The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1900-05-30

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that tho main features Of the system
woro sustained by the courts, and tho
statute was ,unimpodcd in its progress
towards prohibition. Dispensers neg
looted to observe somc Of tho most salu.
tary features Of the law and themselves
became violators where thoy were OK
pooted to become guardians; minors
and drunkardS have found it easy
enough to procure liquor with or with
oui tho connivanoo Of tho dispenser;
chemically nnro' has become q by.word
and to mean tho vilest of tho vile; the
agents Of tho State have defrauded and
dofalcatcd in large numbers, and fow
have bcon made to feel tho penalties
for their misdemeanors; tho State board
Of control has moro than onoo become
an exhibition of exceeding offence ia
tho Dostrils of tho good people Of tho
commonwealth, 80 that time and again
it was necessary to mako ohangos and
bring about roformations; scandals al-
most without number have tracked its
pathway; charges Of dishonesty hayo
been constant, and tho public was
made familiar with rcbatos and tho
sample room; in word, tho entire
systoln has boon pormcatcd with sus.
picion, distrust and oausos Of offenoo
in striking contrast with tho honorable
record Of South Carolinas glorious
past.
Has tho system proven "a stop to.
wards prohibition?' Not in tho sonso
that originated this phrase, but In nn-
other and truor sonso tho demand for
actual and honest prohibition Of the
liquor traffic has bcon largely increased
by the failures and shortcomings of the
dispensaIy system, which has boon
weighed in tho balances and found
wanting" That Is tho indictment wo
bring against it today, and to tho Dom.
ocratio voters we turn for d verdict. In
it's stead wo would offor them still fur
thcr restriction Of tho liquor traffic, do.
stroying tho profit and beverage foa-
lures OF tho present system, and limit.
ing tho saio of alcoholic liquors to strict
~ necessary purposes, such as medioi
nal, mechanical and saoramental usca.
This substitution would take away tho
odium of tho States boing engaged in
business thatis prostituting the youth
of tho country, wasting tho resources
VI sAO POoloA oAopooct UIAnStHB ulbBCdO0
and degradation upon families, impov
erishing tho homes of our citizens, and
Withholding broad from the women and
children who arc cursed with the
blight Of tho drink demon. Prohibi-
tion offers an opportunity to work for
tho elevation of the cntiro poople, the
better instruction and training Of tho
young, the creation Of incentives to in
dustry, and the moral advancement Of
the State to keep paoo with it's material
prosperity.
Tho benefits Of q prohibitory law
will not DO fully realized in a yoar or
oven in five years, for tho longer suoh
q law is in existence with reasonable
chances of enforcement tho creator will
be tho benefits derived from it's pres
cnce as permanent policy Of tho
State. a generation that shall grow up
without any knowledge Of liquor ga
looms, whether operated by individuals
or tho State, will bo population noted
for it's sobrioty, which will bo the rule
and not the exception among tho young
men. Onoe 6rmly rooted and grounded
in tho minds Of tho people, a prohibi.
tory measure will como to bo regarded
as necessity. Moro than generation
has passed sinco this law was enacted
in Maine, and for q long time thero
was vigorous fight against its continu
anco, but at this 'timo both political
parties arc pledged to its maintenance
as the settled policy Of tho State. Tho
cry OF repeal has boon frequently raised
and not many years ago ono of tho po-
litioal parties made repeal a plank in
it's platform, with tho result that not
more than half dozen mombors wcro
elected TO tho house Of representatives
which has ovor one hundred in it's
membership, and the fight for repeal
was an ignominious failure.
Seen. Neal Dow, who was tho apostle
OF prohibition, man Of upright char.
acter and eproachnble vcrsacity. in
his testimony before Canadian oom-
mission on tho liquor tarf1ic, declared
that there was no State in tho Union
whore moro liquor was consumed in
proportion to population than in Maino,
prior to tho passage Of tho prohibitory
law. 1t was then ono Of the poorest
States, and under prohibition it. has be-
come ono Of tho most prosperous,
largely tho result Of savings by tho peo.
pie from the disoontinuanco Of tho
liquor traffic. Hc said it was quito
within tho mark to say that not one
twentieth as much liquor is sold clan-.
dcstineIy in that State as WAS sold by
tho saloons before this law was passed.
Portland, its chief city, whore Gen.
Dow lived and diod, had sovcn distil.
lories and two breweries, whilo many
oargoes OF rum wero brought every year
from tho West Indies, and now liquor
ia sold there on very small scale, tho
quantity not hundrodth part Of what
it was in the oldon timo. His estimate
was that thero is q saving OF $24, ,0OO,-
600 annually, which goes to inoroaso the
prosperity Of tho masses, and ho de-
olarcd that it is far within tho truth to
say that q, 900, 900 would pay for all
liquor smuggled into Maine and sold in
violation Of tho law. This is tho tes-
timony OF q man who spept the bost
years Of his life, ovon down to extromo
old ago, in advocating q cause that ho
know was beneficial in q moral, rolig.
ious, industrial and tinanoiaI senso. A
whole generation has grown up thoro
without being witnesses to the cffoots Of
liquor, and there are grown men and wo.
mon who havo mover soon q drunken
man. LIS not such state Of affairs
worth striving for, even though tho at.
tainment of such result involves sacri.
fee, toll and endurance on the part Of
ito advocates? Ohsistian mon and wo.
mon san we'll afford to mako tho saori-
fico and bear tho toll, because it is in
tho dircot line Of obedience to their