The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-10-29
[Original.
Does Prohibition Prohibit

l.
Mr.. EDITOR: We hear it alleged on
many hands that prohibition does not
prohibit. We propose to notice few of
the objections urged against the attempt
to prohibit the retail of spirits.
1t is urged that there would be just as
much whiskey drunk with prohibition as
there is without. Inasmuch as we are
not omniscient, and cannot see what
transpires in secret places, we are not
prepared to say with absolute certainty
whether this is true or not, but we are
commanded to know the tree by its
fruits. If it does not prevent the drink
ing of whiskey and other intoxicants,
how does it come that in the same viii
lagos where, with open saloons, the men
under the influence of drink were nu-
merous, and oftimes noisy and dangerous
to that degree that a staff of three or
four police could scarcely keep order,
when the law closed the saloons you
would scarce see drunk man once in
month? We see that this is the expert
ence of Hartwell, Ga, and the writer of
this article can bear testimony in regard
to the village of Easley, in Pickens
County, from personal observation, that
with open saloons it was often the case on
certain days of the week, particularly on
Saturdays, that the marshal, with two
or three assistants, could, with great diff.
Guilty, maintain order. The Legislature
of South Carolina, at the instigation of
the citizens, closed the saloons. One
year after they were closed we we're pass
ing through and happened to see the
marshal. he made the remark that he
saw no use for the place to have mar.
shal; that since the saloons had closed
he did not have occasion to arrest any
one once in three months, and that it
was o waste of money to pay him or any
one else to stay on the streets to suppress
disorder, when there was no order to sup
press. We have not said that there was
less liquor drunk in Easley with closed
saloons than open ones, but as soon as
the saloons were closed, if they drank it,
they had the decency to stay out of sight
and out of hearing until they become
sober. With open saloons ladies rarely
walked the streets unprotected on Satur-
day or any very public day. With the
saloons closed, they walk the streets on
Saturday or any day that they choose to
do 30.
Again, it is urged that the closing of
places where it is openly sold puts temp
tation in the way Of the druggist. Now,
what we have to say about that matter is,
that of all men who deal in material
things, druggist ought to be the most
conscientious, for he weighs out life and
death in grains, scruples, drachms and
ounces, and we believe that as a class
they are so. They live with the fact
looking them constantly in the face that
the least error may result in death to
fellow. being, and the law is already rig.
orous upon them in regard to the hand
ling of certain articles which are ad-
judged to be poisonous. Why are they
so particular about suffering just any one
to carry from their stores tartar emetic,
strichnia or even opium? 1t is because
they fear that these things, in careless or
ignorant hands, may do the work of
death. Well, if our druggists are care.
full, conscientious class of men, as we
believe they are, then rest assured when
they know that it is the will of the think
ing, reasoning part of mankind that they
are to deal with whiskey as an article
like other poisons-needful for only 3
few things, but needful withal, and still
dangerous thing; when it becomes to
be embraced in the things that they
handle under the most stringent laws as
poisonous, they are a greater set of fools
than have ever taken them to be if they
do not treat every one who applies for
whiskey with great rigor before listening
to his request.
Then, again, it is urged that when
men are forced to buy it in ten-gallon
lots and take it to their homes to drink
it, they will drink worse than if they
could walk to the saloon and get it at
pleasure. We admit that the habit of
drinking is tyrant with iron hand.
Hence the necessity for keeping our boys
and young men from ever contracting
the habit. The unnatural thirst for it in
either the tippler or the confirmed inc.
briate is proof that it sits on the throne
of tyrant and wields sceptre of iron.
Those who have contracted the habit and
suffered it to bind them hand and foot,
We know, will use great effort to reach
whiskey-many of them to their dying
day-but many of those who have not
gone thus far, when the saloon is closed
and they can no longer just step in and
take their morning or evening glass,
rather than be subject to such inconve-
nience, will make strong effort to stop,
and, happily for themselves and all con
cerned, they will give itup for life. And
that bright, ruddy boy-the fathers
hope, the mothers joy-will never slip
into the saloon with a so-called friend
and take the first glass, and by so doing
have the seal then and there put upon
him for the final destination of the
drunkard's grave. He will never buy
ten gallons at time and slyly take it to
his room for the sake of getting drink,
and when generation has passed there
will be no drunkards nor tipplers here.
But it is said, why legislate about
thing which is harmless if moderately
used? Let every man restrain himself
and be man, and not to have law to
do for him what his own powers of self
control ought 10 do. If every one could
exercise self.control over his temper,
tongue, hands and feet, there would be
no use for law in regard to anything.
But they can not do so. There is weak
point in one man in regard to one thing,
and in regard to another thing in another
man, and we have to have law to brace
up these weak points in one and another
of our race. Well, the weak point i'll a
great many men (who are otherwise no.
blc) is fondness for the social 6 lass. 1t
grows, the taste grows, till this noble
work of God falls dishonored mass of
ruins, fit only for temporal and eternal
death. Legislate against anything, ami,
mate or iuanimate, that can be fruitful
of so much mischief. sta poison? 1t
is certainly SO. Look at the effects.
Can any thing that is not poison pro.
duce such pernicious effects? A good
| 4... L.;,.o. ~ evil fr1it