The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-03-01
ADDRESS OF
PROHIBrTIONISTS.

fhc Prohibition conference held in
! Columbia ON the 18th Of January, 1900,
| adopted the following:
Resolved, THAT joel f. Brunson, j.
/ :. Motla,t, +. y. Smith, J A. lloyt, T.
| IL. Hyatt, w. {. Thomson and Jcre
niah Smith hc and hereby are appointed
! 10 prepare an address to the people OF
| Souih Carolina, setting forth the work
and issues before us, and to plan for and
! perfect "n organization OF the prohibi.
upnI&tS Tor the coming campaign.
| In accordance with the above, we sub
NIT the following address:
To TUE pEorLE or Sorrll CARollNA:
TN Pr"hibitiorists Of the State are
encouraged to make another appeal
TO the voters fer Il supreme effort along
the line tor the abolition OF the manu-.
| larturc and sale Of liquor in South Car.
oIinA For many years tive men and wO
men 0' our state have tOilcd earnestly
TO tNcCt legal prohibit 'on Of the iiuuor
traffic, and gratifying progress was be.
ing made not only in hnni>h ny the Ii.
ccnScd saloon from AL territory without
Incorporated towns and cities, but there
was mulch being accomplished in the way
oi reducing the plumber Of saloons here
ana there, and also in securing control
OF the smaller municipal ties th; ough
the ballot box or restrictive legislation.
! his progress in temperance reform in.
duccd an application to the regularly
constituted authorities Of the Democratic
party in control Of the election machine.
~ Of the State Tor a separate box in
which to vote for or against Prohibit
on, and this privilege was granted in
tie primary election Of 1892, rcspl'ing
~, htl, E,,r
gal prohibit on of 'hc liquor traffic ara
along with thi- rcsult there WAS obtained
Il clear ms jprity Of members n the lower
House, who passed Il strict prOhihitOry
measure in accordance with the verdict
Oi the people This measure Was dc.
icatcd however, and in its stead was
substituted the dispcnsa"y law for the
regulation and control Of the traffic, an
importation that was recognized rs con
trary to the wishes Of the people and in
direct conflict with their asccrtainCd
verdict. Thus the q SpcDSary began its
career as supplantcr, and it has made
seven years OF unCannN rCCOrC, marked
by bloody and disgraCcful steps from the
beginning.
The present condition of the liunor
business can harIly be said 10 hc salts.
factory to II single Intelligent person in
the State. When the lispcnsurv law
was first adopted, thousands Of our hon
est people hoped for, and expected much
from it. They were told that the re
strlctirr features Of thC law would hr
enforced 10y sober State officials, who,
not having any financial interest at
stake would labor to reduce the CON
SUMPTION Of liquor and make thc GiSpcn
sary system stepping stone to prohibi-
ton The disp nsary had been in opc
ration but Il short time before the greed
Of gold began 20 manifest itself among
high officials, and pressure was brought,
to bear upon dispensers To increase
sales The annual salary paid common
county dispenser would buy thirty bales
Of cotton, and he was given to under.
stand that his dispcnsary must be proh;
able TO the State or it would be closed
and himself dismissed from the service.
The sales inCrca9cd at once and have in
creased month by month ever since: SO
that to. day The State is selling nearly as
much liquor as ever did the old bar.
rooms in their palmicst days.
And how could il bc otherwise? The
appetite fer drink is The same and every
hindrnncc to the sale Of liquor has been
swept away, The door OF the disp n.
sary stands wide open to serve every
one that will buy. No knowledge Of the
purchaser necessary, no inquiry as to
the purpose for winch the liUuOr is
wanted, and no SIG atur to any rcuucS, ;
simply pay your money aLd take yonr
liquor, as much rs you can carry, if You
like. So indifferent and dcmOrnliIcd
have become our State and county OH
CialS. that although these yiOlal 0ns of
, law are known to all Of them, they have
neither the m;nlincSs nor moral courage
to try TO bring the Offenders 10 iuStinc