Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-05-29
The Temperance Crusade.

finally succeed. This is peculiarly true Of
the temperance movement 1t has been up
and down sinco our first recollection, at timos
prosperous, then dying. Perhaps ut this
timo thcre is more lively movement in this
direction in this State than over before. We
published last week in this connection a peti.
tion to be presented to tho next Legislature,
asking tho passage of law similar to that
known as tho Maino law. In advocacy Of
somo restrictive law number Of papers in
this State are deyotinga column to tho cause,
and tho movement is assuming shape and
form.
We see also that meeting has been held
recently in Chiokering Hall, Now York, at
which speeches wero mado by Dr.. Crosby, o.
B. rockingham, Peter Cooper, Mr.. Thurbor
and Mr.. IIadloy and others. This meeting
was held undcr the auspices Of tho Business
Mems Temperance Society, which looks to
moderation rather than abstinence rs the
most practical remedy. We clip from the
Now York Herald statement of how tho
society proposes to work mado by Mr.. Henry
lladley, tho Secretary, rs follows:
"Mr. Henry Hadley, the Secretary, stated
tho objects of the society. and, after referring
to tho terrible effects of drunkenness and tho
absolute necessity of something being done
to check the use of alcoholic stimulants. said
that tho society beloved in pledges. There
pledge bound the signer not to drink during
business hours BY that modified cngager
ment the man was not deprived of the glass
of vino of an evening at our sociul institu-
tions. The blue pledge promised mot to
offer the glass to another, nor to drink at
anothor's expense" Tho next pledge was
tho red, white and bluo 1t limits tho signcr
to drink nothing stronger than vino or beer,
and theso only at meals and in moderation.
The English physicians, who had lately
written about alcohol, differed in many points,
but all were unanimous in this, thai alcohol
when it was taken ehould be takon with
meals. lie suggested that total abstinence
should bo tried for q specified term, and if not
convinced ut the expiration Of that time; that
it was better to DO without anything in the
shape of Intoxicating liquor, then ho urged
the adoption with great care and determine
tion, of one of the moderation pledges, which
would be found best suited to their circum-
stances"
We have no idea that tho country is ready
for any prohibtory law, and think tho friends
Of temperance will moro likely accomplish
good by somo such pledges as wcro proposed
in New York. Whatever be tho evils of intem.
poranco, bo few men are willing to give up tho
right of taking q drink out of business hours
or at meal times. Maine is tho only State in
tho Union which has prohibitory law, and
it is denied by many that it has accomplished
good, liquor being still smugglcd into tho
State and used secretly. Facts, however,
disprovc this assertion. The people on all
such questions control the Legislature and if
they did not favor tho law it would have been
repealed. The Act was first passed in
Maine in 1851 and every effort to repeal or
modify il has been failure. Neal Dow in
defending its workings and results states that
tho druggists for thrco years have been max.
ing earnest efforts to so modify tho law as to
permit them to sell liquors, but on vote on
tho amendment the bill was lost, receiving
2l votes out Of a membership Of $50. On
vote on bill this year to exempt all malt
liquors, cider and domestic wines, from the
prohibition of the law, tho voto stood II in
favor Of such exemption out Of membership
of 1913. When the Act was fire. passed
the vote stood Is for to 10 against it in tho
Senate, and ia tho House sc to 40, and now
after % years experience Of the law and its
workings, the vote stood moro than six to one
against any notifications of tho restrictions.
On tho contrary, in 1877 an Act additional
was passed without dissenting vote in
other House of far greater stringcncy than
any which preceded it, This, Mr.. Dow con-
cludcs, shows an overwhelming public opin-
ion in tho State against tho liquor traffic.
While this may be true in Maine, such
results could not be reuohcd hero, and Ger,
tainly not at this time. A law not supported
by public opinion could not bo enforced
during it's existence, and would DO repealed
on tho first opportunity. Those who favor q
prohibitory law must first educate tho public
mind through tho press, tho Sabbath School
and the pulpit to sustain it. We now have q
stringent license law, but it is not enforced,
nor is the government law obeyed to any
extent. 1t loads to litigation and to tho pros'
ecution Of our people, without accomplishing
any practical good. All must admit the
OWLS which can only bo modified or restrained
through public opinion, and piohibtory
law would now only work litigation and
enmity among our pcoplo.
Tho lIondcrsonvllo, N. c., Courier statos
that under recent decision of the Supreme
Court Of tho United States there is every
probability that the unpaid contractors Of the
Spartanburg and Ashevlle Raiiroad will
recover their claims. The decision, in effoct,
is that the claims of operatives and contract
ors Of o railroad corporation arc superior to-
and have priority over those Of the mortgage
boDdholdcrs. There will, Of course, othc,