The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-04

Where is the rioting on public holf-
days? Where was the disorder on last |
4sh Of July, since the dispensary went
into effect, and on which day men
marveled at the quietness Of the large |
crowd (of colored people from the
country which had hitherto invsria-
bly, raised the dust in our town at sim
liar celebrations, Where are the loaf
ers who once hung by day ard still
hung far into the night around the
barrooms while their weary wives and
worn-out children toiled for their mis-
erable joint-support? Where is the
restless walking and nervous lodging
on Sunday of men trying to get whis-
key TO quench the unquenchable thirst
Intensified by the Saturday night de-
! bauch made easy by the access of the
open saloon? Where are the blubber-
ing bacchanalian songs and obscene
words of Saturday afternoon drinkers
as they left the suburbs Of Newberry,
shooting with unsteady hand and be-
fuddled brain the dangerous and ever
too-hsndy pistol? Where is the din of
saledays and the confusion of the bone
yard? Where are the lettering and
strolling bands of halfgrown half
breeds and lazy young bucks of both
races on our streets, made lazier and
iDt1amed by the ready drink, in the
way Of decent working people every
day and impudently staring at our
pure and sweet mothers and sisters
and innocent wives and little children?
Where is all that, aud more-much
more?
Gone! To very large extent gone
| with the passing of the saloon and the
coming of the dispensary. Why?
Because you can get liquor now only
once day. Because the dispensary
closes daily at p. m. and is not open
in the early hours of the evening and
night when men are idle. Because you
can get no liquor from the back door
Of the dispensary on Sunday. Be-
cause you can get no liquor on credit
now. Because you cannot mortgage
your house and lot, or your plantation,
or the property of your wife and chill
dren for liquor now. Because you
cannot pawn your watch or barter
your wife's trinkets or treasures direct
ly for liquor now. Because you can
not 60 singly or in crowd from bar to
bar between the hours of eight and |
twelve at night now. Because it is
not so easy to send for bottle full |
just at any hour you may want it now.
Because if you have but ten cents you
cannot get drink with your last dime
perhaps needed at home-now. Be-
cause you cannot hang around and be |
treated at the dispensary. Because
you can't sit down in that establish
ment and gamble for liquor-either by
playing cards or throwing dice.
The die is cast. The saloons are
closed. The unintelligible babble Of
the rufianly rabble has greatly dimin-
ishsd ifnot entirely ceased. Compara-
tive quiet reigns where once disorder
ruled the evening hour. Men who
habitually reeled and staggered in the |
streets, go home oftener sober to their |
wives and children now. Those of the
men from tue country who rarely
failed to come to town without getting
drunk the first thing, ome-here, at
tend to business and, some,of them at
least, return without being drunk to
their happy families now. Men who
formerly were in the habit of spending
their hard cash-their hard-earned
money-and their idly easy moments /;
around the gilde6 counter Of the bar,
enjoy the golden leisure with the joy
of their wives and the prattle Of their
children now.
And yet you say reader, that the
dispensary is not step towards pro-
hibition? You would not if you truly
desired prohibition. Because if 'one
who voted against prohibition sees
that the dispensary is indeed long
step towards that consummation, sure
ly one who voted for and wants prohi-
bition ought also to so see it-and many
more would see tiff they we're not 80
blinded by prejudice against the origi-
nators of the movement. That false
cry is only make.shift. And how 3
| minister of Christ can fight the dis
pensary, as against the saloon, passes
average understanding.
No matter what can be brought
| against the dispensary, there is no dis
putting the fact that it is success So
cially and morally-in its important
and essential particulars. Indeed,
some think that it is even better than
outright prohibition; as "blind tigers"
flourish on 'dryp soil, and it is easier
to get liquor from such sources than
| from dispensary-as you can buy it
by the drink at "blind tiger" and
without registering, whereas the dis
| pensary answers every legitimate pur-
pose and is surrounded by all safe
guards.
Of course you can get liquor in large
ouantities-but only once day, and
when you have the cash to pay. OF
course some forbidden person will get
liquor occasionally by false pretenses,
or by hook Or crook-but it takes time
to regulate every great and compli-
Gated system. Of course some men
| will manage somehow to get liquor
under any and~all circumstances-but
starvation and death are the only
agencies by which such men can ef-
fectually be stopped.
/ Twist the facts as you may, disguise
the truth as you will, deny the asser-
tions to your heart'scontent, you who
oppose the system for other than con-
scientious motives, but you cannot rob
it of the growing impression that it is
doing good-notwithstanding someone
still gets drunk occasionally who got
drunk always before.
| This article is not suggested against