The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-08-24
Why The Prohibitionists Failed In
North Carolina.

II suppose the prollibitionlsts hav'
failed in the old North State, and tina
whiskey and the devil will continue It
reign. Isn't it awful, that in this ag'
ard in this land the demon of stron.
drink is to riot over the millions o
our people, and faunt its tiiumphs II
the very face of ChristcndomP w,
ought to study carefully the causes o
this failure. I think | can point ou1
some Of them.
81. The indifference Of many gooC
people must have a place. Surely al
who vote against prohibition are not
in sympathy with liquor-sellers AND
with drunkards. We cherish the hope
that thousands who thus note arc OPP
posed to the liquor business, but they
do not see fully the enormity of the
evil, and that the strong arm of the
law should be invoked to suppress it
Many good people. too, have the notion
that legal prohibition is contrary tt
the spirit of democratic institu'
tons, that it places q restriction upon
personal liberty, and their fathers
fought for this, and they cannot give
it up.
"2. The outrageous mendacity o
the secular pressis alarge factor in this
failure. Every II reads newspapers
and few learn to distinguish between
actual facts and gratuitous assertions
The papers assure US over and over
again that prohibition is a failure in
Kansas, and also in Maine. We have
even seen the statement in reference
to the last State that more liquor was
sold and drank there than before the
"Nlaine Law" went into operation.
You could easily prove by newspaper
assertions that prohibition increases
drunkenness, and adds largely to the
liquor-traftic.
"3. A third cause Of failure is found
in the unscrupulousness Of the Liquor
men. Those who live by making
drunkards' homes, Of course have nc
regard for the rights or interests o
others. They usually have plenty O
money, and they spend it freely in
elections and in efforts to evade liquor
laws when passed. A fair election is
no more to he expected in our land
nor one that will be q fair expression
of the popular will"
We are Of opinion that DR.. Lindsay
would not have made this broad as
sertion about the secular press if he
had been better Informed as to the
facts.
The Charlotte Observer, the leading
newspaper of North Carolina, pub
lished in one of the principal towns o.
the State for weeks daily furnished
able and forcible articles favoring Pro
hibition, and we have seen it stated
that three-fourths of all the newspa'
pers of that State were warm advo
Gates of the law, and fully supported
the Observer in its vigorous efforts t.
secure the desired change. Why DR.
Lindsay should abuse the leaders in
the temperance cause, and saddle the
blame Of defeat on those who worked
most zealously for Prohibition is
mystery to US. Every intelligent mai
in this country, except the learned
Doctor, knows that the negroes voted
almost solidly against it, and that a
large per cent. of white voters did the
same thing: for this reason it would
now seem that he would turn upon its
advocates.
In this State the News and Courier
led off in this work and that paper has
been sustained by a large number OF
the country press, and whatever feel
ing has been developed in the Prohi-
bition movement is due to the bold
ness and unflinching ability with
which that paper has advocated the
temperance cause.
Should the Legislature Of South
Carolina pass the Prohibitory law,
leaving the people to ratify it, We need
have no hope of its success, and we
trust that the Legislature of South
Carolina will have the independence
ard the manhood to do whatever III
their wisdom seems best, without any
trucking back to consult with Dick.
Tom and Harry. That drinking whis-
key is our besetting sin is not to oe de-
MED, and if something isn't done to
check it, there is no telling where we
will stop on the downward course.
We are of opinion that DR.. Lindsay
does whiskey dealers al injustice, and
one which will react and injure the
cause which he espouses.
DR.. Lindsay's sneering and unjust
remarks about the secular press 10
doubt comes more from the effect Of
indigestion than from any inclination
to 60 anybody any wrong, but we
think it about time to hold up OH the
secular press. Without their assist
ance and cooperation but little can be
done in correcting any public evil.
We claim that the standard of the sec
ular press is fully up to that of the re-
ligious press in any respect. There
may be exceptions, but, as a rule, their
sentiment is az high, their morals is AZ
good, and their language is as pure
And when it comes to the business
part of their papers an examination
and comparison of their advertising
pages will prove that Lone of the reli
gious newspapers eau lay claim tt
higher standards than some of the sec
MAR nress.