of the county." We
have quoted the resolution ex
[ actly as it was passed by the He- j
j pubiican convention Any man i
! who will stop to think for a mo
ment will readily see that this
resolution is entirely imprac
ticable, that it cannot be carried
into operation and that it was
i only adopted for the purpose of
i deceiving the people and to cap
; ture a few dissatisfied Democrat
j ic voters.
It appears from this resolution
that it demands two separate
elections. 1st. To determine
whether liquor shall be sold in
I the county at all, and 2nd, It
I seems they intend to hold a sec
ond election to decide how it
shall be sold. We do not know
what the resolution means un
j less it means this. Now let us
suppose an election is held, what
question will be submitted to the
people? The question of selling!
liquor through a dispen
sary or through bar-rooms?
Suppose a majority of all
' the people of the county
should vote in favor of the re
1 establishment of a dispensary,
where will the dispensary be es
tablished? It certainly cannot
be established in a town where a
majority of the people have voted
against it unless the general law
of the State is changed and un
less both political parties change
men puuey. nuw many aispen
sariee do they intend to establish?
Do they mean to force the peo
ple of the towns which have vot
ed whiskey out to allow the sale
. of whiskey anyway? Such a
proposition is an absurdity on
j its face. No Legislature which
, has ever assembled in North Car
j olina has ever passed a law
i korcixu the sale of liquor upon
any community where a majori
! ty of the people at an election
voted against its sale. Let the
people think for a moment of
the practical effect of this Repub
lican Resolution if it should be
made a law.
Kenly, Dine Level, Selma,
Smithtieltl and Clayton have
within the last two years abol
ished the dispensaries which had
theietofore beene-tablished. I n-1
der this Republican resolution
the people of Clayton would have
the right to vote upon th - ques
< .on as to whether or not liquor
is sold in .Sn itbfield, and the pi o
pie of .Smithtteld would have the!
right to say whether liquor
should be sold in Kenl.y. Anyone
can see the confusion that would
follow, and it seems to us per
fectly plain that this resolution
was only adopted to endeavor to
deceive the people and to gather
in a few dissatisfied votes.
Even the Republican conven
tion woulc} not declare in favor
of the sale of liquor in the coun
try. All parties agree to the pol
icy that it is best to restrict the
sale of liquor to the towns. The
country people do not want bar
rooms. Years ago they petition
ed the Commissioners of various
counties all over North Carolina
and both Republican Legisla
tures left it to the discretion of
the Board of Commissioners of
each county to determine wheth
er bar-rooms should be licensed
or not. Therefore the sale of
whiskey bv common consent has
been restricted to the towns; and
by common consent all political
parties have left it to the toy ns
to say whether liquor should De
sold through a dispensary,
hrough t ?ii'-rooruw or Dot wold ;
(CONTIN! ED ON NEXT PAGE.)
HON. CHAS. M. WILSON.
Democratic Nominee for the
State Senate.
A Brief History of His Services to His
County as Chairman of the Board of
County Commissioners.
On August 1st the largest
I >emocratic convention ever as
sembled in Johnston County
unanimously nominated Charles
M. Wilson, who has been a mem
ber of the Hoard of County Com
missioners for eight years, six
years of which he has been chair
man of the Hoard, for one of the
Senators from this, the Fifteenth
Senatorial District. This nomi
nation came to Mr. Wilson un
sought?he was not a candidate.
This nomination speaks in the
strongest terms the great confi
dence and esteem in which he is
held by the people he served so
well so many years in such a re
sponsible position.
Mr. Charles M. Wilson, Demo
cratic nominee for the Senate,
was born at Wilson's Mills 48
years ago. His life has been
spent at the village where he was
born. He is a working man and
knows what the working man
needs.
Mr. Wilson is peculiarly fitted
and qualified for the position.
He is a large manufacturer, far
mer and business man. He has
been identified with the govern
ment of the county for eight
years in the capacity of County
Commissioner. This is one of
the most important offices in the
county. It is a position that
calls for the best skill and judg
ment and how well he has per
formed the varied duties of this
office is told in the following
I
brief account of tbe financial con.
dition of the county when he
took charge as Chairman of the
board of County Commissioners
aud the conditions as they exist
to day.
Mr. VV ilson has been chairman
of the Hoard for six years. The
chairmau is expected to inform
himself on all matters connected
with the duties of the Board of
Connty Commissioners aud his
recommendations are, in a very
large measure, adopted by the
Hoard. Mr. Wilson has been
very active in the discharge of
every duty in connection with his
office aud has performed his du
ties with such rare judgment and
painstaking skill that his name
will always be honored in this
county.
When he came into office as
commissioner the Democratic
! party had just succeeded in pay
I ing off all the indebtedness of the
mugwump or Republican admin
istration, and had oy the strict
est ecomomy managed to lay by
some money and bad on hand
11,575,69. On the same day in
i',Hit), under the administration
of Mr. Wilson, there was in the
treasury $19,018.20, so for eve
ry hundred dollars he found in
the treasury he leaves more than
a thousand. Resides there has
been expended for permanent im
provements, such as steel bridges,
vaults for the register's office and
clerk's office and improvement at
the County Home a sum amount
ing to over $15,000. Not only
is this true, but the tax rate in
this county has been reduced to
03 cents for State and county
and $1.89 on the poll?the low
est, we believe, in any county of
the State. The general tax for
purely county purposes is only
20 cents on the $100 and 12
cents on the poll.
is it not reasonable to expect
that such a man as Mr. Wilson
has proven himself to be will
make just such a Senator as will1
reflect great credit upon our
county and his constituents?!
The experience he has accumu
lated in the capacity of commis
sioner has qualified him for the
duties of Senator in that he has
been in close touch with the peo
i pie and to-day he Is the best
posted man, as to the needs and
demands of the people, in the
county.
His uniform courtesy to all \
with whom he comes in contact
has made him very popular
wherever known. His tact and
discretion are subjects often re
marked on. In the difficult po
sition of Chairman of the Roard
of County Commissioners his i
tact and knowledge of affairs
have made it possible for him to
adjust all matters comiug before
the Roard with satisfaction to
all.
When Mr. Wilson lavs down
the duties of County Commis
sioner to take up those of Sena
tor from Johnston Couutj he
will have the satisfaction of
knowing that the people appre
ciate his services and that they
are willing to place greater re
sponsibilities upon him and we
confidently expect him to make
a Senator of whom every right
thinking man in this county and
in the entire district will be
proud.
Benson News Notes.
Cotton gins are the busiest of
the busy.
Democrats are jubilant; pros
pects are encouraging.
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Hall return
ed from Buie's Creek Sunday.
N. T. Kyals has moved his law
shop to the Hudson Building.
A few of our enterprising mer
| chants are in the Northern mar
kets.
William Jernigan is a happy
"dad," it may be for the first
time in his life.
()ur people are not neglecting
the State Fair; several of them
are there this week.
Bradley Johnson, of Virginia,
| was shaking bands with his old
I friends here Monday.
| Tbe cotton market here is
maintiniug the position it open
ed with?paying the highest.
Republicans positively refuse
to divide time. Tney do not
want the light thrown on their
record.
It is a dull day in Benson when
there is not something doing,
tieorge Holland is fitting up
apartments in C. T. Johnson's
Brick Block.
The cider and wine question
has been settled. The Republican
party has drunk up all in sight
and by the time of this writing
we think it is settled.
\Y. A. Stewart, of Bunn, spoke
[ to a large and appreciative au
| dience Tuesday night. The
! scarecrow of a Republican speak
I ing had made the people, so to
speak, hunger and thirst after
better things. The contrast was
a strikiug one. In the day the
! Republican audience was made
! up of a few Dymosrats who went
out of curiosity; about seventy*
five old line moss back Republi
cans with sorry recruits and a
| few negroes. The Democratic
I speaking was attended by ladies
; and gentlemen of the old school.
The Republican county eandi
i dates, together with Berry Nod
lin and a little fellow Spriggs es
I sayed to speak here Tuesday.
Mr. Nodlin says his wife thinkB
j he is a good fellow. Mr. Spriggs'
5 arms were evidently made to
beat the air; his mouth looks
like it would tit a water-melon
cut into "rashers" better than a
political oration, and any dog
that can jerk his neck and head
as fast and as often and as se
verely as can this sprig of a
Spriggs, could snap the life out
of a snake too quick. Most of
the candidates did acquit them
selves creditably by not trying
I to make any speech, and it was
i only Mr. Spriggs and Mr. Nodlin
that suicided on the party.
A small affair that happened
in our community a few days
ago, inspired a frosty poet to in
scribe the following upon the fly
leaf of his last year's almanac:
. ?v>u ?? c* iu?u iu uui uunii nuu
boarded at a hotel,
But politics plays funny tricks that no
body can foretell.
"So when to breakfast all had come and
politics bobbed up,
'Twas hotter than all the coffee that
filled up any cup.
"The war with words waxed warmer
still,
Till all was sulphurous blue,
'You're a?I you're a?1! yi.u're a?1!!
'Yes, and you're another, too!'
At last the parting sentence came with
emphasis quite bold
'When you've been dead ten thousand
years
In hades kickiug coal,
I'll come board with the widow
And pay her in pure gold!"
A Badly Burned Girl
or boy. man or woman, is quick
ly out of pain if Bucklen's Arnica
Salve is applied promptly. G. J.
Welch, of Tekonsha, Mich.,
says: "I use it in my family for
cuts, sores and all skin injuries,
and find it perfect." Quickest
Pile cure known. Best healing
lalve made. ^oc. at Hood Bros',
drug store.
HON. CHARLES M. WILSON
Democratic Nominee for the State Senate from Johntton County.