The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-02-16

views. l had rather my SOD, II ne
must drink, buy from the dispensa,y
in manly. open way than to sneak
around to blind tigers. The dispen
sary law is not infallible. Even
friends Of the dispensary law have a
right to complain. However, it re-
lieyes whisky selling from the III
famous retailing system also of gam
ing tables and other vicious accesso-
ries. The laboring man on his way
from his work after sundown can find
no place to spend his money legiti-
mately for liqaor. Among the OF
jections to the law is the granting Of
beer privileges and of hotel privileges.
A great deal more Of the poverty
of South Carolina lies at the door Of
whisky than belongs there.
The cry of widow and orphan can
be heard from other causes than
whisky. Bloody usury Of the money
lenders has caused more people to 60
out into a friendless wcrld than
whisky ever caused. There are hon
est money lenders and there are hon.
est merchants, but there are hun
ireds who are grasping.
Mr.. Yeldell said he was a prohibit
zionist and always had been. In
1892 he was anxious for a prohib:-
law but it was very fortunate for the
cause that prohibition was not car>
ried. Thousands of the best people
in South Carolina have locked arms
with the liquor men andhave brought
about this unfortunate state of affairs
in which they hope to wreck the dis
pensary. The result will be baneful
to prohibition.
Mr.. Yeldell states that although
the principles of the dispensary are
wrong, yet good results may accrue
from it.
Here he recited en- incident in the
life Of Abraham Lincoln, in which
that great American stated that he
would rather die than to accomplish
good through evil means. Passing
by the State dispensary every day be
could see barrels upon barrels OF
liquor coming in, and for what pur-
pose? To make drunkards drunker?
No, to make the sober drunk, for the
sale to drunkards is prohibited.
Better sell to the drunkards and not
to the sober.
Mr.. Mccullough felt that he would
be recreant to his feelings and to the
good people OF South Carolina not to
express his views on this subject.
What is the object Of government?
To develop man. The dispensary is
part of our government. Look at
the picture. The States educational
institutions developing while the
States dispensary is undoing the
work. It is wrong to punish crime,
and yet to legalize the cause for doing
wrong. The State Of South Carolina
ought not to open an institution
which her citizens cannot patronize
without being improved. 1t is
claimed that if the State doesn't sell
liquor, somebody will. Is there any
argument iu that? No more than
there is in justifyipg ones self for
killing a man because some one will
murder him.
Law is education. If you pass
prohibition law, it will be violated,
but it will, in time to come, be car
ried out. In reply to Mr.. Garris'
saying that prohibition will not pro
hibit, be recited the case in Bible
history of the spies being sent out to
inspect the promised land. They
returned saying it was beautiful
land, flowing with milk and honey
but there were terrible giants there
Those giants were subsequently
over come by the children Of Isreal
Prohibition, all will admit, is beau
tiful land, but there are terrible
giants, they claim. Why can we moi
overcome the giants? If this meas
ure is passed, prayers for its success
will go up from novels and fror'
happy homes, bat the dispensar5
law is rot and Will not be sustained
by prayer.