Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-03-01
Address OF Prohibitionists.

"Rcsolvcd, That joel H. BrunSon, j
S. Motlat, f.. ID. Smith, }. a. lIoyt, +. H.
Hyatt, w. G. Thomson and Jeremiah
Smith be and hereby arc appointed to
prepare an address TO The people OF
South Carolina, setting forth the work
and issues before us, and to plan for and
perfect an organization Of the prohibi-
tionists for the coming campaign"
In accordance with the above, we sub
nit tho following address
TO TIE PEOPLE OF SorTII CAROLINA
Tho ProhibtionstS Of the State are
encouraged to make another appeal to
tho voters for Il supreme effort along the
limo for tho abolition of the manufacture
and sale Of liquor in South Carolina.
For many years the men and women OF
our State have toilcd earnestly to effect
loyal prohibition of the liquor traffic,
and gratifying progress was being made
not only in banshing the licensed saloon
from all territory without Incorporated
towns and cites, but there was much
being accomplished in the way Of rcduc-
ing tic number Of saloons here and
there, and also in securing control Of the
smaller municipalities through the bal
lot box or restrictive legislation. This
progress in temperance reform induced
m application to the regularly cunsti-
tutcd authorities of the Democratic
party in control of the election ma
chinery of the State for Il separate box
In which to vote for or against prnhibi-
ton, and this privilege was granted in
the primary election Of l~!,2. resulting
in an overwhelming majority for the
legal prohibition Of the liuuor traffic.
and along with this result there was ob,
tanned clear majority of members in
the lower House, who PASSED Il strict
prohibitory measure in accordance with
the verdict of the people. This measure
was defeated, however, and in its stead
was substituted the disrcnSary law for
the regulation and control uf the traffic,
an importation that was recognized as
contrary to the wishes of the people and
in direct conflict with their :lsrrrtain,d
verdict. Thus the diSprnSary began its
career as Supplantrr, and it has made
seven years OF nncanny record, marked
by blOo'Y and diSgrarrful STEPS from The
beginning.
The present conditiun Of the liuunr
business can hardly he said To- pr salts
factory to Il single Intelligent person in
the State. When the ,lsprnSary law
was first adopted, thousands Of olr hon
est people hoped for and expected much
from it. i. " were told that the re
StrIctlvc features Of the law would hc
enforced by sober State officials, who,
not having any financial interest at
stake, woulh labor to rr.lurr rhr con
sumption Of liquoran make the hSpru-
sary system stepping stone to I,rnhib-
ton. The niSprnSary had been in npr.
ration but Il short time before the creed
OF gold began to manifest itself amunu.
high officials, and pressure was brought
TO bear upon dispensers 10 increase sales.
The annual salary paid Il common county
dispenser would buy thirty bales Of cot
ton, and he was given tu understand thai
i,iS dlSpcnSary must hr profitable To- the.
State or il would he CLOSED and himself
dismissed from the service. The sales
increased ut once and have increased
month 10y month ever since. 50 that in
day the State is selling nearly as much
liquor rs ever did the old bar rooms in
their palmica, days.
And low could it bc otherwise " The
appetite for drink is the Samc and every
hindrancc to the sale Of liquor has been
swept away. The door Of III" dispcn
sary stands wide open to serve every one
that will buy. No knowledge Of the
purchaser necessary, no inquiry aS to the
purpose for which the liQuor is wanted,
ana no signature To amy request: simply
pay your money and take your Np,Iul. as
much as you can carry, if You like. So
indifferent and dcm"rali2rd have become
our State and county officials, that al
though these violations uG law are known
to all OF them, they have neither the man
Illness nor moral courage to try to bring
the offenders to Justice.
Tourist hotel privileges and beer SHOPS
have been, and are still, conducted under
the very nos" Of the Governor of tue
state without Il shadow of law, and mo
chort made to prrv"u, it. Dispenser
after dispenser has stolen or lost tine
money Of the State and not one has eve,
been punished or even prosecuted, OK.
Ccpt in one or two instances Commits
Sons and rebates and hiibcs and thcft>
and murders have been the natural pro.
ducts Of this system Of State lipuur S, H.
ing, and after years of such work It's
managers still plead " it'll lis to "giyr if a
fair trial.
Those who manage it SAY the dsrru
Sary paid last year @!3O,UUO to HE cduca
tion Of the children of the state, bnt
they did not tell the startling fact that
the dispcnsary hah drawn from the lco-
oi the state ut least twenty times aA
mnch and spent it in fat salaries and
other expenses, purchases, ,Nc.. Of the
liquor system. 1t may lac said that in
addition to the SI&nuuu The counties, and
towns received small sum each. and in
this we reply: The expenses incurred bv
thc counties and towns in thr trial, pun
iShmrnt and support of criminals. " hu
have been made such by the Iulur sold
them by the state, will far more than