Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-10-27

remember that 1t was but yesterday
that a fearless criticism laid bare the
men time to learn. But let US who pro-
pose to teach, declare the whole tre-
mendous truth.
4. So that conscientious men, pro-
perly enlightened, are shut up to pro-
hibition as the only way Of dealing with
this question. License being wrong, 1t
Is wrong in all its forms, for all times,
for all circumstances. The dispensary
is only a barroom spelled with 3D.
instead of a "B."
We are now free to answer some OBJ
jections: /. 1t Is said that it must be
license Cor dispensary) or free liquor;
of temperance reform could not hesi-
tate to choose license in this alterna-
tive. We answer, this ignores prohi-
bition as a third practical measure of
relief. This is exactly the question,
will not prohibition meet the case?
You affirm that prohibition Is imprac-
ticable. Well, we simply deny your
proposition. We have as good right to
say it Is practicable as you to say 1t Is
impracticable. But as nothing is really
gained by assertion either way, we on
ly as you have tried license, assured
that 1t will not be, that 1t cannot be,
80 complete and conspicuous failure.
g. In another form the objection Is
sometimes put, prohibition does not
prohibit. Well, Of course. 1t will not
prohibit unless we make 1t prohibit.
1t Is not a patent labor-saving. respon-
sibIlity- shifting device. 1t Is but a
machine. as 1t were. that ever needs a
man. a community, behind 1t to make
1t go. But who. We ask, Is raising the
cry, prohibition does not prohibit"
Friends, there Is an old Latin proverb
MOS ct ..dona ferentes. The general
principle Is. look out for pretended
friends ask yourself who Is 1t that Is
giving advice so glibbly; inquire the
why Of their advocacy. And let me
remind you that 1t Is not the sorely-
tempted man, manfully struggling
against the thirst for drink, that Is
raising this cry. Nor is 1t the true
lover and helper Of his kind. No,
sir! no. sir!- it Is the ex-saloonist and
his familiars-the ex-saloonist who
wants to be in business again. Run
ming blind tiger" Is marvelously sue
cessful and remunerative, so they say;
but somehow they would rather have
the "old stand open front and side and
rear, o. ce more. 1t Is little suspi-
3. But men will drink, whatever
you do." So in yet another form the
old, familiar objection is put. But this
argues lack Of faith in God and In men
that deserves the sharpest rebuke. 1t
is, indeed. only by faith in God and as
we'll in men that any reform or prog
ress can become possible. I remember
that history tells us that Varro, the
losing general In the utterly disastrous
field Of Cannae, when Hannibal was
at the gates Of Rome, that Varro, in
stead Of being censured, received a
vote Of thanks from the Roman senate.
Why? Because, in that darkest hour,
he did not despair Of the republic. And
so let 1t be our shame, If, In the dark
est hour, we despair Of the sound in
stincts and high purposes Of our re-
deemed humanity.
4. Yet some are ready to say, be
this so or'not, 1t Is matter with which
the pulpit has nothing to do. But let
US see. 1t may help us all to clearer |
views just here If we ask a few ques- |
tions: (D What Is the pulpit fighting?
(2) How are We fighting It? We an
swer. in the first place, that we are
lighting a political creed, or a party
expedient. That this question has in
deed a political side. in other words
that men on the other side have drag |
ged it into politics-this Is no concern
OF ours. The pulpit claims the right, |
which none can deny, to smite immor- |
ality wherever we find 1t, In individ-
uals, in corporations, In politics and in
governments. We go back Of the po-
litical expediencies Of the fleeting hour,
and say simply, This thing is wrong!
But are we fighting, we ask
Aoh 10 oxyf1 In
manner? Well, certainly |
some may have thus erred in the pull
pit, but the examples are neither nu-
merous nor conspicuous. The church, |
as a body, has ever been mindful Of
her duty as q teacher. She has been |
bold, plain, faithful. 1t has been only |
the truth that has offended men, as she |
has proclaimed 1t. Her manner has |
ever been that Of a mother tenderly |
dealing with the slowness and the mis-
takes Of her children.
But there Is further view Of this |
branch Of the subject that must not be |
overlooked. 1t touches the sacred right |
Of self-defense. The saloon Is the
sworn enemy Of the church. We can
not let 1t alone because it will not let
us alone. It Is robbing us Of our no
BILE youth, Of our Christian Sabbath, OF
our free institutions shall not every |
patriot, then, much more every Chris
tian patriot:
Strike for our altars and our fires,
Strike for the green graves Of our
sires,
God and our native land"
III. A few words must now be given
South Carolina,
The Dispensary.
What shall be say Of this hypocritical
device, this miserable makeshift, this
Trojan horse" the vaunted dispen-
sary? Perhaps to give a simple recital
of it's history will be its sufficient con-
Let us remember, then, that it was
substitute measure" put In place of
prohibition bill, whereby the prohibi-
ton majority Of ten thousand in the
state. was completely neutralized. Let
us recall that 1t was put forward as
the only practicable reform at the
time; and. indeed, accepted by many
Of US as a stepping stone to prohibit
tion." Let us note that 1t began with
q number Of excellent features. There
was, first of all. an advance upon our
old local option law. Under the local
option law a majority Of all the votes
Under the dispensary
law majority Of the ''freeholders."
Let US remember that there were most
excellent regulations as to hours Of
sale, selling to minors and to drunk
ards, registry Of sale, etc. There were
many Of us who rejoiced that under
this new law two-thirds, maybe three
fourths, Of the state would be under
and that the traffic would
be regulated, as far as it seemed posi-
BILE to regulate it. in the remainder OF
our beloved commonwealth.
But 1t was all a delusion and snare.
The political aspirants rang the
-, Iicnancorv 1aW hpinf |