The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1900-05-29

State II now encouraging this use OF
| liquor or the part Of its citizens,
when it should by every means dis
courage that which wastes the rc-
sources, paralyzes the energies and
destroys the manlincss of those who
should be tho shield and protection
Of our homes. Tho State is engaged
for profit in business that stri ps
tho homo Of comforts with rs much
certainty rs a cyclone mows down
tho mighty forests; Il business that
opens the gates of pordi,ion to lost
souls; business that the genius OF
| hell has never fashioned moro cpn,-
pleto method of recruiting its ranks;
Il business that has borne, from tim"
immemoriaI, tho badge Of Disgrace
in civilized and Christian comnuu-
tiles, and that is now exa'.c>. in the
sovereign and enlightened Common
veal h Of South Carolina to tho Dig
nifty Of Government service aud Gov
ernmont protection; SO that our
youth arc taught by the example Of
tho Government itself THAI tho man
ufacturo and sale Of liquor is an hon.
orablo and desirable occupation.
Whence came this usurpcr Of gov.
ernmental authority? Did tho cit.
liens Of tho State decree its intro
duction rs "the best solution Of the
liquor problem
Eight years ago the Prohibition
lists Of South Carolina asked thc
privilege Of testing public opia ion
as to whether licensed saloons should
be prohibited within its bordcrs
This request was made of the man
ayers Of the Democratic election
machinery, who consented that Il
separate and unofficial box might be-
placed at each poll, where every
voter could cast ballot for or
against prohibition. The opponents
Of the license system were without
efficient organization, but tho voters
could cast n ballot for or against pro
hibitlon. Tho opponents Of the Ii
cense system were without efficient
| Io u
tarily went to tho polls and rolled up
Il decided majority against tho sa-
looms. Political exigencies did not
favor prohibitory law, and, al
though a majority of the House Of
Representatives passed such law,
enough members were afterwards
found to reject the law which they
had aided in framing, and substi-
tuto WAS discovered in tho present
dispensary system. "Ye asked for
bread and were given stone; ye
asked for fish and were given a
serpent"
Prohibitioniss were then placed in
an awkward POSITION and many Of
them know not what to do. Tho sa:
loon had been abolished, and this
was ono Of tho objects for which
they had struggled in the past, yet
liquor selling was not stopped. On
the contrary, tho State had been
made to engage in the business
under the pretenco of controlling the
traffic and giving to consumers a
commodity that was "chemically
pure" at a price that would not ad-
NIT of profit. This WAS coupled
with tho declaration that the system
thus inauguratcd without tho con-
sent Of the people was "a step to-
wards prohibition" and many ac-
quiesced in the legislation with the
belief that the State would really
undertake to minimize the consump-
ton of liquor. It. was law upon
the statute books, and many of the
law abiding and peace loving citizens
though honestly opposed to liquor
selling in any shape, threw the
weight Of thoir influence in favor of
the execution Of tho law.
An armed constabulary was fur
nishod with guns to shoot down cit
izens who violated the liquor law, if
in the judgment OF the constablos it
was necessary to enforce their au-
thority, and thus began long reign
Of violence and turbulence in the
land, for the law-breakors wero as
ready and anxious to shoot us the
men "clothed with little brief au-
thority," who acted upon + o theory
that their own lives were n constant