The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-09-23
"High License or Low Dives

~Hiph License or Low Dives
That Is the way the esteemed Augusta
Chronicle puts 1t in its fight against low IL
cense and for high license.
The Chronicle, like very many other earn
est workers for revenue, or morals. errs when
II favors On moral grounds high license, Whlcn
would deny to the honest, but poor dealer
the same right to sell l:quor that Is granted 10
others.
The Chronicle holds up the ghost OF prohl'
bition to support its demand for high license
which shows that its fight is not against the
liquor traffic as such.
That paper speaks of slow dives" as con-
trasted with the "high licensed saloon. AT
this distance, 1t seems to us that II one saloon
ia "low diye'' the other is q "high dive. and
the one is not better prepared for diving
than the other, except in the better equip.
ment.
The gilded saloon, with It's splendid
lights, It's marble counters, its pictures, and
its mirrors is more inviting to some than the
saloon which is not 80 nicely furnished. Inc
same demon turks in the liquor. wherever
found, II one place Is too nice for the loafer
and the laboring man, the other Is not nice
enough for that class Of drinkers who feel
their own superiority to those who may be on
the common level.
II the object OF the Chronicle Is merely to
put money in the city treasury, then the night
on the slow dives" seems unnecessary, even
II that paper should think the impecunious
dealer less honorable than the conductor OF a
"hIgh dive"
On the question OF raising the revenue OF
the city the Chronicle seems not so pronounc-
ed as 1t is In Its contempt for "low dives" 1t
wants, 80 to speak, "high dives"
The question OF license Is one for deliberate
consideration. There are many sides to that
question, and any rash action of the council
may be far reaching as to the rights OF the
citizen and the welfare OF the community.
The general welfare of the city must be pre-
served, and the council should not act simply
In favor Of the rich as against the poor-or In
favor of the "high dives as against the "low
dives"
II we were to be called upon to testify as to
high license or low license, and prohibition,
we would say that our belief is that prohibi-
tion makes free LIQUOR and high license is the
most iniquitous of all the plans that have
been devised for controlling or licensing the
traffic In liquor.
/. High license reduces competition.
Q. High license runs out of the business the
poor men who are equally honest with their
richer neighbors.
8. Poor men, as a rule. are just as honest,
just as conscientious. and just as goods citi.
zens as the richer neighbor who may be able
to pay the high license.
tition, the temptation to tamper with the II.
quor is greater, and under such system the
tendency is TO high prices for meaner goods
and shorter measure.
The Chronicle, among other things, says:
"Unless high license becomes an accom-.
plish fact within the next year or Two, We
themselves, will rush into the council cham.
ber and plead for 1t as their only salvation
against straightout prohibition"
When the better class of liquor dealers be-
gin ITO rush to the council' for protection
against prohibition, we hope the Chronicle
may find it convenient to telegraph the news
to the Press and Banner without delay. The
spectacle OF great droves of high class liquor
dealers running to the council for high H.
cense and exclusive privileges, on any other
ground than that which is found or can be
had ina monopoly would present scene to
please the angels and to delight the gods.
That there are too many saloons In Angus
Ia we presume no one will deny. But the
number should be reduced, not by discrimi
nation against the "low dives or by helping
the "high dives"
1t might be that license to sell liquor on one
street is worth more than on another.
It seems to us that in the better streets, or
better stands, the license should be higher
than in less favored places; or. 1t might be
better TO charge the same to all. In city
like Augusta $500 would seem to be a low fig
ure for the privilege Of ceiling liquor.
For the exclusive right to sell liquor We
doubt not that SIC, ,0O0 could be realized. And
we make the prediction that when the better
class OF liquor dealers rush on the council IT
will be for high license or exclusive priv
ileges, and not because Of any fear Of the free
LIQUOR that would come in the wake Cf prohi.
bition.
II the Chronicle wants to do real good
thing for the city, let it Investigate the dis.
pensary system Of South Carolina, and then
labor TO secure the law for all of Georgia, In
Guiding the city Of Augusta.
Speaking from the standpoint Of former
prohibitionist, and an abstainer from the use
Of intoxicants for more than sixty years. we
can say with hearty goodwill that the dis.
pensary is the best system that Abbeville
ever had. Abbeville has had license, high II.
cense prohibition. and now has the dispen.
sary. We now have less drinking and less
disorderly conduct than under any other sys-
tenn OF dealing with liquor. At present we
have prohibition from sun down TO sun rise.
No liquor is sold on Sunday. In ten years we
have had only one Sabbath desecrated by
drunkenness