Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-05-31

and themselves became violators,
where they were expected to become
guardians; miners and drunkards
have found it easy enough to pro-
cure liquor with or without conni-
vance of the dispenser; "chemically
pure" has become by word and to
mean the vilest of tho vile f; the
agents Of the State have defrauded
and defalcated in large numbers, and
few have been made to feel the pen
alties of their msdemeanors. The
State Board of Control has more
than once become an exhibition of
exceeding offence in the nostrils of
the good people of the Common
wealth !; 50 that time and again it
was necessary to make changes and
bring about reformations scandals
almost without number have tracked
its pathway charges Of dishonesty
have been constant, and the public
was made familiar with rebates and
the sample room. In word, the
entire system has been permeated
with suspicion, distrust and causes
of offence in striking contrast with
the honorable record of South Caro-
lina's glorious past.
Has the system proven ga step to-
wards prohibition ?" Not in the
sense that originated the phrase, but
in another and trucr sense the de-
mand for actual and honest prohi-
bition of the liquor traffic has been
largely increased by the failures and
shortcomings of the dispensary sys-
tom, which has been "wcighcd in the
balances and found wanting" That
is the indictment we bring against it
to-day, and to the Democratic voters
we turn for verdict. 1t it's stead
we would offer them still further re-
striction Of the liquor traffic, destroy
ing the profit and beverage features
of the present system, and limiting
the sale of alchoholic liquors to strict
ly necessary purposes, such as medici-
ma, mechanical and sacramental uses
This substitution would take away
the odium of the States being en-
gagged in business that is prostitut.
ing the youth of the country, vast
ing the resources of the poorer
classes, bringing disgrace and dcgra,
dation upon families, impoverishing
the homes Of our citizens, and with,
holding bread from the women and
children who arc cursed with tho
blight of the drink demon. Pr0hi-
bition offers an opportunity to work
for the elevation of the entire peo-
pie, the better instruction and train
ing of the young, the creation of in
centivcs to industry, and the moral
advancement Of the State to keel
pace with it's material prosperity
The benefits of a prohibitory law
will not be fully realized in year OF
even in five years, for the longer
such law is in existence, with rca.
sonable chances Of enforcement, tho
greater will be the benefits derived
from its presence as a pcrmancn,
policy of the State. A generation
that shall grow up without any
knowledge Of liquor saloons, whether
operated by individuals or the State
will be population noted for its SO
briefly, which will be the rule anC
not the exception among the young
men. Once firmly rooted anc
grounded in the minds of the pco
pie, prohibitory measure will com,
to be regarded as necessity. Nor.
than generation has passed since
this law was enacted in Maine, an(
for a long time there was a vigor
GUS fight against its continuance
but at this time both political partic.
are pledged to its maintenance as
the settled policy Of the State. The
cry of repeal has been frequently
raised, and not many years ago one
of the political parties made rcpca
a plank in its platform, with the re
suit that not more than half dozcl
members were elected to the House
of Representatives, which has over
one hundred in it's membership, and
the fight for repeal was an igno
minious failure.
Gen. Neal Dow, who was tht
apostle of prohibition, man of up
right character and irrcproacbabl,
veracity, in his testimony before {
Canadian commission on the liquor
traffic, declared that ,hcrc was nc
State in the Union where more Ii
quor was consumed in proper ion tt
population than in Maine prior tc
the passage of the prohibitory law
} 1t was then one Of the poorcs
States, and under prohibition it ha
become one of the most prosperous
largely the result Of savings by tn,