The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-02-22

can only be touched upon here. To state
fully the power ofthe saloons in politics
requires q knowledge Of the evil thing
land its ways that no honest man can
have. The saloons know their power,
and use it to the utmost that opportunity
allows. Some years ago bar-keeper in
Richmond, Va, heard some talk of a
reform movement in municipal politics.
BY instinct of self-preservation the sa-
loon springs to arms at the mere. thought
of reform, and the Richmond, saloonist
Laughed to .scorn the fears Of the more
ltfmid, affirmed unshaken faith in his god: {:
l"Auy bar-room in Richmond Is bigger
Isman In politics than all the churches
put together" A leading Southern Sem
lator, who is not prohibitionist, and
who voted. against the insolent demands
Of the whiskeys ring, said'to me in the
ters ago:. "Men talk of, the. power, of
banks, OF railroads, and of other. corpora
tions in Congressional lobbiea but, T tell
|you the hardest thing to stand up against
here is the liquor ring.n
|, Seeing what the liquor power has accom-
1plished in national, State, and municipal
Legislation and administration, how IL
challenges the respectful attention and
Iinspires the complaisaHt fears of the greut
parties, aud has; 81 ways done it.; how. il
municipal government,
whether in the great cities or. small yil-
lages how. il packs Legislature town
|councils, and juries; how 1t subsidies
l,what newspapers it wants Tor when 1t can
mot hire, sets up its own); how desperate
ly hard it resists; fighting for it's own with
satanic skill and audacity that in good
cause would be magnificent; and how Of
item and completely it winsAthere seems
Ito be reason In the senator's conclusion
las we'll truth in the bar.keeper's assertion.
ITO. .sumsit up In q -word-ths saloon CON-
|trols the marketable balance Of power in
lpolitics. And theresWould rise up in the
lgreat, true hearts Of. the oppressed people
q holy and quenchless fire of consuming
indignation il only once they really knew
the evil and pitiless power that presses its
Iron, hand hard against their throats.
Dealing with the best liberties of thepeo-
tple,, the saloon ,is as femorselessTs as the
East Indian thug.
/, The, influence, of the liquor power in
politics should not surprise u.s.. 1t is rich,
1t fights for great stake, and its vote is
solid. Its gains are 80 enormous, that 1t
can afford to spend vast sums for the
votes and favors it needs. Its vote-com-
pelling gold is used by shrewd men, ripe
in evil wisdom; they are unscrupulous,
and hesitate at nothing they dare-proud
the depravity Of human nature. they will
dare most things. AS long as men are
weak or wicked the liquor-traffic will
buy or compel what 1t wants.
l. Our tyrant has every opportunity the
universal diffusion of the saloon secures
an active, interested, and potent ally in
every precinct. Elective affinities tbring
to the saloon and within the circle of its
despotic power the very men it wants
the men who cast their ballots with the
least intelligence, the least conscience,
and for the lowest price. A pauper
drunkard who can stand up long enough
to deposit his ballot counts as much as
the Bishop or the Chief-justice. This
statement does not reyile our American
principle Of universal suffrage, but it
does show how necessary it is to guard
with ceaseless vigilance and unf1inching
/ courage 80 great a. power from peryer-
sious so easily accomplished and from r.
suits so utterly destructive of all that9s
good in our institutions.
THE DANGER THAT THEATENs.
| It Is only Gu stom that makes the exist
ence of the saloon possible in q free coun-
TRY. If from the beginning our nation
had been free from. the liquor-traffic's
power in politics, and it should come
Gown upon us in day, it would convulse
the people with indignant and .e1pulsive
energy. Every. country, neigborhood
would rise in wrath against the mortal
foe of good government. A million for
eign soldiers, landing it Fortress Mon.
roe and marching on the capital, would
not shock or stir tho people more pro-
foundly. II done for the first time, no
community, great or small, would recog-
nize or submit to any election for any
office, or upon any question, conducted
under the auspices and determined by
the power Of the saloon. But we do sub
INIT to such thipgs-submit without q
word or consciousness Of our bondage
II It cannot be necessary to dwell upon
the relations OF the liquor-traf6c to the
morals of the people, AS we'll repeat the
lmultiplicaiton table as to argue here that
the saloon fosters every vice and wars
upon every virtue of which human ma
Iture is capable. The vilest vender OF
lintoxicants knowt this, and when he
speaks the truth he does not deny 1t.
I!The saloon recognizes its evil nature; it
lnever pleads any good it does as reason
for its existence; 1t has, absolutely but
lone motive-money-getti 1t lives
|iupon the vices and weaknessof men, and
.lmakes mon weak and bad that 1t may ex-
tend It's track and increase its gains.
i Its greed is as Unsuitable as the grave
lit adulterates the poison it sells with
Idrugs yet more deadly, and makes the
lithirst Of its victims mere animal rage
that overturns the..reason, sears the con-
lscience, and paralyzes the will.
Ii THE PERILs OF THE TIMES.
I What is universally true of the liquor
tarffice inits relations to public and pri-
1vate virtue, becomes more alarming on
account Of certain peculiar conditions in
our national hfe at the present time. II
lis not too much TO say that we live in 9
ltime when opportunity is only equaled
|by the perils that come with 1t. The
tcountry is growing rich and populous as
no country ever grew before. Thousands
Iupon thousands of foreigners come every
lyear to our shores, among them some o'
1.-THE excellent of the earth, and they are
llwelcome ; but there are many other thou.
Esands who bring to America only evil.
[They are re-enforcements to evils that
lafreadly curse US, and by instinct join
IL kExay noe