Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-03-05
down With
THB DISPRNSARY.
Powerful Appeal to Those
Who Think.
Plain, PRACTICAL, FEARLESS Truth

Responsibility For "Blind Tigers" Rests Up
on Those Who Support Them, and Res
possibility For tire DIspensary Rests Upon
Those Who Advocate 1t With Their Votes
Tho Plea That Whisky Brings Happi-
ness, Business or Prosperity DeIusion
and q snare-Materialization OF the Ca
lamity Threatened, Will Retard the Moral
Progress OF Generation.
Rev. w. G. Neville, pastor Of the
First Presbyterian church Of Yorkville,
preached last Sunday morning against
the establishment Of dispensary in
Yorkville, in accordance with a previ-
Gus announcement. There was a large
congregation in attendance; but 1t in
cluded only a few avowed advocates Of
the dispensary, the greater majority
being women, children, and well known
opponents to the whisky traffic. By
way of preliminary explanation, Mr..
Neville said that although 1t was his
purpose to speak 80 plainly that there
could be no misrepresentation Of his
meaning, he wanted 1t understood that
he did not bring his pulpit down to per-
sonalities. So far as the recent dispen-
sary petition was concerned, he had
not read it. He felt very we'll assured
that it contained the names Of church
members, and that was one reason why
he had refrained from the reading;
but, nevertheless, this fact had no bear
ing on what he would say. Even If he
had read the list he would not refrain
from saying what he intended to say,
and such caps as he would make would
have to be worn on the heads they
were best calculated to flt. He spoke
also Of having been slandered In con-
nection with the matter; but he would
leave his detractors to reap their own
reward. After reading Proverbs xiii,
20 to 80, Mr.. Neville spoke as follows:
We are again confronted with a prac-
tical issue in which the best interests
Of our community are involved. This
issue Is far-reaching in its influence,
both as to time and direct results. And
unless this question is settled in the
right way, we will have to suffer for 1t.
For whatsoever man soweth, that
shall he also reap" You SOW intoxica-
ting liquors, and you will reap drunk
enness and crime and poverty and mis-
cry.
The question is: Shall we have dis
pensary in Yorkville? Shall we DELHI
erately and wilfully open the legal gate
of our town and invite whisky to come
in, promising it the protection, the sup
port and the encouragement Of the
strong arm Of the law? Are the quail
flied voters Of our town going to the
polls and deliberately vote to bring
this gigantic and unmitigated evil in
to our midst and give 1t permission to
do its hellish work? That is the issue
which confronts us.
When I vote to bring whisky as a
beverage into Yorkville, or into any
other place, you may know that have
either lost my reason, or my religion,
or both. I have reached the point
where I can, and do take a stand on
this subject which will never give up.
And let me say to you, my friends, that
there is liberty and infinite satisfac-
tion in this position. am unaltera-
bly, and persistently opposed to the
sale of whisky as a beverage in every
form. detest the blind tiger; I abom-
mate the saloon; I abhor the dispen-
sary. There Is no good in any Of them.
They are all potent for evil, and help
less for good. Each one Of them Is a
gateway to hell. There Is certainly
something radically, intrinsically, and
essentially wrong with a business that
wrecks mems bodies, dethrones their
reason and damns their souls.
And do you ask me to cast my vote
and use my influence for q business
that is just as sure to accomplish these
results as the sun shines in the heavens
today?
What are the arguments for the es-
tablishment Of dispensary? They
may be reduced to three: 1. The dis
pensary will bring revenue. 2. 1t will
bring trade. 8. Blind tigers abound
and flourish. There may be other ar
guments; but these, I think, practi-
cally cover them all.
The first two may be handled togeth-
er as they are both based on a none
tary consideration. Has 1t come to
rfa
happiness and prosperity Of their fell
lows-yea the very souls Of their fell
lows-for a little money? Yes, with
some, it has come to this. In order to
increase their own business (Which I
deny) and avoid paying a mere pittance
in the way Of taxes, there are men who
have descended so low In the scale OF
morals that they would prefer to see
our boys and our men debauched and
made drunkards and some Of our
homes filled with strife and poverty,
rather than to miss the opportunity to
save or make little money. Such Is
the grasp which mammon has on them.
"The love of money Is a root Of all
evil" The dispensary brings trade!
II saves taxesi Yes, and what does
God say? Let the Almighty speak:
Woe unto him that buildeth his house
by unrighteousness, and his chambers
by wrong" "Woe unto him that giveth
his neighbor drink, that putteth thy
bottle to him and makest him drunken
Also" The man who votes to put
dispensary in Yorkville Is using his in
fuence to establish an institution that
is just as sure to bring crime and
drunkenness into our community as
two and two make four. And, If he