The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-05-19
Should State Prohibit the Sale ol
intoxicating MquOrS2

VIC puSitiou tuas ooSA . 40" "S~
imprscticable, for two reasons: First
Because it would be violated. Second.
That it would not be enforced, for the
want of public opinion to sustain it.
Prohibitionists do not expect total
suppression Of the liquor traffic by legis'
lation. There will be violation of law,
as long as the human race exists; and
We do not expect this to be an exception.
But We do claim chat there will be fewer
violations under the prohibitory system
than there are under the license Law,
and that the evil caused by the former
will be too Insignificant to be compared
with tho great injury inflicted upon US
BY the sale of intoxicating drinks. The
question is, not whether it will force
some men to disregard law. and to lose
respectfor the government for the prac-
ticability Of measure Is not determined
BY considering The disadvantages alone,
bat whether or not the advantages to be
gained 80 far exceed the disadvantages
,as to justify the effort. It is in this way
the prscticability Of the prchibitory laws
is to be tested.
Now, sound and logical reasoning is
very pretty.-both to read and to hear
and I am sarprised that, Mr.. Brown has
never seen 6ut very little of it in favor of
this question, and whilst / do not pro.
fsss to be an expert in that line, even
sehen Il "a required, would refer him to
our able, concise and logical "plea for
prohibition" by Dr.. Hagood, President
of Emory College, that has been placed
in my bands in the last day or two.
Logic on the Ipracticability Of this Law
is Of very little importance. Itvauisbes
ike the mist of morning, when placed
BY the side of the practical results to be
seen in; those places where the expert
ment has been made.
Let us begin near home. A cores
pondent in the Metus ard Courier, writ
ing from the little town of Wedge6eld,
Sumter county, on the results Of prohi-
bition there, says: "The bar.rooms closed
up; and there has been no such curse
here, or whiskey sold in any way since.
Soon the talk of building church and
school house sprang up in the stead
These have been realized with all their
bene6cent results, and other churches
still are projected. The place has grown
aimosta by magic. Industry ard thrift
prevail. Lands have advanced in value
Notwithstanding anything previously
dreamed of'in this county. Population
has increased. A healthy moral tone
prevails to such an extent that ii man
Of any responsibility gets in whiskey,'
as the common phrase is, be is ashamed
to be seen about Wedgefeld, for here
public sentiment connects degradation
witt such condition. And the course
of events in this good way is decidedly
onward"
A similar report comes from Marlboro
county, where, amongst the many bene6-
cent results, Judge Mackey says there
was less crime there than in any county
in the State.
Upon the authority of Rev. ]. w. Lee,
of Carrollton, Ga, in letter dated
April 24th, 1880, portion of which ap-
peared in the INTELL1aENcER a few
days ago, We have the result Of the pro-
hibitory law in that town in substance as
follows: Before the liquor traffic was
abolished the trade Of the place was
about 100000 year, now it is $500, 900.
The $50, 900 that was spent for whiskey,
prior to 1875 is now spent in building
houses, improving stock, draining lands
and paying taxes. The farmers are
nearly all out of debt. He says in a
moral point of view that the result has
been perfectly remarkable. The Solici-
tor of the Circuit says there is less crime
in that county than in any other in the
Circuit.
It's practicability has been thoroughly
tested in Maine. Let me give few facts
as to its working there, taken from the
CHristian ADVOCATE: "For the purpose Of
comparison, let US put Maine by the side
of Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, in
1879 there we're in State prisons and jails
1852 .convicts, or one to every 460 Of
population: In Maine in 1879 there
were in prisons and jsils, exclusive of
those imprisoned fog violations Il liquor
laws, 400, or one to every 1850 sNpopu-
lation. In other words, the number of
criminals in Massachusetts, is three times
as large in proportion as in Maine"
Is it. possible:for man to furnish ar
guments more convincing than these
facts, even though be possessed the logic
of Bowlan? Reason and experience
both teach that the benefits produced by
prohibition are infinitely greater and
more valuable to society than be the in
jury sustained by reason OF its disregard,
when enacted, by those who wW sell
l;duor; and thus, its practicability is in.
disputably established.
1t is mere conjecture to say that when
such law is enacted it will not be en-.
forced for the want of public opinion to
sustain it. We have the same right to
say that it wiN be enforced. Some one
may say that rum sellers violate the law
when they sell behind a screen. or sell to
minors and persons of.iutemperate hab-