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

see why the other c0untlcS SnOulu noi be
granted the same rights. He did not see the
Justice of sirgling out that one county. lie
thought all the others ought to have the same
chance. Mr.. Simons' object in urging these
House very promptly and emphatically ta-
Iipd them
aIr. Kennedy, another vehement opponent
to prohibition. offered an amendment pro
said election Shall be borne by, the towns or
villages my intention in liking this prop
ositi0n." said he, "is to require these temper
10 ss adsr tSey lhond
the expenses themselves"
Not to be Killed by Fillibustering.
Sir. Parker: at is apparent that this bill is
one Of too great Importance to be Killed by
tiiHhustering tactics on the part OF those who
oppose It, and move to lay the amendment
on the table" Adopted.
Mr.. Grayi.oa Moves to Ki!l the Ell.
Mr.. Graydon moved to strike ont the enact
Ing words of the bill and in support OF that
motiun made an earnest speech Of consider
BILE len.th- Hc said he was opposed to all thiS
class legislation. It is wrong In principle ana
Uron. IN policy. In the county OF AbDerllle
was allowed to be sold-Abbeville, Hodges
and Troy. But now no liquor can be sold IN
Troy because the people of that place desired
the busincSs to be stopped. lie WAS IN Htvor
jority of the residents are opposed To Whl>key.
but in the town of Abhevillc it is different.
There large majority, are In favor of grant.
tl,iS privilege. The injustice of this bill to-
ward the people of the town is manifest
when 1t is seen how the county people
can vote for the business to De .t st;nppea ;,pp
IN town, while a great majority OF its lnhab-
itants may be in favor OF granting hccnses
There is absolutely no necessity OF forcing
no-license law upon Abheville. Everything
y, INtlX ~
it would be possible even under, the most
stringent prohibitory laws. We have very
strict laws in town against drnnkenenneSs,
aai punish offenders. One OF the most po-
tent arguments is that prohibition don't pro,
hibit Look at the towns of Greenwood and
Nine,y-Six. In these places they have, strict
anti-lquOr laws. but how are they enforced! :!
In these places all the liquor one wants can
be got fsOiR the drug stores even without
PHYSICIANS certificate. Experience shows
that wherever prohibition has been tried in
South Carolina 1t has proved failure. Mr.
G:nydon here quoted from Davenport news,
papar. showing how prohibition had resulted
as failure in the State OF Iowa. He COM
lpented upon the statistics and deduced the
conclusion tn 1t II the antiWh1SKey statuteS
are imperative in Iowa they will be equally
ineffective in South Carolina. He opposed the
bill for the additional and wcishty reason
shat, in his opinion, this liquor question VIII
in tile near future be injected into politics anu
embarrass the Democratic party. Il nope,
continued he, "that we will never see enacted
in South Carolina similar scenes TO those
whicn occurred in Atlanta last week. II the
white people in South Caroine shou Id be-
come divided on the temperance question the
s,egroes will then hold the balance Of power.
1t is sal that this is local measure, but it IS
one which affects the whole state. don
want to see the excitement which such an
election will create in AbbeVile county. MY
idea Is that those who favor legislative proa-
hilton make this error-they say that wins
key drinking IS a bad thing We admit 1t.
Yhey say that drunkenness IS a terrible thing
We acknowledge this. They say that the
drunkard could not get drunk il whlskey was
not allowed to be sold in his reach. They then
dec;are that it is wrong in tine Legislature to
grant the right to sell Wliskcy, 1t only regu.
lates its sale and dcprives certain persons or
the privilege of dealing in 1t. We don0t not want var
any more legislation on the subject. We nave
just as many laws us we want. The sale OF
spirituons liquors is now prohibited every
where in the State except in the Incorporated
villages and towns. 1t seems to me that the
State goes too far In passing these liquor laws.
these legislative attempts to regulate the
lnorals of the people are foolish ana unjust,
and am utterly oppose to them: l object 10
the State enacting these laws for the regula-
ton of the people. am not in favor OF the
state treating al the people as if they were
children. This patcrnal legislation con,
20 as far rs any member of this H ouse in find
lrg q remedy for the evil, but this is not my
way Of reaching it. II this thing could be ac-
complished without interfering with the
rights of citizens would be in favor of It. 1T
is for these reasons and others ! could give
which would induce me to urge the rejection
of this bil!. don't believe this measure is in
the true interest of temperance. There is a
danger of reaction, when matters Will be
worse than before"
Mr. W. H. Parker, Of Abbeville, in whose
Of his county, was about to begin reply to
Mr.. GraydOn, whca the Sergeant-at-Arms
interrupted him by announcing that the Sen
ate was waiting ~ be admitted.
Mr. Parker Makes a Powerful Plea
for the BiiI.
AS soon as the Senate withdrew Mr.. Parker
took the floor and made a powerful plea FOR
she bill under consideration. He said that by
n peculiar concatenatiOn OF circumstances he
had been deputed to cha mpinn this measure,
and had been placed in the position by one OF
the Journals OF engineering the prohibition
cause in the House. While not strictly a pro
bibi!iOniSt in practice, yet he was placed in
charge of very important prohibition meas
ure. In beginning an argument in favor OF
the pending bill ne would not, he said, devote
himself to describing the evils OF lntcmpcr
ance. 1t is on! y necessary 10 take up any
newspaper of the day to tiud illustrations by
TOO we'll known TO require comment. Iht
wiscst OF all men said: Look not upon the
wine when it is red" If he was living today
tie would say: "rreai not the path to the bar.
room" We do not come here to argue any ar
hitrary, harsh or unjust legislation on the sub
ject OF liquor selling, but for something, ic
protect society from curse. w ask thai
this largely and respectfully signed Petit be
needed. This petition contains only the
names Of substantial, respectable citizens
We did not get the signatures of the EeGroe:
or the ladies and children. The best and
stauncheSt men at every voting precinct have
signed this petition. asking that they be GIvei
ztn opportunity of expressing their viii at the
polls on the license question, This is % yoic.
from the county OF Abherillc, asking
something for !Abhcviile alone. 1t Il 10
cal measure. The speaker who opposed
the bill urged this point as an objection
to the passage of the law, but It tvd is III Il,
ly ask that you will allow us to test this qacs
ton for ourselves iii Abbcvile. If 1t shouil
90 against US We would chccrfu!,T submit tt
the decision Of the majority, but If it should he
determined for lis then We would see t:i;st tnt
laws be enforced. We are informed that u
would be dangerous precedent to enact thl'
law. There is Il danger OF Il political diSrnp
ton But Marion, Marlboro. Qconce anu otE
er counties have tested it ana there Was nc
disruption there in the Democratic party: !:
it unjust or unreasonable for us to come here
in behalf Of The petitioners and ask the l.egls
aaturc to afford US IN opportunity OF lawfully
testing the sense OF toe liquor advocates ant
the apli-whiskcy element In our own county