The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-27

ing or of failing to protect our agricuI-
tural interests, which lie at the basis
of all prosperity. Capital, it Is said,
is cowardly. At any rate it seeks q
solid basis for investment. We ought
on this account, to inspire in the out.
side world the confidence that legiti.
mate investments made in South Car.
olina shall not be disturbed by unjust
legislation and, at the same time, we
should protect and encourage indus
tries already est blished. If we rigid.
ly pursue this policy during the next
decade we shall be able to double the
material wealth of the State, and
thereby to reduce the rate of taxation
by increasing our taxable property.
DIsPENsARY.
The most difficult and perplexing
problem with which the people in all
civilized countries should contend is
that of the liquor traffic. All the ef-
forts of the Legislators to cope with
the hydra.headed monster of alcohol
ism nave been unsatisfactory and in.i
efectual. Prohibition has besn tried
repeatedly in different States, and
while it has failed to check drunken
ness, it has encouraged hypocrisy,
evasion or open violation of the law.
Its advocates are unquestionably in-s
spired by the loftiest Of motives, but
human nature remains forever the;
same, and while Legislators may en-
act laws for the punishment of crime,
they can never force men to become
yirtuous or sober.
So vast a problem as that, OF the.
liquor traffic demands for its solution
the cooperation and combined wisdom
of all the people. Local option CAM
not, therefore, settle it except tempo.l
rarily and to very limited extent.
The open saloon is q constant menace
and disgrace to civilization. ::
As is well known was at first not
an advocate of the dspensary law, and
I was sceptical as to its ever being
Success in any form.
I cannot, therefore, be considered
as unduly biased in its favor, and I
have arrived at my present conclusion
In regard to it somewhat against my
will. The opinion reached by me at
ter through investigation ofits work
ing throughout the State, and after
having the views of good many in-s
telligent and good men, is that the law
is a great improvement over the old
license system and that it deserves to-
ne fully tried in its present form be-,
fore there is any radical change made.
The proof is overwhelming that there
is less drunkenness now than former
ly, and that the consumption Of Liquor
has been largely decreased. This is {
acknowledged by every fair-minded
man, and that the masses of the peo-.
pie are averse to returning to the lie,
ense system in any form is very .evis
dent to any man who has mingled
with them. Having stated my opin.
ion as to the policy the State should
pursue I feel it my duty to enter at
some length on the workings and mer-
its of the law, and point out the severe
tests to which it has been subjected.
It is not saying too much to assert
that it has never had fair chance.
Enacted during a period OF intense !
political activity, when prejudice and
party spirit were running high, 1t was,
opposed by many on political grounds
purely, without consideration OF it's
purpose or merit, and every possible
obstruction thrown in its way. The
Federal Courts, by injuncticns, have
crippled its enforcement seriously.
After the Darlington trouble had been
quieted the decision of the Supreme
Court declaringlthe the law unconstitu-
tional came to undo all the work that {
had been done. While it demonstrated
the utter futility of prohibition 1t ct
the same time initiated the, sale OF
liquor without license in every neigh
borhood and many who then began
the nefarious traffic have never ceased
to follow it, and are still selling liquor
as much as they dare. s
Of what use is it to argue that thee
State should not sell liquor to its cltl.
zens of reap a profit from the blood
money" as some term it, when they
advocate licensing its sale and thus
sharing in the profits made by the
private dealera One system is just a.
immoral as the other, If there is Im-
morality in either. But the monopoly
of the sale by the State enables 1t 70
control in measure and minimize the
evil, and the profits, which are but OF
secondary consideration to the state
are shared by all the people. On the
other hand the licensing OF its sale TO
private parties would create monopo-
Iy just as certainly as the existing one
"a private monopoly, which has
never been and never will be controH-
ed by law, and the profits which then
become the paramount object are
shared by the State and the barkeeper.
There is monopoly in either case,
and the State in one instance reaps aH
the profits and seeks only to promote
the cause of temperance and reduce
the evil to minimum. In the other
the profit goes largely to private In.
diyiduals and there is no thought,of
reducing the consumption OF liquor
and promoting sobriety, while expert
ence has shown beyond dispute snat
private gain stimulates the sale IN
every way possible and encourages the
evil. There are no 1'back stairs" or
"sice doors" to the dispensaries, but
there never was a bar room which DID
not sell liquor on the sly on public oc-
cassions when the law required it to
be closed. The dispensary is open only
in the day time and when ordered TO
be closed, as on circus days and during
Fair week in Columbia, they were
closed. and but few drunken men
ee,,nd In fha CITY.