The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-08-22
tive, and the only evil not prohibited

"The State stops out here and says
that after man is II years old he
can get as much liquor from the State
as he wants. But | have no doubt
that within the next ten years the
Senator will be rs much u Prohibition
lst rs | am, and God bless the day
when it comos. But | want him now
TO answer these questions
Is prohibition morally right or
wrong?
| ,"Why, in his own State, do they ap-
ply prohibition to everything except
ihg the liquor traffic?
Can tho liquor traffic, under the
United States Constitution, be rccog-
nlZed and regulated.
Have not the people undor the Unit
ed States Constitution tho right to
| pi 0hlb liquor traffic
| want him to answer these oups-
| lions, Gov. st. John concluded, land
wonder how a. man can come here
anu plead before God and man for
giving this damnablc business the re-
cognition of II State"
There was applause for the Governor
ns he ceased, but 1t soon lost itself in
the enthusiasm which greeted Senator
Illlman rs he walked toward the front
OF the stage. The spectators shouted
and applauded, and for several min
his speech.
81 ain glad to be here" he said,
particularly Us have boon 5landcrod
and lied on more than any man south
| of Mason and DiXOn'S line. From what
you have hoard and read Of me, | sup
pose yon conceive me to bo something
between IN anarchist and an idiot.
| want yOu to take Il look ut mo and
SOC if am as black IL devil as | have
| been painted.
Gov. St. John and | are hero to
discuss in q friendly way an abstract
question OF government. | endorse
every word that Gov. Lnrrubcc wrote
about the liquor traffic. 1t causes
moreacrimc, pauporism aid vice than
any ching else in the world"
| Senator Tillmun here read an cX-
tract from Gov. Lurrnbces speech. AS
he took his glasses from his pocket he
said
II have to were these things, you
sec, because have got only one eye,
and have TO carry tho other old thing
through it.
" But Gov. st. john makes a mis-
take" he continued, "whcn he con
founds the saloon with tho dispensnry.
They arc not at all tho same. | do
not fad in anything that he has said
more than nero assertions in proof OF
prohibition. Tho question is, is prohi-
Dtion the best method of promoting
temperance reform?
"What is temperance 1t is modor-
alton IN the use Of the pleasures Of lilo.
have been committed in tho namo of
that word. 70 the crank it is his spec
lalism, but it Is generally accepted
to mean making over for tho better.
The question is, how can We teach men
tJ use intoXicants tcmperatcly?
"Gov. st. John is mortified at the re-
, suits OF intoXicatiOn, but ho forgcts
that we are aself-govcrnrg people, and
must have the permission Of fifty per
cent. of the people before it can be de-
, cidcd that men have not the right tC
. drink whisky when they want to. Tic
says there is no licensing in the Bible
- fail to find Il single instance in
which drinking is prohibited there
Certainly it. is not prohibited in Mosaic
law Men for thousands Of years have
indulgcd in the use of intoXicnnts
Ever since they learned that alcohol
could bo produced by fermentation
They feel in thcir hearts that they
have right to drink, and you cannot
convince them otherwise.
"Until you get men to belivc that
they are better Is hypocritcs and liurs
than in their own iniquity you can
not right to drink. Ii this Drohibi.
ton had been as greut and wise Il
thing as It's followers claim, it would
have been tho law Of the whole land
instead Of the exception"
Senator Tillman talked some more
about his d:spensary, and tho chair.
man reminded him that his TWENTY
: minutes was drawing to an end.
AS Il proof that the law has failed
wherever it was tried" he concluded
) "y0u can SEQ that it was necessary
even when sincere and conscientious
mon were trying to enforce the law
for the States to go back to licensing
Iowa puts a. clause in ita Constitution
forbidding the sale Of liquor except f0r
MEDICINAL, pharmaceutical and me.
chanlcal purposes.
What 81 stretch was given to the
meaning of those words. | know from
my own experience in enforcing the
law how impossible it was to prevent
the evasion OF these laws. My expe.
ricncc has taught me that the law must
depend on the governed for its enforce
mont
"lf You have not got Il public opin
ion with you the law can never be en-
forced. Whcro can you get the jurors
the prosecutors and the witnesses when
the feeling OF the public is 80 agains
them? 1t is only when the feeline
,, that the saloon must go is strons
enough to support the speak easy ant
drug store that they will be accepted
as substitutes.
1.-The United States Government do
mands q tax from the people who sci
whiskey, and who can deny that ther.
is Il license to sell it. How can tn,
idea of prohibition be obtained wher
there IS no means Of enforcing it This
: is q f-govcrning country.
D "Unlcss a law rests in tho will OF the
: people there IS no power to enforce it
I Tho Supreme Court says the power
I docs not lie with any citizen to sell IL
+ quor contrary to tho police power oI
= the state, but this relates to the sell
ing, and not TO the drinking"
: Gov. st. John now read some statis
t tics showing how Kansas had increased
t in wealth since prohibition became Il
| a thnpp "a nd hnw Tnnrh thn n