Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-06-01

tO KNOW lie hpinOh ol InoSc WHO scck W rcplcse"1
them in regard To matters Of public policy, and We
ca upon you, ;s Candidates for the Legislature, to
give us your views through the 4Adrcrtiscr on the
proprcty of abo>hing the Militia system. at your
carlirs, cunvrnicncc MANY CITIZENS.
FOR THE ADVERTISER.
LEGISLATIVE RESTRICTIONS ON The LIQUOR
TRAFFIC-No.3 3.
Legislative action on this subject is no new thing.
Tine and again have the evils Of liquor selling and
luuor drinking, forced themselves upon the notice
Of our law makers and many have been the plans
proposed and adopted FOR the abatement Of the
musancc In various ways has the trade been har-
r;rssc,I: making the licenses attainablc only at
high price. allowing no liquor 10 be drunk where II
is <ol granting to the dealer the privilege only to
sell given quantity, have all been tried and the last
and perhaps least effective plan, has been to require
the liquor vcndrr to turn himself into hoel-keepcr
and provide accommodation fur MIN and beast. These
measures were doubtless proposed and adopted in
good faith. with the hope Of cifrcne the desired
end And indeed they have, To some extent, done
so hut in them all, there radical mistake
matte There was tu use Il ho'mcIy phrase. stop
pin. Of the Sp@ut while the bun@ continued To flow.
Sulnc Of the branches Of the Ipas tree were hrped
ul, but the irun; and root continued III full vIgor'
am no dcctnr any more than lawyer. yet think
all intelligent physicians will agree hat it is ms
t.kcn practice that attempts /" heal sore by super
fetal applications, while the course Of it lies deep
within the ts So argue anaogica'ly, that To
try Ia remove the evils Of imtcmpcrlnce by petty
system Of larlsSrnt directed against the retailers,
will he always Intellectual, while The manufacturing
and wholesale, dealing is suffered to continue unmo
! rstc,l. Now, aside from the inrfiiccncy OF the
system, it is morally uni;,ir TO impose the whole
burden on the retailer, and 10 make the whole o'liun
Of ,!r.. business attach TO him. The cause Of the
evils compia;ncd "t must originate somewhere. and
until better informed must refer it 10 the wholesale
man, whether maker or seller, or BOTH He is the
driving wheel that sets in motion a hundred little
! wheels. and his position in society gives rcspc-ia-
iitr 10 branch of business that would otherwise
Lr branded with iniimy; aud while the groceries
and llicir keepers are visited with the contempt of
the community, the S,rcasms anil wiiticsms Of tenn
prrancc lecturers, the drnuncia"ns Of The pulpit,
! aml the condemnation Of the Courts, these n'rr-
chant princes these lords upon 'Changr, these great
| Monuls Of the rum trade 90 unrcbukcd. They are
respectable. rncE their families lead the ton in lash
nuaic circles; The city dgnitics pull Of their hats
to lcr, in the street; the minister pays them the
resp ct that nonird arisiocracy demands; and in
the Jury box they st in Judgment upon the wretch
that Ihrou.h their agency is called TO cXpate li'
crime in Il prison or on galuws. Again the whole
sale dealer is more culpablc than his more humble
associate because in the of the iurner the plea
Of ce<sty cannot with any pausibility be admitted.
Now in the case of the retailer, a Einccd necessity
is an cxruSc that to some extent satisfies his qualIns
Of cnnsc;cncc lie is often times poor man, his
wiz. and chlrcn must h fed :pccuniary obligations
are pressing hard upon linn: thus following plau-
s;b.c argument, and coming 10 drcadiuly false
concusinn, he SETS up liquor sh"p Well, tins
man IS certainly more cxcuSablc than one whose
credit AID deposits run parallel with his every want
and hence. the bauie uf this arcursr traffic, should
NJ lcas, h,. shared between them. But the present
means employed for the suppression oI drunken
n,ss, are inefficient to accomplish this end. 10 tax
The privilege Of selling liquor cannot remedy the
evil unless t tax be such 10 amount to pro!ll-
l,,un Liquor selling is in many places :; very
profitable business, and the retailer can afford trPay
high price :or his PRIVILEGES: 50 that this would
avail only where the trade small. AGAIN, what
good can result from Il law specifying the quantity 10
he sold and requiring 10 he carried from the deal
cr'< premises before it can he used Why. if men
were honest cloI.h tn comply with the lcttero the
law. in nTly Gus, the rctIrrs premises may not
extend twenty Yards from his dour, and moreover II
helps tn lallrr very liulc 10 have the article sold
in uariiiics Of three gallons more. 10 be carried
u to some lng rolling muster ground to n'part
:; lnurr,Ynary ckcning t" the ztaE OF tile aborers
or excite the patri";isi Of the citizen S''hIery"
Many time aud oft, by this means has the scene
of homes, labor been turned into one Of quarrelnS
and b!oml she'd whilst the initiative "pomp and
circumstance Of glorious war; h1s dcgcreraled into
aminiatnrc Of Pandrmonium itself. But what un'
derslnd 10 he the present law in reference TO retail
in. is in my opinion rather productive or mischief
| tllan "Oud that is 10 make the Retailer tavern
keeper THIS measure like iEany others Of the same
class WIS no doubt an honest e!lnrt on the part "l
its friends tack NJ the tipping shops; but not
only arc these tavrrn" groceries in the conlpctcSt
scls,, but by virtue Of their being Or protesting to
| BE-, houses Of entertainment tlry are not amenable
to the law a-ainst the violation Of the Lords day
J th,.ir lnurS
wide open, inviting To their hospitality the young
AMI the old, the ionr, and tic free. If rcprrschcd
ir this conduct. the retailer can E back upon the
plea Of Keeping Il tavern. lie has accommodations
for mi and beast, aud if any is disposed t" dis
credit the sttcnrcn the exhibition Of an old shed
in the back yard with few bushels Of corn. land
! little hay, together with back room or loft in the
tavern supplied with few surh articles of fur
nlurc ;l might hardly tempt one of his customers
10 leave his quarters in tie cellar door, settles the
question ut once. lie is tavern keeper and has the
law on his side, and nobody las any right t" inter-
crc with him. Away with all such riil'ng. The
only certain means Of relief is to Danish Ardent
Spirits from the country. Let the manufacture be
suppressed and the importation be- prohibited except
to such extent us may be necessary 70 su'scrve
medical and scientific purposes So long as liquor Is
allowed To be made and suld in indefinite quantities,
So ung will there bc found means Of cvadng all
restrictions that may kc imposed upon its use.
Striped p;cs' will be exhibited, books Of hsto-
ry'' will be sold, and "lamp ol' VIII command
premium Bu, s,al up the fountains aud the streams