The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-08-08

whiskey were taken out in 1888
Ellsworth, with $500 Inhabitants
contains II bars and 4 other places
(spothecary shops where liquor is
sold, or one to about 219 inhabit
tants. "Gamb!ipg was going on IL
several saloons visited by the agent
of the committee of fifty. In
Augusta, the Capital Of the State:
sixty two places were found in opera.
tior, or ore to every ITO inhabitants
Throughout the entire State the
same sickening array of figures come
the same account that one dirty,
iltby hell hole, where the vilest
quor is sold, is maintained to every
wo hundred Inhabitants of less.
What has been the result? How
has it Effected the people of Maine?
The published report of the COM
mittee of fifty, compiled by sub
committee, consisting of tie famous
anti whiskey-reformer, Seth Low, Of
New York. President Charles ".
Elliott, of Yale University, the great
est college in America, and who can
not be accused of desire to oppose
prohibition, and of James G. Carter,
admits the following:
The conclusion must be that it
is impossible to state from the
statistics adduced just how far they
effect greater or less public inebrie-
ty. The general impression is that
drunkenness is as prevalent now as
ever before the constitutional amend
mept went into effect, if not more SO.
The federation Of an open def
ance Of The laws and constitution
indicate, not merely a widespread
lack Of sympathy with prohibitory
measures, but callousness of public
sentiment which of itself is grave.
Citizens have become 80 accustomed
to this defiance that little attention
is paid to the continuance or violation
of the liquor statutes or to the
contempt for law and order generally
which is an inevitable conse quence.
A local Judge, in speaking CT condi-
tions under a prohibitory law not en-
forced has said: The value of the
oath has been reduced SO per cent
in this State. Perjury (for which
the maximum penalty is inprison-
ment for hfe) is so common that it
no longer attracts attention. Aud it
is not confined only to the liquor
element; the effect of it is far-reach-
ing and growing. People talk of it
openly and without a blush.
"Nembers cf the Supreme Judi
cial Court have said substantially
the same thing and prosecutions for
perjury committed during the trial
of lq1or cases are not frequent.
Closely akin to perjury is the hypoc
ricy engendered when two people are
called upon to support a law that
they 10 not believe in. The support
of prohibition at the polls aid in
party platforms, when it is so ill-en-
forced, can be explained only on the
ground that men have become hypo-
critics. A Judge of the Supreme
C.utt, as quoted in public news
papers, referring to conditions in
Cumberland county, Maine, said:
4; is a question whether the prohibi-
tory law makes more drunkards. l.
would have perhaps been more just
to say. 1t is q question whether
more become drunkards or hypo-
crits under the prohibitory law
The United States Government in
a report of the liquor traffic recently
issued declared that in the State Of
Maine there were S22 establishments
engaged in the liquor traffic who
paid all Uoited States taxes. Ii
South Carolina 500 are reported, in
number only greater than Alaska
and Indian Territory! Yet we are
asked to adopt prohibition OF the
Maine stamp!
Thus are conditions in Maine,
which State is held up to the people
of South Carolina as their rule and
guide, and whose law the Prohibition
lists in 1893 sought to pass, and
which the recent prohibition copven-
tions which nominated Col. H)yt,
again recommend to our people,
The Maine "prohibtion" law-this
parody OF the wisdom Of our prohi-
bi,ion friends, is the South Carolina
dispensary law, without the bever-
age feature. The State sells the
LIQUOR there, but forces the buyer to
say that be wants to buy the whlskey
for medicine. The State is IN the
~ 10 hlrp