The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-02-28
The Prohibitionists
Issue an Address.
Prepared by the Committee
Elected at January Con.
ference.

40A oAOO.
The prohibition conference held in
Columbia on the 18th Of Jan. 1900,
adopted the following
Resolved, That Joel E Bruns6n. J
s Moffatt, E D Smith. j A Hoyt, F
q Ryatt, W G Thomson and Jere-
miah Smith be and hereby are ap-
pointed to prepare sn address to the
people of South Carolina, setting
forth the work and issuee before us.
and 20 plan for and perfect an organi
zation of the prohibitionists for the
coming campaign.
In accordance with the above, we
submit the following address
Te the People of South Carolina
The prohibitionits of the State are
encouraged TO make another appeal
to the voters for supreme effort
along the line for the abolition of the
manufacture and sale Of liquor in
South Carolina. For many years the
men and women of our State have
toiled earnestly to effect legal pro
hibition OF the liquor traffic, and
gratifying progress was being made
not only in banishing the licensed
saloon from all territory without in-
corporated towns and cities, but
there was much being accomplished
in the way of reducing the lumber
of saloons here and there. and also
in securing control of the smaller
municipalities through the ballot box
OF restrictive legislation This prog
ress in temperance reform induced an
application to the regularly consti:ut
ed authorities of the Democrat party
in control of the election machinery
of the State for separate box in
which to vote for or against prohibi
ton, and this privilege was granted
in the primary election of 1892,
resulting in an overwhelming MAORI
ty for the legal prohibition of the
liquor traffic, and along with this
result there was obtained clear
majority of members in the lower
house. who passed strict prohib:-
tory measure in accordance with the
verdict of the people. This measure
was defeated, however, and in it's
stead was substituted the dispensary
law for the regulation and control Of
che traffic, an Importation that was
recognized as contrary to the wishes
of the people and in direct conflict
with their ascertained verdict. Thus
the dispensary began it's career as a
supplanter, and it has made seven
years of uneanny record. marked by
bloody and disgraceful steps from the
beginning
The present condition Of the liquor
business can hardly be said to be
satisfactory to q single intelligent
person in the State. When the dis
pensary law was first adopted. thou
sands of our honest people hoped for,
and expected much from it.
They were told that the restrictive
features of the law would be en-
forced by sober State officials, who.
not having any financial interest at
stake. would labor to reduce the con-
sunction of liquor aud make the dis
pepsary system a stepping stone to
prohibition. The Dispepsary had
been in operation but short time
before the greed of gold begun to
manifest itself among high officials,
and pressure was brought to bear
upon dispensers to increase sales
The annual salary paid common
county dispenser would buy thirty
bales Of cotton, and he was given to
understand that his dlspensary must
be profitable to the State or it would
be closed and himself dismissed from
the service. The sales increased at
once aud have increased month by
mOutn eStt SluCC 81 tuot toodJ eoo
State is selling nearly as much liquor
as ever did the old barrooms in their
palmiest days.
And how could it be otherwise ?
The appetite for drink is the same and
every hindsance to the sale of liquor
has been swept away. The door OF
the dispensary stands wide open to
serve every one that will buy No
knowledge of the purchaser neces-
sary, no inquiry as to the purpose for
which the liquo. is wanted. and no
signature to any request simply pay
your money and take your liquor, as
much as you can carry. ii you like
So Indifferent and demoralized have
become our State and county officials,
that although these violations of law
are known to all of them, they have
neither manliness nor moral courage
to try to bring the offenders to jus-
tice.
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