The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-02-13
THE CAUSE OF TEMPERANCE,
A MEMORIAL TO THE LEGjSl ATlJRE.

1
General Assembly, looking to the
amendment of the dispensary law 50
as to do away with the use of liquor az
q beveragea and tho profit feature o.
the present System, has beon placed or
! the dosks Of tho members:
| The memorial of the Gospel Tom
pcrance Union OF South Carolina, re
spectfully presents to the General AS
sembly Of South Carolina that it is ar
organization composed OF citizens o.
the State, having for its object the
suppression of the liquor traffic. Ir
pursuance of thi is object the executive
committee OF this organization have
had prepared 81 bill to amend Certain
sections OF the existing. dispensary
| law, which is now before both houses
Of the General Assembly for your con
| 5ideration.
These amendments propose to elm
mate any profit further than necessary
60 enforce the same: and further
eliminate the dispensing of intoxicat
| ing liquors as a beverage, SO that they
shall be sold only for medicinal, mechan
ical, scientific and sacramental uscs.
| Tneso amendments represent the
wis hcs OF tho Gospel Temperance
Union Of South Carolina and the Chris
tian sentiment Of the State.
We make this appeal for their adop
tion for tho reasons following:
l. These amendments are such as
will put the dispensary law in lasting
favor with the best and most law abid-
ing people of our State.
| Ii. The law. as amended, will have
the hearty support in its enforcement
Of the conscientious citizens and lovcrs
! If sobriety.
Ill. 1t will allay tho discomfort of
prOhibitiOnistS and others II intoXicat-
! ing liquors are no longer sold rs a
beverage, as there are many who
think the State has no right to sell it
as " beverage.
w. Ii such amendments aro adopted
rs will unite the good people of the
State in giving their moral support to
the enforcement of tho law, the illict
sales will necessarily be decreased
Such changes will in no wise affect the
provisions of the act regarding it's en-
forcement, oil such provisions remain
ing in full effect.
V. The sale of liquors will then be
| much or more under the control of the
State than it could possibly be other.
wise, inasmuch as good or better men
could be secured to act as officers in
the dispensary, and no church could
refuse to keep member in good stand.
ing who held such an office, which is
not tho case now.
| vi. AS tho act now stands we find
the State with law under which no
consistent church member can accept
an Office, and an institution Of tho
State upon which he can not invoke
| Gods blessing.
| VII. The law, in its present shape,
is particularly Objectionable because
it provides that the State shall do
that which the church has said cannot
be done without sin.
VIII. 1t humiliates, debases and de-
strOys public conscience in receiving
for education hush-money-the price
| OF tho eternal ruin Of immortal souls ::
such money as the Scribes and Phari-
secs who purchased tho Saviour's
blood refused to receive when return
ed to them by Judas Iscariot.
| TX. 1t is further Objectionable be-
cause it gives the gloss of respectable
ty to a. traffic that undermines society,
demoralizcs its victims, impovcrishes
| its citizens and becomes responsible
for a great majority Of the crimes and
| the constant infractiOn of the laws of
the State.
y. The sale Of Intoxicating LIQUORS
as IL beverage, by individuals or by the
State, never being right, no good man
can consistently do other than protest
against any legal approval OF the same.
Nl. The dispensary law makes every
citizen stockholder, sharing in the
profits If there BE- any, and in tho liza
bilitics, which are certain. Sec Hab-
akkuk 2:l2, l5, "Woe to him that
giveth his ncighbor drink, that put
tcth thy bottle to him, and maketh
him drunken also. Woe to him that
III l1nfh a ,uif
lisheth city by iniquity." This be-
ing true, the State has covered with
shame all OF her citizens, instead of
protecting them from such dishonor as
true mother would her children.
XII. The pre- law anLagonizcs
the church, and good society, makes
criminals and law breakers Of her citi-
Zens, as no man iillcd with liquor Is
any longer a law-abiding citizon, but
Is fit subject for arrest for drunken
ness, If not for disorderly conduct, and
for crimes he is worry liable to commit.
XIII. These amendmt nts suggested
are not political or partisan in thcir
nature; they are the demands made by
the great Christian church OF our
State, which can not bo silent without
sin, and which, in tho name of her
communicates and by hor Gospel Tenn
cfdnco Union hppoaiS lOf dCllVeranCe
from the unholy alliance into which
she, as part OF the States citizenship,
has been forced to participate.
XIV. TN is appeal is also made by
the Gospel Temperance Union in tho
name Of the 400 minister's of tho gospel
who have written the executive com
mittco that it is their wish to have
said amendments made to the present
law.
XIV. Lastly, gentlcmon, wo urge
upon you in the name of our God and
OF our. fallen and helpless brothers
by strong drink, with brokon
Wills, unable 10 take advantage of d
keeley upe.'anxious to be delivered
and then we invoke you, in tho namo
their broken hearted and impoverish-
cd families, to grant our appeal, thus
removing " the most prolific sources of
misery and crime and tho grontest
hindrancs to the progress OF the canse
OF Christ" doing what we th!n.S 10
right, and falling to do which wonld
DO wrong, aud forever tarnish thn
good name Of our State and fix nam' no
haps forever, the greatest imaSinapbNItn pbNtr
curse with the divine sentenn"