The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-16
Not an stApologist," but a Supporter
and Defender.

Not an "ApologIst," but a Supporter
and Defender.
II will be noticed that, apologists for the
legalized liquor traffic in this State, when
naming what they call good features OF tne
dispensary, never mention any feature LnaI
belongs essentially to the Institution. Iney
will speak OF the hours OF opening and clos.
ing and other supposed restrictions Whlcb
could be applied just az we'll to any otneI
form Of liquor shop, and II there were any
real desire for restriction, they could be mace
more effective in the case of the licensed 80.
loon keeper. since he would not pave at me-
back AN omnipotent State board consumed
with the desire for revenue from increased
sales. 1t Is safe to assert that no dispenser
fears the consequences of any violation OF
law that tends 70 increase sales. whenever
III everyone has been dealt with, II has been
for some delinquency IN satisiying Tue oe'
The "apologist" referred to may have been
the Press and Banner. This paper is no
"apologist" for the dispensary. We are an
avowed supporter and defender Of the law,
which, according to our vision, is the best
LIQUOR law that South Carolina ever had. Ao'
beville has had License, High License, Pro-
hibition, and the Dispenssry. The proof Is
conclusive that the dispensary 10 the best Tor
this town. We speak from the standpoint o'
q lifelong teetotaler, and prohibitionlst up
to our conversion to the dispensary. And
this con version came after experience With II.
As to the restrictions in opening and clos
ing, of which our respected brother speaks
We have had in the past no restrictions which
went into effect as early as sundown. and
none that were strictly enforced on Sunday.
When this newspaper some time ago urged
further restrictions we have no recollection
OF having received the touch OF the elbow
from anybody.
We would suggest that our temperance
friends, q majority Of whose followers are
LIQUOR men who either love to drink It or
want to see the bars open again, might be
more effective II they indulgedI in fewer
sneers at men who are as honest and who
are as sincere and who are as temperate, snd
who are laboring ss earnestly as they are for
the welfare OF the country. From our stand
point, 1t seems little presumptlous for men
whose followers are chiefly made up OF whisky
guzzlers to assume greater purity or higher
morals than their neighbors who look to the
temperance element, and not to the saloon in
1uence, for their support
We take 1t for granted that our much re-
spected friend has too much Intelligence TO
can be overthrown, except by appeals to the
liquor element.
As rule the opponents Of the dispensary
can have little support except from drunk
ards, the tipplers, and that numerous class
who would, upon general principles, love to
see the bars again licensed.
The friends Of the dispensary system look
entirely to the temperance element.
Knowing that liquor men would support
svowed temperance men in order to break
up the dispensary, and knowing that few
temperance men could not conscientiously
refuse to receive the vote Of any citizen, 1t lie
freely admitted that the liquor men may al
some future time overthrow the dispensary
by the use Of worthy, but misguided, tenn.
peranoe opponents Of the dispensary.
But 1t is alleged that some Of those who
are dissatisfied with the enforcement OF the
law have done nothing towards carrying out
the provisions of IL. Has any temperance
man attempted to enforce the requirements
OF the dispensary law? We venture to cay
that efforts along that line are few and far
between. Who ever heard OF any temper
ance man trying to enforce any liquor law
Are they not too pure to deal with any such
business? Are their hands not too clean to
touch the unclean thing?
II our respected contemporary thinks the
law is violated, has he doneisnything to cor
rect It? Does the dispenser in his own town
respect the law? II he does not, what has
our brother done about It? We answer for
him. He has done just as much as he or any
other temperance man would do to enforce
the prohibitory law-nothing.
We believe the fact is. the dispensers are
getting little careless about toeing the
mark.
II the Press and Banner or any other tenn
perance paper should protest and make a
noise about it, then all the liquor men in the
State, and may be few temperance men
might Join together to make great hula.
balloo, in the effort to destroy the advantages
we have already gained.
This newspaper thinks that the dispensers
should be looked after, and their places e1-
amined. The beer privileges are little short
OF an outrage, II not actually violation Of
the law. :.
We take 1t for granted that our friend is
perfectly sincere in his opposition to the dis
pensary. But we think, II he will look into
the following he would have, he will at least
question the correctness Of his position, aud
investigate whether he 10 not in the wrong
company.
Ia II not true that nearly every newspaper
in the State that is crying out against the dis
penssry is in favor Of the bars? Is II not
also true that the best and most forcible ed.
itorials that have been written against the dis.
pensary were written by avowed advocates
Of the bars?