The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-08
VHISKEY At ABBBVILLE.
HAS A BLOW AT sELF-GovERNMENT
BEEN GIVEN?
Warm and Emphatic Words by thA
Associate Reformed Presbyterian
"a Question That VIII not Down.
4. r. Presbyterian, January 2nd

The last Legislature OF South Carolina, by
special Act, licensed the sale OF wiIiskey at
Abbcvillc Court House. Such ac ion calls for
a searching investigation. IL not an indignant
protest from the intelligent white citizens Of
this county. We do not know, but we pre-
sumo the representatives OF this county are
largely responsible for the action taken. II
they had opposed it, the Legislature would I.
have regarded their wishes I'm the case.
We learn that there were two PETITIONS he.
fore the Legislature In reference 10 this mat
ter, one asking for license. another, n counter
petition. Tho former was much more numer.
OusIy signed than the, latter. Both were
signed almost exclusively. by residents
OF the county seat. Now, the fact Is that this
Abbeville village. The legislature itself SO
declared, In unmistakable language, when It
passed an Act two years ngo granting tho en-
tire county the right TO decide this question
wheIming majority Of the votes cast, the cit
liens Of Abbevilie County said that no
licenses for The salc of whiskey should be
granted in its territory for the time specified.
In legal, authorized way this county deliv-
cred It's opinion and expressed Its resolution.
The people, In the exercise Of their highest
civil prcrogative. declared for prohibition.
And yet. In the face OF this, our representa-
tives deliberately diSrcgardcd the expressed
will of the people Well may the citizens OF
this county ask, lis this 9 gowernment by the
people, or by the saloon 2" Who that heard
County, does moi remember how earnest and
repeated were their declara tiOns after this
manner: Whatever may be my own opin-
Ions on the question OF prohibition, that mat
ter has been settled by the people, and we
propose to abide by ii.'' "Setted by the peo-
pe," that was the cry. 20
These pledges haye been as chaff. On the
very first opportunity those who made them
trampled them under their feet. With en-
phasis we say, this is not question OF prohi-
bition. 1t is "a broader, deeper question. It
goes down to the foundations. 1t has in 1t
elements OF peril. 1t involves the right OF
the people to govern themselves. In their
hot haste and zeal for license these represen-
tatives have struck q blow ut selfgovern-
ment.
1t will not do to say that the law was OPEN
ly violated at Abbeville Court House. That
does not touch the fundamental question at
issue. The people had been asked for their
opinion. They gave IL very emphatically. It
was heir right and theirs alone to reverse
their action. But, accepting the miserable
MS much drinking in Abbeville County since
prohibition as before? Who can determine
that matter? Who asked our representatives
TO sit in judgment upon It? Who believes
that prohibition had n fair trial. as 10 length
OF time? Before 1t was ont OF It's swaddling
clothes Il was strangled TO death by those
who professed such an 'unalterable deter
mination to "abide by the will OF the peo-
ple"
The action of our representatives calls for
n very lucid explanation or some very plain
talking.