The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-02-29
Prohibition the Synonym for Moral
Purity and Political IIerOisHi.
W. JENNINGS DEMOREST.

As moral principle practically applied IN
the best interests Of the people, l'r"hlpi.lnh
of the liquor traffic includes moral SnilSioil'
restriction. local option, destruction, corrcioi'
and annihilation.
Prohibition is more than Z question OF cN'
ucdicncy: il has come to this: Shal! our civ
iliZation bc destroyed ny the ever increasing
consumption OF this fiery poison, or shall the
people rise in their strength and crush the
monster evil before it, cruSheS them"
High license or low license is no restriction.
Neither Is partially or wholly restrictive, bu!
each grants full permission with legal sane
ti0n. under false rrrtcnscs, as it sanctions
crime with 4 bribc, and juStfics the criminal
with the pretenSe OF restraint. therefore
the only way to prohibit is to rrohlti,
il. our patriotic motto Is and ever should
he: "Down with the Saloon, and up with the
Home" And the echo of every patriotic
heart that vbrates with moral or CHRISTIAN
sentiment should join in chorus lnr 1od'
home humanity, and our country'S good.
But the cause Of Prohibition is marching
on: the irrepressible conflict is bound to sue
cccd the saloon must go! The history OF IN,
temperen &C is now nearly closed; ProhlDltlon
is the only method that prohlOlts.
Prohibition the watchwor Of the young and the old
The philosophers stone that turns labor into gold
tax or license Is sanction and sanction Is
justification; and this makes the people re-
sponsible for all the consequences. ProllDl-
tion of the crime of run-selling is the reme-
dy, and the only remedy, that Will protect
tie people from the ravages Of the saloon.
License, in its sanction OF the cause OF
crime, is the enthronement or vice, rcDellloh
and anarchy. ,.
therefore, is crystallized and concentrated in
the license OF the liquor traffic.
Prohibition of the liquor-traffic Is political
question. and all political questions must be
settled by political methods. Therefore the
only practical method is the ballot
What n horrible spectacle to present to high
Heaven, and what an amount of moral
treasCn and dcbauchcry is included In the
charge that the liquor dealer, the law maker
and the voters are equally guilty for nearly
all the crime, misery and pauperism that now
exists in the community! And yet this Is
frarfully true. ,
some olemargarine, and swallows the whole
sailing of poison to blight and demoraliZe the
people with crime and pauperiSm, TO NIL tne
land with disease and death. 1t Is horrible
perversion Of law to sell, for brbe OF 500 or
; 900. q monopoly to poison the people IN
such way as to produce so much misery ana
wretchedness us results from the liquor trathc;
Our government thus is centralized legal
drunkard manufactory. sanctioning the
crime, and protecting the criminal in his
murdcrous policy of poisoning the people
for a money consideration paid In advance.
What wonder that crime and anarchy per-
wade the whole community when such de-
dehumaniZing practices become
the standards Of public morality!
But the greatest obstacle In the way OF TINS
much needed reform is party idolatry. We
must be true to principle, to men OF principle,
and we must also be true to moral principles
the basis OF our governmental policy.
AS Prohibition is the foundation OF all law
and Justice, so Prohibition necessarily repre-
scntS all the phases Of justice and equity be.
tween individuals and the State. Prohibition
therefore includes both liberty and coercion.
Prohibition and liberty are co-cqual, and both
together are the foundation stones and secur-
ity for our modern civilization. Prohibition,
therefore, has no virtue without liberty, lib
crty is dependent on Prohibition and the Vir-
tue of politics is dependent on both.
Votes, only, tell; and only votes fortify the
rum traffic, or make the rumseller tremble.
The exercise of the liberty to vote Is the great
privilege of American freedom.
The outcome Of true temperance work and
effort Is Prohibition in full frution, especially
when the whole curse can only be removed
by the votes of the people. The prohibition
OF the liquor traffic through purified politics
will be the elimination of one OF the most
important developments OF moral heroiSm
ever inaugurated In the history of the world
and when Prohibition is achieved in State
and Nation, to bless the world with its benign
influences, its tranScendent Importance will
be more apparent in the development OF a
higher and purer civilization, not now mlly
If YOU concede that the liquor traffic Is a
public evil; If you grant that civil govern
ment guarantees that protection be given to
pubic health, public peace, and public pros
perty then 1t follows that no State has con-
Stitutional right to license the liquor traffic.
Put this thought in your brain, and 1t Will
leaven your heart and soul into profound
con viction that Prohibition IS essentially
righteous, and that license Is n perversion of
law and constitItionally wrong.-F'rom Dem
urpst'S J{OuftlN for March,