Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1893-03-02
1T DESERVES A FAIR TRIAL
.
columbia Register

ne dlSpensdry law LIDS oeeH Aoi
weeks subjected to most thorough
discussion by both secular and relig-
ious papers. 1t he been viewed
from every possible standpoint and
many conclusions have been deduced
from it. Many of these conclusions
will not stand the test of cold logic
One thing has been proven-that the
two extremes meet. The ultra pro-
hibitionists and the liquor men are
both dissatisfied with the Evans Act
and for very different reasons. Both
hope to see it imperative, The for
mer by making it too severe and the
latter by making it too lax.
In discussing this prohibition qucs-
ton it must be remembered at the
very start that drinking is not wrong
per sc. This position IS perfectly
tenable, though it has been attacked
by men Of learning as well as blgots.
Rev. DR.. Lyman Abbott, a man OF
wisdom and piety, created quite a
sensation recently in a sermon which
he preached before the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union: eve
must nat uut the temperance queS-
ton upon a false basis" he said.
ssFor myself, like the taste OF wine,
and really believe that a glass OF
wine with my dinner would be bene-
fetal 10 me. Neither do | believe
that | have the right to say that
every moderate drinker will die a
drunkard, nor have l the right to
sov to any man that he shall not
taste glass of wine or beer. All
alcoholic drinks are not poison. |
believe with ex-President Woolsey,
of Yale College, who said: If any
man dareS to say 10 lne | have no
right to drink will open q bottle on
The steps OF Centre church. +"
These are the words of 4 broad
minded man. He is above yielding
TO the clamor of the age, which seeks
to damn every man who touches,
tastes or handles liquor. He knows
that it is not wrong Of itself to drink
wine or beer, else why did Christ
make wine as he is said by the Scrip
lures to have done? 'sTo say" con-
tinue1 DR.. Abbott, chat there were
two kinds OF wine, fermented and
unfermcntcd, and that he made only
the latter, is a very unscholarly state
mcnt."
But the use of liquor has been
fearfullv abused and it has come to
be the curse of our modern life. The
Bible enioins temperance in all things,
but it begins to seem as if it were
almost impossible for men to drink
,emperatelv. This lack OF power
may be explained by.either OF both
Of two theories. The law OF hercdity
would suggest that if man is an
excessive drinker his children would
have an inherited proclivity for drink
ana would have less power Of resist
ance than the children oi " r.an who
never touched liquor. If the free
use of liquor were a trait in the
family for generations the Inherited
taste would get to be almost irresisti-
bic. Then in these days OF adul-
terated food and drink it is almost
impossible to obtain pure liquor.
Pure wine and beer are comparatively
harmless, but it is now almost impos-
sibIe to obtain these simple beverages
in state of purity, and pure whis-
key is only bought by those who have
plenty OF spar cash. Almost all
intoxicating beverages are more or
less adulteratcd. The poor are fur
niShed with vile concoctions of pol
sonous drugs in the place of pure
liquor. These drugs tell terribly on
the nervous energy and will-power
of mar and his power OF resistance
is less than if he had been accustomed
to drinking only pure liquor.
These two theories will explain the
increase Of the Incorporate use of
liquor, than which this age knows no
greater evil.
Granting that the liquor traffic
were ten times more ruinous than it
is, how is it to be stopped: The
cause Of drunkenness is drinking, and
the cure OF drunkenness is to stop
drinking. If man never touched
the first drop OF liquor he would
never be drunkard. The first glass
of liquor is the glass which opens the
gates OF dannation and starts a man
on the road to the ruin OF himself
and the wreck of the happiness of
those who love and are dependent on
him. Had he never touched the first
drop the druakard would never be
guilty of maltreating his wife or neg
lectine his offspring.
All these things being so, what can
be done 90 prevent them: The pro-
hibition law is an ideal law, and,
like all ideal laws, is dangerous. The
few have not the right to govern the
many. \ prohibition law should
never be enacted in any community
where there viii not be a strong
moral sentiment to back it. 1t will
be hard or impossible to enforce a
prohibition law which is not strongly
backed by the people.
The ultra prohibitionists in this
State say they intend to make the dis
pensary law act as prohibitory law.
They can do this, for the law pro-
vides that no dispensary shall be
established in any town or city where
less than a majority of the freehold
ers sign the petition for the appoint
ment OF a dispenser. Where this
is the case liquor cannot be sold,
not even for scientific, medicinal or
sacramental purposes. The ultra
prohibitionists are endeavoring to
get freeholders to refrain from sing
ing petitions. In every county where
they succeed in this attempt there
will be the most iron-clad prohibi-
ton, for Gov. Tillman says he will