Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-06-15

the most of our people who use
whiskey at all are druakards, and we
don't think "a Prohibitsonistp would
say so after a careful consideration
of the matter and according TO the
full and generally accepted definition
of the word sdrankard."
Again, you spoke about the States
having free schools. Yes, that is 80,
and it is fact, too, that very few OF
them have your so. called prohibition.
They prefer to have the straight
thing rather than pretense--a fail
ure, as prohibition wherever tried
has proved TO be. Prohibition, when
we view it logically, means q great
deal; it robs the majority Of our
people of certain rights that honestly
belong TO them, and for the class it
seeks 30 benefit must it does them
practically no good. 1t is something
God himself did not, to my knowl-
edge, attempt, but has allowed good
and evil to exist side by side and has
left it with us which we will choose !;
but of course he would rather we
choose the good. If by kind persua.
tion and the promise of happy
home and brilliant career, a long
life and good health, we cannot re-
frain from being drunkard. 1--WE of
all men are most miserable" and
there is no hope for us in statute or
prohibition law. Nothing but Di-
vine mercy and influence can save
the confirmed drunkard.
Now, Prohibitionist, you say the
sale of liquor is either right or
wrong. Which do you saya If you
say wrong, it evidently needs re-
striction in it's sale; if right, it
needs no restriction. Since most of
us, perhaps, have come to the con-
clusion that whiskey and its sale is
an agent for evil, and if that be a
fact, is it not the States unbounded
duty to restrict and control the sale
and use of this evil as much as possi-
BILE, just as she does other evils or
wrongs, such as stealing, numbering,
epidemics and many other things ?
You have confessed that the sale and
use of whiskey is an evil, but say the
State has no right to restrict the
evil or sell it. Now, ask you, Who
does and if the State has no right
to sell it or restrict its sale, how are
you to get prohibition
In conclusion we desire to
say to the people of Oconee county
that the dispensary is the most
logical and feasible way out of
the evil of drunkenness and God
knows it is bad enough, but is far
better than the old bar-room system
or blind tigers with their corruption,
immortality and defiance of law. And
l wish to ask the people, Who were
the chief supporters of the prohibit
tion ticket few years ago in this
State? Almost without an excep-
tion the drunkard, the blind tiger and
the ex-bar-room men were found
among that number. Watch where
they will be found, and how they
vote, and the side they take if an
election for and against the dispen-
sary is ordered. If we are going to
use whiskey let US have it according
to law and in a way that will help
to pay the expense of the trouble it
will and does cause, and place it
where all can get it legitimately, and
thereby lessen the temptation to sell
it illigitimately, which the dispen-
sary does, according to the state
ments of two of the gentlemen who
have been carrying around petitions
asking for vote for and against it..
These gentlemen stated that the
blind tigers were nearly all gone in
consequence of the dispensary law.
They could not compete with it !;
hence the logical conclusion is that
so soon as we abolish the dispensary
we open the field for the tiger, and
he will rush in in defiance of prohi-
bition, law or anything else. 1t is
up to "Prohibitionist" to say which
he will take-prohibition with its
blind tigers, or the dispensary, which
does pay its own expenses and some
thing more, and does its business
openly and above board. 1t is not
exactly the thing we want, but of
two evils it is the least, and hence
we think the people of Oconee had
better let it alone and teach their
children by example and precept
never to drink the stuff which it and
the blind tigers handle. Through
this means we may hope some day
to drive this evil and blighting
curse from the world. But we never
will by Legislation make men sober
and honest; that is accomplished
more by early training, precepts and
the right kind of examples. Of
course there are exceptions to the
rule. However, let us vote logically
for and against the dispensary when
the time comes-not prompted by
selfish motives or through prejudice,
but rather by that which, to our
minds, will be the best for all and
tend to the uplifting of poor, weak
and fallen man. When we have
oonscientiously done this, let the
result be what it may; we will be
free from all blame, having done our
duty. Moralist.
Are Your Lungs Weak7
Does the cough, left by the grip-or