Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1900-06-06

| tne reign OF the carpet-baSger and the
scalawag. Meanwhile the law was
contested ut every step. and the courts
were invoked TO compass its deStruc-
| tion, with the result that the main
features Of the system were sustained
| by the courts. and the statute was un-
impeded in its progress towards pro-
| hibiton Dispensers neglected to OBJ
| serve some OF the most salUtary fea-
lures of the law and themselves be-
| camc VioiatorS where toy were eX-
pected to become guardians: minors
and drunkards have found it easy
enough to procure liquor with or with
! out the conivance Of the dispenser;
chemically pure" has become by
word and to mean the vilesI of the
| vile; the agents of the State have de-
fraudcd and defalcated in large num-
| bers. and few have been made to feel
the penalties for their msdemeanprs:
the State board OF control has more
| than once become an exhibition of eX-
cceding offence in the noStrils of the
| good people OF the commonwealth so
that time and again it was necessary
to make changes and bring about re-
| formations: scandals almost without
Number have tracked its pathway;
charges of dishonesty have been con
stant. and the public was made fa-
miliar with rebates and the sample
room: in Il word. the entire system
has been permeated with suspicion
distrust and causes OF offence in strk.
ing contrast with the honorable re,
cord of South Carolina glorious past
Has the system proven "a step to-
wards prohibition? Net in the SENSE
that originated this phrase. but in an
other and truer sense the demand for
actual and honest prohibition of the
liquor traffic has been largely incrcas-
ed by the failures and shortcomings of
, the ci5pCasary system. which has been
weighed in the balances and found
wanting" That is the indictment we
bring against it to-day, and to the De-
mocratic voters we turn for verdict.
In its stead we would offer them still
further restriction of the liquor traffic.
destroying the profit and beverage
features Of the present system. and
limiting the sale of alcoholic liquors
to strictly necessary purposes. such as
medicinal, mechanical and sacramcn-
tai uses. This substitution would take
away tho odium of the States being
engaged in business that is rvostitu-
y.
the resources, of the poorer cllsses,
bringing disgrace and degr. dation
upon families. impoverishing the
homes OF our citizens. and withhold
ing bread from the women and chill
dren who are cursed with the blight OF
the drink demon. Prohibition offers
an opportunity to work for the clcva-
tion of the entire people. the better in
CT tfN,, t,.,i, % a
the creation Of incentives TO industry.
and the moral 4 vanecceW.k W.kae mfar
and the moral advancement o. the
State to keep pace with its material
prosperity.
The benefits OF a prohibitory law
will not be fully realized in year or
even in five years. for the longer such
Il law is in existence with reasonable
chances of enforcement the greater
will he the benefits derived from its
presence as a permanent policy OF the
State. generation that shall grow
mp without any knowledge of liquor
saloons. whether operated by indivi-
duals or the state, will he a population
noted for its sobriety. which will be
the rule and not the exception among
the young men. Once firmly rooted
and grounde in the minds Of the pco
pie. a prohihitory measure will come
to be regarded as necessity. More
than generation has passed since
this law was enacted i'm Maine. and
for a long time there was Il vigorous
fight against its continuance. but at
this time both political parties are
pledged to its maintenance as the set,
tied policy of the State The cry OF
repeal has been frequently raised and
not many years ago ono Of the politi-
cal parties made repeal n plank in its
| platform with tho result that not more
! than Il half dozen members were elect
ed to the House of Representatives
which has over CNc hunderd in It's
| membership. and the fight for repeal
was an ignominicus failure.
| Gen Neal Dow who was the apostle
! Of Prohibition. a man of upright char
| actcr and irreprGachablc veracity, in
| his testimony before a Canadian com
mission on the liquor traffic. declared
! that there was no State in the Union
where moro liquor was consumed in
| proportion to population than in
! Maine. prior TO the passage o! the
| prOhibitory law. 1t was then one ol
/ the poorest States. and under prohib-
/ tion il has become enc of the most
/ prosperous. largely the result Of saw
| ings by the people from the discon-
! tinuance Of the liquor traffic. He said
it was quite within the mark to say
! that not one,twentioth as much liquor
| is sold clandestincly in that State as
| was sold by the saloons before this
/ law was passed. Portland. its chief
| ritv ,.-hpfo Con now liycd and dip1
! had seven dlstillcries and two brew
| cries. while many cargocs Of rum were
brought every year from the West In
dies. and now liquor is sold there On
very small scale the quantity not y