The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-02-22
Dtspensary LeglslatiOn.

Dtspensary Legislation.
Temperance people will be pleased that the
LEGISLATURE refused to enact any law looking
to the restoration Of the license system OF
selling liquor in this State.
The idea OF high license, as far as tnls
town is concerned, is an exploded theorS III
40 far as its power for good Is concerned. Ao'
beyille tried high license years ago, ana IL
just won't do.
There are various objections to high license,
wh,oh must be apparent to every lover OF
f.,r play. and every believer in equal rlsnts
IN all must OPPOSE SO iniquitous measure.
E,rst-High license crea tesa monopoly, and
crowds out the poor man. who may be una
BILE to pay the high license though ne may
be. in other respects, better anu more eon-
scientious man than the rich neighoof WIN 10
able to pay for "hlgh" license. NO man
who favors equal rights to all, can well anoro
to advocate a monopoly whereby tne rich
NAV become richer, while the poor man ID
driven out of business.
Second-The favoritism which high IL
cense gives to the rich by denying license W
the man of less money, must be offensive w
our sense of justice, and can only be regaraeu
as legislation against the poor man 10 give
the rich man monopoly.
Tbird-High license, as well as low ncense'
npst he contrary to the convictions OF those
who OPPOSE the liquor method Of corruptlng
o,r naople and leading our youths Into
devious ways. ,o
Fourth-Under the dispensary ia"' we
have absolute prohibition for aoout t"eiVe
hours in every twenty-four hours. on sun
oay the dispensary is never open. IL may oe
remembered that under the bar-room sSste"' y
the places where liquor was sold, was oiten
kept open at night, and sometimes on sun
day men could get liquor.
FIfth-The idea that the legislature tried 10
forbid, or prevent the people from votins on
the question of opening the bars Is fallaclous.
In 1892 the temperance people asked the DEM
ocratic Executive Committee to place boxes
at ths polling places where the voters couio
express their preference for prohibition or
ucense. The prohibitionists carried tne
State by about 10000 majority. In response
70 the expressed will of the people, the lesis-
,ature gave us the dispensary, which was pos
a,bIv intended as compromise between
license and prohibition.
great revolution, the whiskey interests seem
TO be combined TO break up the oest hqoof
,aw that we ever had, and 1t is lamentaole
fact that some we'll meaning people nave
jo,ned the enemy in their effort TO restore Tue
whiskey license in this State.
Seyenth-In view Of the trade whereby IL
was sought to deliver the temperance people
into the hands Of the liquor people, ana n
the lace OF the fact that the leader OF the pro-
h,bition campaign, after the election, openly
declared himself in favor Of local option, and
in acknowledgment OF the further fact that
some Of the advocates Of the license system'
having manifested extraordinary and uncom-
mon zeal for the restoration OF the license
svstsm. the public are unable to understand
the origin OF the wonderful influence that has
brought about the notable and remarkable
things.
Eiehth-If the people. or the advocates OF
either the high license monopoly plan, or
the old democratic plan Of g reasonable
license work to get an expression OF the peo'
pie on the subject, they can doas the pronlol'
tionists did, get the cooperation OF the DEM
ocratic Executive Committee In placing
separate box for that purpose.
Ninth-Or, II they want to put up their
license candidates they can do 30, without
let or hindrance from anybody. II a major
ity of the people favor return to the old bar
rooms where their sons may be made drunK-
ards, there is no power on earth to prevent
them from so doing.
The advocates OF license now have just as
good an opportunity for expressing their
opinions as the prohibiionists had in 1892.
II they want to vote as we did, in a separate
box, we'll and good. If they want to defeat
the dispensary candidates by putting up bar
room candidates, this temperance people Will
try conclusions with them, and abide the
result.
Any idea that Charleston can defy the State
and refuse to obey the laws Of the common.
wealth is not to be entertained by people who
have proper respect for good citizenship. II
the officers Of the State are. unable to enforce
the laws in every part of the State. then they
are unfit ~ hold Office, and should be excused
at the next election from further official SER
vice.
Our own opinion ia, that the foreign gen
tlemen Of Charleston whose names we can
neither spell nor pronounce, should be taught
lesson in obedience TO the laws OF the land
Of their adoption. It's poor excuse Tor an
American born citizen to 90 back on his con.
scientious convictions because q foreigner
proposes to defy our laws. live have officers
who are worthy of their places. they will see
that the law Is enforced.