The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-08-11
PROHIBITIONS PLEA.
An Earnest Appeal to Every Voter In the
State to Holy.

| State to Help.
The State Prohibition Executive
Committee would present Il few facts
and propositions for the consideration
OF the voters of South Caroliua, us jus.
tifying the appeal which we make to
them to support the present movement
to secure the prohibition of the liquor
traffic In our State.
That this traffic as now tostered by
governments. protected by laws, en-
trenched by custom and long usage, is
the producing cause of at least Is per
cent. of all the pauperism, vice and
crime which atllict the State; that it is
the nucleus of impurity, anarchy and
moral and spiritual death, and that it
imposes enormous avoidable burdens
upon individuals, families and the
State, admits of no controversy, as the
proofs are unfortunately too familiar
to the observation and experience Of
every man, woman and child among
| US.
That the traffic is producing these
direful results at this time, all over
South Carolina, Is attested undeniably
by the largely increased criminal busi-
ness of our courts. the filling of our
Jails with criminals, our penitentiary
with conVicts and our asylum with lun-
atlcs, the degradation and ruin Of many
OF our brightest young men, and the
general condition of unrest and demOr-
aliZation which Is everywhere apparent
In a word, it is the agency most poten-
tial in its influence In opposing the in
tellectual, social, material, financial, ed
ucatlonal and moral interest of our peo-
pie, and opposes a.. almost inSurmount-
able barrier to the salvation of human
souls. This condition of things is
neither natural nor desirable, and ex-
lists in spite Of the denunciations of
Gods immutable word against it, and
the efforts Of tue good and true to re.
form 1t.
All efforts to regulate or restrain the
traffic, or mitigate It's evils by law, have
proven abortive, because under the de-
morallZing Influences! inherent in the
traffic, the liquor seller utterly disre-
CARDS or violates every provision which
| Is intended to restrain, and the author
tiles tolerate or cOndOne tho violation
because of their share III the profits,
which, in the shape of a license fee.
| comes in to swell the revenue of the
county and municipal treasures. Tn
der the same influences the people, too.
oNSoAAAS
cause or the false impression made upon
them that the revenue derived from it
relieves them, to that extent, from the
burdens OF taxation. Thus it is the le-
gal,Zed liquor traffic in South Carolina
is today conducted in utter disregard
OF every restraining provision of law
and OF every light of the class for
whose interest and protection these
provisions were framed.
If these statements were true of any
other business or class of men amonu
us, their mere announcement would be
Sulllclent TO arouse such d storm Of
righteous indignation as would only be
satisfied by the final and complete re-
mOyal of the evil complained of.
This being apparent as to the nature
and results of the liquor traffic. who is
| responsible for its continuance?
We answer as the deliberate and
solemn conviction OH our cousciences:
| You! the free white voters Of the State,
whose sovereign decrees at the ballot
box no human power dare aaiusay-you
are responsible for the continuance of
these evils. On, our fellow citizens,
bear with us if, In the deep interests of
our consciousness of the terrible woes
which. by this system, we impose upon
our helpless wives and children, we
press the matter upon you in terms
which seem to be severe.
Examine for yourselves and see if
what we assert Is not the truth, and re-
gard lis not as enemies because we tell
| you the truth.
The present prohibition movement is
made under circumstances and condi-
tions which seem to us to give promise
OF success, II the voters, who are, or
| ought to be, in sympathy with the eff
fort will t1ka Q6Uant n nf thn
tunity which 1t affords.
There never has been before 80 hearty
and general response to the call which
is being made for the friends of pro-
hibition to rally to its support. There
is a more thorough organization
throughout the State than at any for M
er period, and the powerful aid which
comes from the pulpit, the press and
the organized temperance bodies is as
sured to our movement with all the
yigor and zeal which so noble a work
for God and humanity is calculated to
inspire in such auxiliaries.
Not the least Of the conditions which
favor our success at this time is the fact
that we have been accorded the right,
as Democratic voters, to test the sense
OF the voters and the candidates for the
Legislature on the question at the first
Democratic election, with all the rights
and protection which the party ma
chineIy secures for q free ballot and Il
fair count. The wisdom and lmpor.
tance Of this arrangement appears in
the fact that this teat will he made free
from complication with any personal
or factional issues on other questions
on which the voters may differ, ana
that those who would be disposed to
favor prohibitive legislation for the
whole State as more effective than
license or local prohibition can vote in
this instance free from the fear that the
expression OF their will cannot be nul-
ttfe1 And detcatcd by 0n OUcr1oheint-
ma negro cote.
With these advantages in our favor,
can we succeed? We can, if the votes
OF the pledged temperance men, the
$4,000 votes Of the members of Chris
tian churches, and the votes Of friends
of prohibition not included In the two
former classes, unite to say that the
legalized liquor traffic in South Carolina
Shalt cease. If these voters with the
VOWS of God and of their organizations