"I beg you do not vote for stills and open bar-rooms in the county"

Thomas Jordan Jarvis was a prominent North Carolina politician in the late 19th century. In this quote, he is prompting people not to vote for the opening of stills and bar-rooms in the county. This is likely a recommendation to the temperance movement, which looked for to lower or remove the usage of alcohol. Jarvis was a strong supporter of temperance and believed that alcohol was a major cause of social problems. He was also a proponent of public education and believed that alcohol consumption would lead to a decrease in academic attainment. By asking people not to choose stills and open bar-rooms, Jarvis was hoping to lower the quantity of alcohol consumption in the county and secure the educational system. He was also likely worried about the capacity for increased criminal offense and other social ills that could occur from the presence of alcohol. By making this plea, Jarvis was wishing to protect the county from the possible harms of alcohol intake.