The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-08-29
record OF South Carolinas glorious

has Cne system proved step 10
= wards prohibition p Not in the sens
\ that orig mated this phrase, but in an
: other and truer sense tho demand for
, actual and honest prohibition Of tn,
liquor traffic has been largely increas
ed by the failures and shortcomings o
the dispensary system, which has beer
. weighed In the balances and fOunt
wanting That ts the Indictment We
bring against 1t to-day, and to the
emocratic voters we turn for YER
dict. In it's stead we would oiler then
still further restriction Of the Liquor
traffic, destroying the profit and beyer
age features OF the present system, and
limiting the sale OF liquor to strictly
necessary purposes, SUCH as medicinal
mechanical and sacramental uses
This substitution would take away the
odium OF the States being engaged In
u business that is prostituting the
youth OF the country, wasting the re-
sources OF the poorer classes, bringing
Disgrace and degradation upon fam
lilies, impoverishing the homes of our
citizens, and Withholding bread from the
women and children who are cursed
with the blight OF the drink demon
Prohibition offers an opportunity to.
work Tor the elevation Of the entire
people, the better instruction and
training to the young, the creation OF
incentives OF industry, and the moral
| advancement OF the State to keep pace
with it's material prosperity
"We deny that it Is proper func-
tlon OF the government to engage in
this business for the money there is in
| 1t, and we utterly repudiate any re-
sponsibility for the banefu) conse-
quences that inevitably tiow from the
distribution OF the great curse Of man
kind among the people by sworn Off
cials OF the State. Ii the government
can engage in the sale OF liquor for the
profit which may be derived therefrom,
then 1t is legitimate for the govern
mont to build cotton mills, buy and sell
general merchandise, or do ANYTHING
else that will likely raise money so that
the taxes will be reduced and expenses
OF the public service will be curtailel.
Tho principle OF selling liquor for u
profit Is identical with selling any
other commodity for gain, and the al.
vocatcs OF the dispensary have never
claimed that is right to engage In
other lines OF trade.
"ln the inception Of the business
there was heard u great deal about the
State taking control OF the liquor traffic
under the police powers designated by
the constitution, but this Ia now an OBJ
soiete argument, and the chief reliance
for support OF the dispensary Is the
profit feature, which Is held up to the
people as means for relieving tho
burden OF taxation and promoting the
efficiency OF the public schools. Take
away the profit feature and the mighty
octopus will dwindlc In the eyes of
those who are looking to 1t for assist
ance In defraying the expenses OF gov
a ~ hn, fln
and the defenders Of the system will
grow fewer every year. This is the
basis upon which 1T rests, and the en-
tire structure will fall for lack of sun
port. Behind the profit lies the
strength OF the dispensary in tn is pres.
cnt campign, with It's distribution OF
the gain among the town and county
governments.
mo man has yet been found to arg ae
that the morals Of the people are in
trinsically benefited by the sale OF
liquor. 1t was never argued in the
days OF tho saloons that they improved
the morals or promoted the righteous
hess OF any community, and the mere
change OF method in the sale does not
and cannot alter the situation in this
respect. The State engaging in this
unholy traffic does not transmute the
brand OF chemically pure into an
agency for the promotion Of virtue and
morality among the sons Of South Car
olinn The elevation and Improvement
OF society are not involved in the in
creased consumption OF liquor by the
citizens OF the State, nor Il )es 1T tend
to bring peace and happiness to the
homes OF the humble or the rich. The
sale OF liquor Is admitted on all sides
to be an evil and only an evil, and it is
not diminished in any respect because
the sovereignty OF the State is thrown
around the traffic.
"The State now prohibits all OF it's
citizens from engaging in the trailic,
and arrOgates to itself the right to dis
pense liquor for valuable considera-
tion, creating monopoly under the
guise OF assuming control of IN evil,
and increasing the evil itself by con.
stant enlargement Of the monopoly.
The advocates OF the dispensary sys.
tenn have steadily refused the passage
of any law which would afford an op-
portunity for any community to ex-
press their opinions on this subject,
and the only method OF reaching a
verdict has been TO put forth candidates
who represent the prohibition senti-
ment OF the State. This brings the
question fairly before the people who
hi y III COlGTOl vi VIC ROVcrnn0nU, ana
arraigns tho dispensary for trial upon
its merits as solution of tho liuuor
problem.
senator Tilman has entered this
campaign avowedly to discuss the
liquor question, and while have not
questioned his right to do so, there was
no appaleh.. reed fer his coming to the
rescue OF the candidates who were ad-
yocatlng the dispensary system, and he
has not added anything to the discus
sion not already presented.
1.-Two lawyers have been engaged
from the outset In setting forth the
benefits and advantages Of the dispen-
sary system and also In deriding the
cause Of prohibition. Were they not
equal to the occasion 7 Were the signs
OF the times pointing to Is dissolution
OF the great moral institution p Had
any one become alarmed for the safety
OF tho dispensary, 80 that IT was neces
sary for the father TO rush into tho
imminent deadly breach and rescue
his child from destruction
Ten years ago tho senator was
clamor!ng against Wade Hampton
taking any part In the memorable cam
paign OF 80, and said vehemently that
the Democrats OF South Carolina were
having family quarrel which Hamp-
ton ought not to Interfere with. ls
not the condition today almost identi-
cal Hampton was the recognized
Loo n ha ~