The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-09

~ lLLE, y. VI, w
opposc the bill are alike cognlzant Of these
evils and in common dcprecatc them. The
argument advanced by the proponents OF the
bill that over one Thousand men in Abhcvllle
have signed the petition asking for this spe'
cial election is really an argument IN our Ia.
vor for the greater portion of the people OF
that county donOt express their opinions. ana
it is to be presumed that they are satisfied
with the existing statutes relative, to the H.;
consing of the liquor business. This gencrai
law which is now In force allows the munlc-
palities to control absolutely the tratho wnile
prohibiting the sale Of lilu9rS outside tn, the
towns and villages. It. is the deliberate opin-
ion of the best and the Wiscst temperance
philosophers. who have held conventions TO
controlling the giant evil of intemperance Is
to maintain high licenses. This policy con-
templates the increase of revenue from the IL
censed liquor sellers and the decrease OF e the
deepest sympathy with all moral agencies
the pulpit, the press and the lecture platform
yet when they seek to influence prohibition
by legislation they usTrp the province of the
State. and the injury doncis great. The in
trrfcrcnce of ono body of the people with an
other Is the fruitful source of war, revolution
and feuds, which dcvasiatc country; IL nas
been the cry of the South that the interfer-
ence of New England caused all our sorrows.
Let the families IN AbbcvilIc county outside
the towns attend 10 their own business ana
not interfere with the Inhabitants of those
municipalities. The towns have the right t"
allow the sale of liquor and also toadopt Such
police regulations as will suppress drunken
ness. Let the Abbcville towns pursue INC
plan in vogue in Columbia. and when an Of
fender is drunk fine him SO or ten DAYS In
Jail. This will soon break up drunkenness.
The Prohibition Law has Benefited
Chester County.
Mr.. Davie said that he did not expect to be
dragged into this debate; but, representing
county which is entirely dry, he deemed 1t his
duty 20 give the members Of the House the
benefit of such information as Is drawn from
the experience Of Chester cOrn:y. lie pro,
cccded to show how the law mas lor itnrest
ing facts to sustain the position taken by the
advncatcs OF the bill. Although not q. prohi.
bitionist himself, said he. yet he was heartily
in favor of enacting this law.
Mr. Davies argument was ,eminently force,
full and practical and it had conSiderhDe
weight with those who were disposed 10 douot
whether the sumptuary laws nave wrought
good in the counties OF Chester ana York.
The Negro and the whisAey Question
May Get Mixed.
The next speaker was Mr.. James Aldrich, OF
Aiken, who argued with his accustomed hbill-
ty against enacting the law. His points ci'ls.
tered around The general pposH1on He nan aial
taincd that to further tampcr with this whs.
XIV question is to invite disruption OF the
party He dor deScrbed whSn ho% ths the
sue, the best people on one SD and the best
people on the other side, who VIII h?la "
balance Of power. who will wlela Tie cohtrnil-
ing influence? The negroes OF the sta'e: Mr;
Tor the advocates of these prohibition meas;
ures. but he felt impellcd to warn them ana
the legislators not o proceed iurthcr IN th,S
surely come TO the Democratic party ard thr
state if this LIQUOR question shall be pressed.
Nr. Bc.iinger Thinks Prohibition Il
Failure in Barnwel.
Mr.. Bclingcr, of Barnwcll, said that he had
not intended to say u word about this pm:
he felt it his duty 10 say to the House that
prohibition had been tried In the county OF
Bnrnwel, and that 1t had proved slsnai
failure. For two years the law has hcen tn0f-
oughy and fairly tested in MS county, anu ne
did not hesitate to assert. and without fear OF
contradiction, that during this time more
whisky has been sold and drank than ever De-
fore The law has been proved f;lllllre aHo
it is obnoxious to our people. Mr.. heli1nger
made one of tic warmest speeches yet deiiv.
cred. showing how deep is his interest Ill Inc
question.
Mr.. Elue Says in Truth and Honor
that Prohibition Does Prohibit in
Marion.
Mr.. Blue, of Marion county, put in a force.
full and ap7Upos reIondcr to Mr.. Bcliinger.
He repreScnle led a Prohibition county, ana itlt
ing of Prohibition in the eastern portion OF
the state. He could say with truth and nom
esty that as far as Marion County was concern
ea Prohibition does prohloit. young h,i,i, ,hn
newspapers that Prohibition does not prompt
undertook to sta't whisky wagon III lnc
town. IIc found himself the next day work
Ing on the street for Il hundred days TO pay
MIR. Ancrum simons: Does the gentleman
mean to say that there Is no whiskcy drink
ing in Marion? ,,.,c 70 !,
wasn't for the liquor sellers in Charleston
there would be no whisky drinking. Laugh
Mr.. Blue further said that the threats and
fears about the disruption Of the Democrallc
party he held TO be groundless. The question
has nothing whatever to do with politics..
Mr.. Rucxer Thinks Danger LuriSs In
Prohibition Questions.
Mr.. Ruckcr. of Anderson, said that he
thought some of the members were laoorlnS
under Il delu>ion. and he consumed about nj
teen minutes demonstrating this propnSltlon;
He madca vehement attack on the bill ana
DOrtrayed with glowing rhetoric ana eneTSct-
ic gcsticuIaton the danger which turks IN
prohibition legislation.
Mr.. Bosgs Says Prohibition Does
Good Work in Piclkcns.
Mr. Boggs, Of Pickens, came from a Prohibi-
ton county and he bore testimony to the TACT
that in piciicns, at least, Prohibition does pro-
hibIt So thoroughly does itprOhiDlt that III
many of the towns there Is no need for town
marShals. In one or two towns there were
murshals, but their services We're only needed
in consequence Of the fact that there were
wet towns within close proximity: II the
people Of Abbcville wanted Prohibition he
was willing to grant it to them,
Mr. Graydon Gives Another Blow at
the ''Unjust and Oppressive Law
Mr.. Uraydon, not satisfied with the way
thinss seemed to be going, thought best "
make another effort to defeat the unjust ana
ricd forms and were made to tit every crcFice
in the tangled question. He reinforced the ar,
gumentS made Sc earnestly on yesterday ana
denied that the majority of the people of the
county asked for the bill. The petitions which
had been sent here to back the bill contained
tie names of 800 out OF the $500 white voters
Of the county.
Cutting it Short.
Mr. Jones, of Edgefield to cut short all fur
ther debate. moved to lay the alnendment on
the table. The yeas and nays were called ana
the vote was as follows: yeas 80, nays 81.
Mr. Gonzales, of Charleston, one or the dc'
tcrmined adversaries OF the bill. with a view