The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-11
LETTER FROM HON. E. G. GRAYDoN.
An Able Presentation of His Views On
The Temperance Question, which
body.

The Temperance Question. which
Will DC Read with Interest by Every.
body.
ABBEYILLE, S. c., August 10, 1896
Editor Press dnd Banner:
My views arc so well known upon tho qucs
ton which is sought to be injected into the
politics OF Abhevilie County, that would not
hav deemed it necessary to Say 4 word If JUS
tlcc 10 mySclfd did not require that i should
correct some errors into which one Of your
correspondents has fallen. The Abbevillo Bill
was rccommitted TO the Judiciary Committee
hy Il vote Of I'll 10 81, and when it came up for
final action was indefinitely postponed by u
vote of Is TO 81 The petitions for the passage
Of the Bill were signed BY a little over l,3U0
persons, and Il careful examination OF them
made by myself showed that not more than
GJl or 100 Of The signCrs were 1CItite rOterS.
IopLoEcd the Bill TO submit TO the Qnacfcd
voters Of Abbevilc county the question of
License" or NO License in the Incorporated
towns OF the county, for the following rea-
SOIS:
!. The petitions for the bill were circulated
In every section Of the county. and the signing
of them BY only 300 out of o"er 10000 resi-, @
dents OF tho coInty and by only GOO or 700
whitc rUt@7S out OF 3,G0O did not furnish evi.
dcncc sufficient to satisfy me that the passage
of the bill was desired either by the people at
large or by a majority Of the white voters,
whose represcntitlyc was. / felt free, there:
FORE to act in accordance with the dictates Of
my own judgment. ! do not claim 10 bc the
master OF the people. am an nncompr0mis.
ing enemy to bOsSiSm of every kind. But
do claim that the people in electing me their
Representative gave Inc the right TO act ac-
cOrdng 10 my own Judgement until majori-
ty of them signify their wishes.
g Prohibition does not prohibit The Stale
of Maine has had Il strict prohibitory law for
over thirty years. Statistics show that 1t has
over Il thousand liquor saloons: In Iowa Il
proliibitcTy law went into elect July a, lSSl;
In twelve months afterwards the saloons had
Increased about twenty-five per cent. i'll twen-
ty-cGht Of It's principal cities and towns.
State Senator Sutton, who WAS the father OF
the bill and mainly Instrumental in securing
It's passage, made careful examination OF
its workings a few months ago. He says the
law has been Il dismal failure.
The county of Barnwcll has had prohibition
for three years. II the testimony Of honorl-
bic and truthful men is to be believed, more
liquor is sold in that county now than there
was before the law was passed. Take the So
called dry towns of the State. With II few
honorable exceptions. where publicSentiment
keeps pace with the law. or / should raiilcr
say, was ahead of the law, whiskcy, brandy,
winc beer, anything TO drink, can DC bought
in them by tIIc gallon, pint, Or drink, with or
without Il doctors certificate almost aS easily
aS in places where license are granted. In
snort, no law c;ln be enforced which Is IN au-
vanco OF public sentiment.
- thought and still think that this QueS'
tiun ought to be settled Ey the whlte people
and By them alone. am not an alarmist. L
hrlcSG the white people Of the South are anc
zatun, but In order TO do it they must settle
their own differences amongst themselves,
and tilCn present solid and unbroken front
to the enemy. Our experience from 1865 TO
1876 warns us that II vii! not do to make any
opening through which the negro may enter
and again become Il factor in politics. II the
whites were divided upon amy question he
would hold the balance Of power and would
be sure under his leaders to use 1t where II
would do most harm to the Democratic party
!. Each town has under its charter tue right
to regulate its own affairs.
do not think that the people living In oth-
or towns or not in any town desire to inter
frrc with that right. Take the town OF Due
West, for instance. II Is the scat Of two noble
work in the cause OF Christian education not
second to any in the United States. 1 have
no doubt that every white man in Due West
thinks IL would bc great death blow to those
institutions to allow Il liquor saloon to be
opened there. In that opinion heartily con-
cur. believe every one does who has the
interest of the county at heart. Suppose the
question OF "liccnSr or mo license IN Inc
Incorporated towns OF the county had been
Submitted. Suppose every white nan IN
the county who voted had voted mo Ii
ccnsr," but enough negroes had Notod Tor
license" TO carry the question That way.
Would 1t not have been in outrage to put The
town Of Due West in such position against
tic wishes Of E.r citizens that her authorities
would have been compelled to grnrt license to
an applicant on his complying with the iaw?
And yCt, according 10 my construction of tho
bill that would have been its effect. 1t was
two edged sword. II cut both ways. 1t was
to authorize 4 vote upon the question OF eli
crnSr" OF ''nO license" not In ANY one or any
number of the towns, but in the Incorporated
towns Of the county. | think the towns thai
do not want liquor sold ought TO have their
wishes respected. The hl!l was IN my oplh'
ion unconstitutional, inasmuch as 1t inter
fcrcs will those vested rights of the towns
con icrrcd by their Charters.
5. The morals and religion of people can
had .1,,ti ian ~ N r.
tempt to do it has failed. This is purely Il
moral question, and If it can not be settled by
the Christian church and the moral sentiment
OF the county, legislation is powcrless to rem
cGy the evil.
6. The perfection of temperance legislation
in my opinion is local option and hiyh IL
ccnS@. | believe that any further legislation
on the subicc; will result in 4 reaction which
will do the cause Of temperance infinite
harm. In this opinion am sustained by Il
prominent Methodist minister OF this state
vino Is Il tectUtaier in theory ana IN placlicc,
aI.d WHO has devoted and is still dcvOting Il
lurgs part OF hi; useful life to the cause oi
temperance. ,
| have gwen you my views thus ut length
on the temperance question because YOU ASK
rd for them and because do not wish to DC
liable Ia Misrepresentation. Nothing can he
said about the evils OF intrmrcraIrc 100
sirun" for me to indor>c heartily. AL hohor
~ !ii" noble mcn and women OF the country
who are w"rkim. in the cause. lacknoWlcdge
and respect tie puI:.y OF the motives OF thOs"
vino are earnestly ana Without nnG selfish
cnL in view working 10 %'t proiihltlon lr%S-
laion enacted. l;ut on atI public questions
, which come before the LEGISLATURE. ANA upon
which have nut Been Instructed by my coli
SliturniS, must claim the right To exercise
NY own judgment and Not" in accordance
with hai r,.icN.vc - he tn" hest interests
ul tic people of my !I;nt" and county. 1t /"
sonnet lines easier To stand nu! Gf t!!r way and
let the whiri wind pass. hut that Is not my
idea u! Il representative duty.
think the question nj rrnhihilion was ui-
rcctly and necessarily involved i'll the cOnS:d-
Grafton OF t),. .\bbcyil!c Bill.
These were my views after deliberate and
careful consideration nf the whole matter, al
Ter c"rn,>;l ly ai.I honestly striving IL ;";urh u
rjnr.uHinn which would most likely pronlol"
HE h,',l interests Of ihr county. have not
seen amy reason Ia cilniig.. thrm or To doubt
that li3E pu~I:iun Is correct.
la cGI.C!U.ir:i. let me- say: ] have served
lie wrnl.i:. uf .\nrViir comfy tor Two years
in IL" t": !aii;" earnestly ana faithfully, 10
tic best nl my ai,iriiy. Whether haze done
Il efficiently or !I,I. SO}il' one els" must say.
80 u'I' ever shall S"r tEHi am afraid Ia Ito
in that hr!:' what ntN :u,i:Eini III tells me l.
ri"hi. Iu!Iv eyer si.;til S,tT ti.I, Am seek
ii:.r rC-rlr;'iinu Ivy taking al side. of every
::'i;.1:on ihIi is !r!"rr HE people. thank
lnu for iiir SPACE u r"i,"rH!r my views on
th.S CITES iIiI. Ellis G.. GEAiD DON