The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-06-25


ArPublished every Wednesday .. q
year In advance.
Wednesday, June Is: 1902.
Flesida Seeking Light On the Dispes.
sssy Law.
Senator p. W. Butler, OF Leesburg, Florida,
has written to the Greenville News, seeking
Information "a to the practical workings oi
the dispensary law In South Carolina. As
liksly TO agree, % the reports OF men who
oppose the dispenssry and those who favor
the dispsnsayy cannot be along the same
lines. Mr.. Butlsr can, BY writing 70 the
editors Of the city newspapsrs and men who
fhvor the license system, get one opinion. anc
feom those uho favor prohibition and sup
port the dispensaPy because OF its prohibitive
features. he oAn ges another opinion.
In reaching the answer to his letters Mr..
Batter should nnd out the personal feelings.
prsludiOes or convictions OF his correspon.
dent. Tho standpoint nom which the writer
views the matter may give color to his con.
vicsions.
For instance: This editor has been o pro
hibitionist all his life. and has worked
AGAINST the sale and use Of liquor. during >
liSeeims Of more than sixty years. He wa
% strongly spposed to the dispsnsary as any.
body could have been, bot since Il was forced
upon the town this editor has become. an
unaltsrable convert 10 the system OF control
hing the sele Of LIQUOR. Our reasons for SOP.
porting Tho Law may BE- colored BY some OF
thsse reasons:
I. Itsivss absolute prohibition nom sunset
70 sunrise 70 we'll % nom sunses Saturday TO
sunrise Monday.
Z Drunkenness has almost disappeared
nom onf gtrsets. In former times IL was by
say or od our stleets On Saturday and Sale
Day.
& The habit 0f treating has been broke on
up. root and branch. This school for training
crunksrts haa entirely disappeared, and !, 10
hoped that, when thsse drunkarde end their
days thas drunksnsn viii b unknown.
4 Tue bass were yoFmsfiy kept opsn until
. late hour ss night. and their back doors
were noe always kept closed on Sunday. The
psaess for temptation have bean closed, and
no man ean buy nquor as night.
& Ths 6ispenaa1y commends Itself 70 tenn.
pssanss people esosuss no liquor 10 sold on
sssdii No man may pledge his weeks wages
o. his viis's jsvsiry ioe drink. The oasb
musk b paid at The time Of purchase. and
this fsos of itsslf II Q great restraint.
g II men must havs iqunr they may rely
inpiisssy On sss,ins what they call for and
pap FOR.
I. No drinking d allowed ON the premises.
and nv men will buya pint 70 drink It ous oi
The neck Of bottle bshind . fsnce corner.
q When the licensed bars were closed s0e
hoases we're left for other and better
bosiness. TLs sstiusie ID. that 5000 pesops
vsss actively engaged In the LIQUOR trafno ai
shst time.
q Since the dispsnsary Law. only about one
hundrsd houses are occupied with the liquor
tSafie. The number oS employees has been
reduced nom 5000. 70 perhaps 30 In tho dis.
psasaries throughout the State. while ss tho
central of3os not over 500 persons are em
ployea. largely women who wish 70 earn an
honest sum.
H The result OF the dispeuaaEy, therefore.
- 70 reduce the number Of men and houses
devoted 20 the business: The men from 5000
% 100. Ths houses from go 70 100.
II. The advantages Of the change in Abbe-
vilis. has been Improvement OF the streets
and nsishhofhoods. Not long ago tho incest
jsvslry store that Abbsvilis erer had wsa In
Store room from which liquor was rstaiied.
kA nm q. -
and next door 10 IL 10 our dispensary. where
st was lately moved. In all OF tho United
states ~ prssums . post once could not bs
Spone with only . brick wall separating Il
nom Q barroem.
u The dispennry has bean the death
knssi Of pool and billiard playing. and places
1ug Ne resort Of mixed crowds Of boys and
nsn q night d NO moro.
Il The arrests for drunkenness In this
town hAs been reduced 10 minimum. They
20 nos % all compare with former srresta
~ IL thsse IN . sober man In Abbeville
who voald return 10 the barroom sysiem. or
70 prohihition-when We had fres lqaor-.
We Do rot know cf the fsct
10 This editor has lived on tho public
Square sor forty years. In that time We have
haa
Z High License
Prohihition,
Lieense.
Dispensayy.
II. Oar icstimony would be that prohibi-
ton rave % moro drunkensss and moro OF .
1ssliny of unrest than anything else. High
haease waa the most veritshle humhug. II
0opriyed moor and honest man Of the priyi.
lses ofssilthg. Itgsso . few the monopoly,