The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-05-23
MR.. STURKEY FIRES BACK.

Wants to Hear From Our Preach
ers-Thinks the Dispensary a Fail.
ure-McCormIck for Prohibition
Some Things which Mr. sturkey
Can't See. ...
Editor Press and Banner! ;a1
fictitious account Of the strength Of the pro
hibition sentiment In the town Of Abbevflle
| is correct opinion, then your town Is badly
| In need Of an educated sentiment. However
torial utterances anent the question OF prohi.
bition do not represent In any appreciable
measure the prohibition sentiment Of your
town and surrounding community. AS for
my own town and community, you certainly
shot wide Of the mark. I think that the most
ardent advocate of the dispensary, who is &C.
quainted with the facts would be compelled
TO admit that large majority OF our people
mere are solidly and soandly prohibition.
Just how many other sections ofthe county,
where the prohibition sentiment prevails, 4
am unable TO speak positively, but feel DON
people will vote In the interest OF the home
and humanity. How any man, who has
sense enough to view the matter intellfgently
and has the milk Of human kindness in his
heart can occupy any other position than
that OF absolute prohibition, Is q question
that have never been able 10 solve.
There is cemetery In an adjoining county
that has five new made graves, five represen.
/
have been buried there during the past year,
and am reliably Informed that they were ali
victims Of King Alcohol. Just how many
tears and heartaches these silent mounds call
up, no human mathematics can begin to COM
pute, and TO turn away from this scene and
vote for measures that would continue traf.
fic that dug these graves and sent these souls
unshrined to the judgment, would be no less
than the spirit Of savage. .!
II your reference to the position that the
ministers Of your town hold In regard TO the
question OF prohibition Is not libel upon
them and their work, then the mildest con.
struction that could be placed upon their at.
titude would be that they were occupying a
very anomalous position. would like for
the clergyman Of your town to speak out and
let the people know whether or not their
views have been correctly expressed through
the editorial columns OF the Press and Ban.
ner.
The prohibition subject is advocated by the
most advanced thin kers on ethical questions,
and the preacher, who is always harping on
temperance, and then shrinks back when q
general move is made to secure the end for
which he has been preaching, lest the church
should 90 into politics, is a knick kerbocker in
where his lack of good sense would do least
harm. The church occupies the same rela.
tionship to politics that the ship does to the
sea- Let the sea get into the ship and 1t sinks,
but keep the ship on top the sea and 1t does
an indispensable service to humanity. II
you let politics get into the church. It will go
to the bottom, but the church must stay on
top to direct and control politics In the proper
chan nels. ......-.
Now l wish to say that have been writing
about question that lies very near my heart.
am sorry, Mr.. Editor, to see you trying to be
funny and fictitious over what you think ia
the defeat of the prohibition cause in your
county. The prohibition OF our homes against
the rum traffic Is too serious a question for q
man Of your age 10 jest about. II the prohf-
bition movement Ia finally defeated In yohr
county and town, you ought TO view II with
feelings of deepest regrets, Instead Of delight
and triumph. ..... .
The Dispensary Act has been an almost I'm.
trammelled experience for nearly q decade,
and has proved TO be most gnomlnious and
disastrous failure, and let us upon the wreck
of this institution that has wrought It's f1end-
ish work, erect an Institution that will be an
honor to our State instead of shameful dis.
grace. Yours truly,
NJ. L. B. Sturkey.