The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-26

hoW lonR VIII our Institutions sur.
vivo? 1t strikes ut the moral basis
OF life, of society, of tho State, and
mover before did it strike from such
vantage ground aud with such un
impetus behind it. individuals com
pose society and society makes the
State; take away The moral basis,
the foundation upon which tho indi
vlduul, tho citizen aud the Chrstinu
build, and tho bottom drops ont of
the whole business-our social and
political fabric goes to pieces. Moral
character, social purity, business in
tegriiy all 80. Every relation in
lie, every business, every enterprise
Is affected and seriously involved.
We recognize in it not ouly an evil
hut monster vico We must an
tagonize it. Prohibition is our i'm.
mediate resort. But we are told,
"prohibition don't prohibit" Does
the dispensary prohibit Whom the
dl'peosary was established every
town in tho State, almost without OK.
ception, was organized against it and
was the irth-place of blind tigers.
Ii the State in the business with this
organization against tho law could
drive out the tigers and euforce the
law, why cannot tho State out of the
business and with clean hands on.
force prohibition? Is the State
stronger and moro courageous when
maintaining iniquity than when en-.
forcing right? Does iniquty give
her power? Does the fact that she
Is pa,ticeps criminIs make her bot.
ter able to enforce law. right wrongs
and punish crimoY Must the Sta; o
become party TO adultry, theft an :
murder to enablo hor TO enforce th
law against these oifeHses? Fall wit.
the filthy, affiliate with the corrupt
and lie down with the debauched {?
Then let her proclaim both her moral
and legal impotency! At such rea
soning sensible men, whose moral
perceptions have not been pervert cd
by prejudice nor blunted by partici
patton in tho evil, revolt The ut
most that can DO required of any law
is that 1t restrain the evil doer and
reduce crime to the minimum, and
prohibition will not do less But if
it should, it is right, it involves a
grcat principle, it is plank in the
great platform Of Christianity, and
Christian men must ard will sup
port it.
We may estimate in dollars and
cents the amount sold in our own
State, about $4,000, 200, but who can
estimate the cost to domestic peace
and bappiness,-the value Of charac
ter, souls, human lives wrecked and
ruined by it? Can dollars and cents
express it? Dollars and cents can
never express the wretchraness, woe,
ruin, loss Of character ana injury to
individuals and society, neither can
dollars and cents lopalr or atone for
it. Put every dollar t. at goes into
the traffic into the currents of legiti-
mate business and mark the results.
Put every dollar spent to satisfy this
thirst into food, shoes, hats aud
clothing for the suffering mothers
and children robbed by it, and who
can estimate the value of the contri.
button to self respect, to happiness,
and tho impetus to prosperity aud
material greatness it Will impart.
The greater part Of this vast sum
comes from the country. Send it
back to tho country and invest it in
labor, farming implements, stock and
sober mon to manage it aud it will
enrich your country and repeal the
lien law. Send it back to tho country
and put it in school houses, teachers,
and churches and it will prove per
manent Investment and yield per
pctual income ju character, brains
and purity.-intelligent mon, happy
women aud ideal homes.
On the other hand lot us ask what
good can the consumer show for this
large sum of money extracted from
the pockets of the people-nothir
whatever. What gain can the STATE
show? If a largo part of this sum
goes into the State treasury, the State
is still heavy loser. Sho has in.
jured her own resources to an meal,
culable degree.
What does it do for man--robs