The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-03
The Anti-Rnrroom Eli.

ne lAAAs
a Waycross correspondent, whose COM
munication we publish this morning. ex-
presses surprise at the fact that we op-
pose the anti-bar-room bill, now pending
in the legislature We always favor what
ever we believe to be right and what
ever. in our opinion. tends TO promote the
welfare, happiness and prosperity Of the
people and oppose whatever seems to
US TO be against the general good.
We do not hesitate to say that the
state would De better off If the use Of in
roxicants could be restricted TO medicinal
purposes. but if they cannot be so re-
stricted we think it much better TO permit
the sale OF them under such regulations
as the authorities consider advisable. We
are convinced that the sale Of intoxicants
cannot be prevented in the counties Of
this state I'm which there are large towns.
The reason is that in none Of the states
in which prohibition laws have been adopt
cd has the sale Of Intoxicating liquors
been stopped A few days ago we called
attention to the city of Portland, Ne.
where it is now proposed to license liquor
selling under the guise of a system OF
fines. Maine has been a prohibition state
for half a century, and the report is that
there is about as much drunkenness
within its limits in proportion to its pop
ulation as in states in which there are
no prohibition laws. The liquor is sold
surreptitiously and because it is sold
in that way many people. who would
not otherwise care for it, so to almost any
extreme to get it.
II the anti-bar-room bill should become
a law it would not and could not be en-
forced in any county in which public SEN
timent was against it. 1t could not be
enforced in this city. We should have
iunumerable blind tigers" and far
worse condition of affairs resulting from
the sale of liquors than we can possibly
have under the system of regulating bar
rooms. We should also have a very bad
state of feeling growing out Of raids OF
state constables. jtists ~ there is in all
the large towns in South Carolina.
Before the supporters of the anti-bar-
room bill ask the legislature to pass It
they should be in position to show that
it could be made effective. That they can
not do. Even now, there are two men
at their homes in screven county who
recently assassinated the sheriff of that
county. Why are they not arrested?
Simply because they are supported by such
a strong public sentiment that the au-
thorites do not feel themselves capable
of enforcing the law.
In order to make a prohibition law eff
fective 1t must haVe the.support of the
people, and that is Why we have always
advocated local option. Intoxicants are
now prohibited in two-thirds of the coun-
ties of the state by means of local op-
ton. There are only about forty more
counties to convert. Why not continue
the work of converting them, and when
converted we should have genuine prohi-
bition throughout the state?
The prohibitionists are not practical
They have a theory and they want legis-
lation in accordance with it. They. don't
stop to consider whether such legislation
would be effective. If they could get a
prohibition law they would think they
had done a, good thing for the state
when, as a pialterfVf fact, they would
have done the state an injury We are
getting good results from local option.
Let us stick to it.