The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-02-22

i
future any more than in the past
Since the days Of Abraham the peo-
ple had been endeavo,ipg to find a
satisfactory solution Of this problem
He then contrasted the condition Ct
his county (AbbeVille) under the bar
room system and under the dlspens-
airy. He spoke of the barroom eie
ment in elections under the former
condition and declared that the
whiskey il huence under the dispen-
sary was now nil. Where had the
demand for the abolition of the dis
pensary come from? asked the
speaker. Not from the large element
: of the decent people of the State ne
answered. The spectacle was now
presented of the prohibitionists( whom
he believed to be honest in their con-
victions] forming coalition with the
LIQUOR forces to defeat the dispensary
and yet these people claimed they
were seeking absolute abolition OF
the sale of whiskey. After speaking
further on this line, Mr.. G:aydon
took up the vote for the various can
didates for governor and analysed it.
According to bis views the people
had decided for the dispensary by
the election of the present incumbent,
while the strength of local optionists
was shown by the vote polled by Col.
Geo. d Tillman.
MIR. Marion of Chester: Modern
civilization has had more important
Questions to settle than the liquor
problem. Our country is the best
representative of modern civilization.
s.Individual liberty" was the watch
word of the statesmen architects OF
the government, but it is now trade
mark OF political quack. The govern
ment was founded to give the great
est liberty to the people. Side by
side with the liberty of the individual
was woven into the political fabric OF
the government the right ofthe State
to govern and to protect its OVID.
You have no right to dictate a bill of
the people of the State. Prohibition
dictates total abstinence. The only
ground on which it can be enacted is
that drinking is an evil per Sc. To
call it an evil to handle liquor in any
way would be to brand as criminal
the minister in his priestly functions,
the invalid upon his bed. The State
las no ighttoregulate the diet or the
drinkof the people. You mightas we'll
put people on diet Of cornbread and
buttermilk as conducive to the health
and safety cf the State. Dyspepsia
is about as much of an evil as drunk
.enness. He called attention to some
of the soldiers enlisted under tie
prohibition standard, among them
the blind tigers.
Mr.. Wingo-Do you accuse tie
good Christian people of afi!iation
with the blind tigerze
MIR. Marion said that they might
be hand in glove but arm and sleeve,
although the prohibitionists have not
solicited it.
Mr.. Mann-Well, the blind tigers
ere in mighty good company.
MIR. Marion-Yes, but the prohibi-
tionists are not. The prohibitionists
were aligned with men who in secret
places ladled out liquor Installations
of hell, the blind tigers, who wanted
prohibition to aid them in the acqui-
sition of their personal and avarici-
ous ends. He believed in the dis
pensary, the balance, the golden
mean between avarice Of private sale
and prohibition. II is Alright from
a standpoint OF justice aud OF state
craft. He was not in favor of the
dispensary from any past political
affiliations, bat from the standpoint
of right. He believed in the voice Of
the people.
All the bills in reference 10 whisky
legislation were put to sleep BY hav-
ing the enactipg clauses stricken OFT
The Archer bill, (Senate) is the
only bill remaining to be considered
It will probably meet the SINE 1a'e
as the others.
The House did a good thing when
it abolished the beer and hotel priv
leges. If the Legislature did moth
ing else but adjourn, it would have
won the verdict of well DONE"
There was wrangle over the ap
preparation for the engr0ssing de-
partment, but it finally passed as re
ported by the ways and means com
mittee.
The House killed the bill provld
ing for the issuance Of marriage