The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-06-09
The Whiskey Question.

ever made such rapid progress or extend.
ed so widely as the spirit Of opposition to
the manufacture and sale of ardent
spirits. 1t is confined to no race or color,
to no class or condition, to no State or
nation, but finds support and fourishes
wherever liquor is known and sold. 1t
is not new idea or movement, but it
certainly has required new vitality and
form, being confined no longer to
churches aud temperance societies, to
religious journals and tracts. The secu:.
lar press, the pulpit and the courts Of
justice unite in promoting the cause of
temperance and in advocating the sup.
preston of the liquor traffic. Its evils are
admitted to be legion and they are por-
trayed by legions of pens and.itongues.
The murders, suicides and crimes of all
kinds tracecble to its baneful influence,
the domestic misery it engenders, the
paupers and lunatics it creates, the social
and moral degradation il leads to and
the irreligion it fosters are all daily
placed before the public in multiform
colors. It's evils have grown 30 great as
to enlist against it not only the moral and
religious class of the country, but large
retinue of its users and abusers. Peti-
tions asking legislation to prohibit its
sale and manufacture are circulated and
signed largely by drinking men, and the
female portion of the country is not only
a unit against it, but is active work.
ers in the cause of prohibition.
The Legislature of Arkansas has re.
Gently passed by large majority bill
to submit the question of prohibition to q
vote of the people. A similar Act Las
passed the Legislature of North 'arolina
and the question is now before :. peo.
pie of that State. In Kansas the Maine
law is in force, and in all the other
States strong contest is going on and
there is a growing unity Of opinion in
favor of prohibition. manifesting itself
in public meetings, in the election of dry
tickets in towns, in more strictly enforc-
ing the law against its sale on Sunday
in cities and in the advocacy of local op-
tion laws for counties.
The movement is apparently unac-
countable not only in the progress it has
made and the wide extent of territory it
covers, but also in the fact that liquor
drinkers are in many cases among its
strongest advocates and supporters, while
in some instances temperance men and
even preachers oppose it. This is re.
versing the natural course of things, and
it is unaccountabe to see an infdel like
Ingersoll denouncing liquor in the
strongest terms language can use, while
not q few doctors of divinity advocate
self. control as the onty true and legiti-
mate remedy, admitting they like wee
drop occasionally.
The temperance boom now going on is
the strongest evidence of the evils of
intemperance and the marshalling Of
intemperate men in the army of prohibi-
tionists is the strongest evidence that
they feel they need legal protection from
temptation. lifts evils were confined to
individual cases of personal want and
wretchedness, however common and
widespread, or to crimes engendered, or
to the social degradation of individuals,
it might we'll be said the government has
nothing to do with the creation or pre-
vention of these evils, or if it affected the
general wealth and prosperity of the
country only by its injury to individuals,
who squander their time, money and
muscle by its use, still should govern
ment interfere? These, however, are
but the visible signs Of disease or
poison, affecting the social, moral and
political life of the country. They are
the knots on the tree, indicating decay
and rottenness of the BODY. They are
the pimples and sores BY which we dag:
nose system affected with filthy and
fatal disease.
Admitted to be hereditary, passing
from father to sou, and increasing with
each generation in power and extent, its
continuance betokens religious and polit'
ical destruction.
It is folly then to hold up the ghost of
Radicalism and Radical government
against this anti-liquor movement, for
there is more danger in the continued
increasing use of liquor to good govern
ment than in any party. 1ntemperance
strikes at the foundation Of society and
good government, uprooting morality
and tending constantly from bad to
worse. In its increase there is no hope
of improvement in material, moral or
intellectual growth. The future, with
drunkenness constantly increasing, is
altogether dark and hopeless. With the
prevalence of temperance hope will
brighten the darkest prospect and de-
spondency will yield to certain success.
The question is not whether King
Alcohol or King Radicalsm shall rule,
but whether virtue and intelligence, the
pillars of republican government, shall
rule or be destroyed? In such war
political parties sink into in significance
and large proportion of men who sell
and drink liquor now because it is legal
lied, will not only vote for whatever they
think most likely to promote tho public
good, but will abide by whatever decis-
ion is rendered at the polls. We believe
that if prohibition prevailed throughout
the United States it would not only
prove more reuunera!ive to those selling
liquor now, but that the whole country
in twenty years would be better governed
aud moro prosperous than any one can
conceive. The millions now consumed
annually in liquor, 10 injury alike to the
purse, the health and mind of the people
would be put into all kinds of improve.
ments in agriculture, mechanics and
machinery and in the better education
and social elevation of the people.
Such is our opinion and such we be-
lieye would be verified if tried. We are,
however, free to admit that no legislation
should be pressed on the people, looking
to prohibition, until the public mind
has been thoroughly informed and firmly
concluded. We should avoid divisions
ut this time. and before any Legislation
in this State is adopted the question should
be discussed before the people and their
wishes known. Looking to the coming
of such a period We may advocate
restraints to the liquor traffic, for the
efficacy of any law looking to prohibi-
tion, should any ever be passed, will de-
mend largely on public sentiment. IF it be