Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-04-02
The Whisky Var.
Results to Date.


villages in Ohio give statistics of the
results of the women's temperance
movement. In the IS places from which
reports are received, $50 drinking
places have ceased the sale Of liquor.
OF this number 255 were saloons and 81
drug stores, where liquors were sold to
tipplers. Over $1,000 persons have
signed the total abstinence pledges.
On the other hand, in the same places
$40 drinking places are open, but their
business has been reduced il not des-
troyed. In the few Indiana towns
heard from, nine saloons and nine drug
stores have ceased to sell, and 1888
persons have signed the pledge. In
the aggregate 254 saloons and 100 drug
stores are closed, and the pledge has
16, 900 signatures. It is safe to place
the number of liquor stores closed at
$50, and the signatures to the pledge at
10000. In the 81 towns heard from
612 saloons and drug stores continue to
sell liquor. -.
Most of this work was accomplished
in the last fortnight of February. AS
still more clearly showing the effect OF
the women's crusade in Ohio, where it
started, we may state that in Washing
ton, Cedarville, Zaleski, Leesburgh,
jamestown, Sabina, Reeseville, Blan-
chester, Woodington, Darbyville, Mt.
Sterling and Alpha all the saloons have
been closed, and only one store remains
open in Franklin, New Holland,
Georgetown, ..Waynesyille, Greenfield,
Logan and Macarthur. In Ripley "a
saloons and 8 drug stores surrendered
in % days, and 2 saloons remain open.
In Xenia 26 saloons have been closed,
and Is are besieged. Springfield has
made little progress except in the crea-
tion of a strong total abstinance public
sentiment and q strict enforcement OF
the law. In Columbus and Dayton the
movement is in its earliest stages, with
some encouraging symptoms. One re-.
suit Of the crusade is the passage OF
strict prohibitory ordinances by many
towns.
In Worcester, Mass, which seems
lust now to be the chief point of inter-
est in New England, there is great diff
culty-not in getting up the requisite
amount of enthusiasm, but in finding
the saloons on which to operate. Not
that liquor is not sold and drank there,
but owing to the vigilance Of the State
constables nearly all the rum-sellers are
driven into corners /; liquor is dealt cut
stealthily, and there are no large saloons
where liquor is fagrantly sold: The
prayer crusaders have few obvious
points Of attack. There are twenty sa-
looms where lager beer is sold, and also
about twenty-five apothecary shops that
sell liquor as medicine.
Including these and the hotels, eating
saloons, and groceries, the State con.
stables have about three hundred and
sixteen places on their books. Many
are little stores, where there is not
more than 50 or So worth OF liquer at a
time, and where the sale is carefully
disguised. A barrel Of liquor is care
fully concealed in tunnel under q
basement floor, being drawn by means
OF q rubber tube. This shows the diff
ference between Worcester and Ohio:
The great difficulty in Worcester will
be to get many to admit that they sell
it at all. Still the State constables be-
lieye that the woman's movement may
be productive of good, and they will
furnish tho crusaders with list OF all
suspected places.
In Ohio the women say that the Pro-
hibitionists are endangering the whole
cause by their over zeal. Already there
have been unpleasant scenes when the
Prohibitionists have insisted upon CIV
ing the women advice. Now the women
are nearly all Prohibitionists, and an
absolute prohibition law is expected
within q year, if this movement goes
on as it has Of late. But they urge
that their work just now is q work OF
love, and that when the law is men
toned the saloon-keepers stiffen their
backs and say, "Tryit |" with provoking
obstinacy. The women therefore say
"Hands off !" to the men, and, unless
their clumsy hands are taken OIL, O
split in the ranks is inevitable.
The Cincinn ,ti brewers complain OF
a depression OF business as the result
of the women's temperance crusade.
They unite in saying that if the Ohio
movement becomes common to the U.
s.. the business of brewing will be de.
stroyed, and that with its fall, ruin will
oyertake other business and trades.
They say, also, that the manufacture OF
the necessary iron barrel-hoops, the
coopers' trade, and the cultivation oil
hops and barley will cease. Mean
while, however, as an offset to these
dismal vaticinations, official statistics
show that the sale of beer, 30 far from
falling off during the few weeks past, is
actually on the increase. The beer
stamps sold to brewers in the 1st Dis
trict of Ohio, for the month ending
Feb. 26, amounted to more than the
year previous. -,
The fever has spread to Maryland,
and the Amended License bill, now be-
fore the Legislature is strangely IN
contrast with the progressive intelli'
gence of the age. So sweeping are the
provisions of the bill that merchants
are prohibited from making sales out
side their places OF business. The
Baltimore Gazette denounces it as "a
bill to encourage spies and informers,
and petition signed by several hun,
dred of the leading merchants and
manufacturers has been presented
against it, as depriving them OF making
their purchases at,,free competition rates
and as calculated also to cause retalia
tive laws to be passed by other States.