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

No political or social revolution has
ever made such rapid progreSa or extend
ed so widely as the spirit OF opn0sition 70
the manufacture and sale OF ardent
spirits. IL is confined to no race or color,
70 no class or condition, to no State oY
nation, but finds support aud fonfiahes
wherever liquor Is Known and sold. IL
Is not q new idea o. movement, but Il
certainly has acquired new vitality ard
form, being confined no longer to
churches aud temperance societies, to
religious journals and tracts. The secu.
lar preas, the pulpit aud the courts oi
justice unite in promoting the cause OF
temperance and In advocating the sup.
preston Of the liquor traffic. =, evils are
admitted TO be legion and they are por.
trayed by legions of peas aud,itongues,
The murders, suicidea and crimes OF oil
kinds traceable 60 It's banefili influence.
the domestic misery It engenders, the
paupers and lunatics 1t creates, the social
and moral degradation IL leads to and
the irrsligion 1t fosters are oil daily
placed before the public ia nult:form
colors. Its evils have grown 90 gres.i as
70 enlist against it not only the moral and
religious class of tho country, but a large
Fetinue of its users and abusers. Peti.
tions asking legislation to prohibit lie
sale and manufacture are circulated and
signed largely by drinking men, aud the
female portion of the country "a not only
o unit against It. bat Is active gork.
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 a
vote OF the people. A similar Act has
passed the Legislature of North Carolina
and the question is now before the poo.
pie of that State. In Kspans the Maine
law 10 in force, and in al! the other
States strong contest 10 going on and
there 10 o growing unity OF opinion in
favor Of prohibition, manifesting itself
In public meetings, ip 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 Or.
tion laws for counties.
The movement 10 apparently unac.
countable not only In the progress it has
made and the wide extent of. territory II
covers, but also in the fact that .iquoy
drinkers aro in many cases among lis
strongest advocates aud supporters, while
in eome instances temperance men and
even preachers oppose It. This is re.
yersing the natnsG, course of things, end
1t is uaacooantablo to ace an infdel like
Ingersoll 1enoErcing liquor in the
strongest terms language can use, while
not o few doctors of divinity advocate
self. control as the onty true and lepiti.
nato remedy, admitting they like a wee
drop occasionally.
The temperance boom now going on is
the strongest evidence of the evils of
inteniperanc aud the maTshall:ne of
intempera' len in the army of prohibf.
tioniats is le strongeat evidence that
they feel THEY need legal protection from
temptation. II its evils were confined to
individual cases Of personal want and
wretchedness, however common and
widespread, or to crimes engendered, or
10 the social degradation Of individuals,
1t might we'll be said the government has
nothing to 90 with the creation or pre.
vention Of these evils, or is it affected tho
general wealth and prosperity Of the
country only by itB Injury to oindiyiduals,
who gquander their time, nlnnoy and
r,pscle. by it's use. still should govern.
ment interfereY These, however. are
but the visible signs OF disease or
poiaon, affecting the social, moral and
political life OF che country. They are
the knots on the FFse indicating decay
and rottepness tlse b6iy. They are
the pimplss atJ1 sores, 6yahich we dag
nose O aectcd slgiEr D. filthy and
fatal dfstaSs, g W. s'ssss - H.i7a
Admitted to. be hereditary, passing
from father; TO SOP, and sincreaaing With
each generation Ia, power aud extent. ita
co;tinuauee betoksp religious and polit.
leu destruction. <
It Is folly then to hold up the ghost OF
Radicaliem and Radical government
against this aati.liquor 7,ovement, for
there ia moro danger in the continued
increasing uae ct liquor 20 good govern.
ment than in any. party. Intemrerance
etEikes at the foundation of society and
good government, uprootipg morality
spd tending constantly from bad gto
worse. In its increase there 10 no hope
OF improvement in material, moral OF
intel leetual growth. The fltnre, with
drunk kenne neES constantly increasing, Il
altogether dark and hop With ths
sprevRience OF temperance hope viii
.bkighten the ! datk kest proapect and de.
bnondeticy will Yield to Certain success
The question 10 not whether Kine
Alcohol or King Radicalisn shall rule
but whether virtue and intelligence, In.
pillars Of republican governhisnt, shai
rule yor' be destgoyed9 IN such n Wal
political parties gink into In Significance
and large proportion Of men who eel
a:d drink liquor now because it Is legal
ICED, will not only vote for whatever t6eJ
think most likely to promote ehs public
good, bnt will abide By whatever decis
ion is rendered at the polls. We believe
TINT IL prohibition prevailed througiiouI
tho United gtates IL would not only
prove more TeiiluneFative 10 those selma
liquor now, but shat tho whole country
in twenty years would be better governed
aud moro prosperous than any one ear
conceive. Tho millions now consumed
annually in liquor, In Injury alike to tbs
purse, the health and mind Of the people
would be put into ell 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 VIC be.
lieve would be verified If tried. We are
however, free to admit that no legislation
should be pressed on the people, looking
to prohibition, nnr.. che public mind
has been thoroughly informed and firmly
concluded. We. shanld avoid divisions
at this time. and before any legisiaiioli
in this State is adopted dthequestion should
be discussed before tho people aud their
wishes known. Looking TO the coming
Of such a period We may advocate
restraints to the liquor traffic, &c! the
efficacy Of any Law looking to prohibi-
tion, should any ever be paaeei. will ia-