The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-10-25

The snti.dispensary forces made up Of Pro.
hibitionists, high license men and the blind
tiger. present . somewhat am using state OF
things. At least two Of the leading daily pa.
pers OF the state, those that are plotting the
snu dispensary light, ARE confessedly for high
license. and yet msrtisled under their ban
nor are prohibitionists and blind tigers. Sup
pose, for make OF argument. that this Babel
OF forces should win the fight. Each is the
antithesis OF the other, and united now, only
Dy common hatred OF the dispensary and it.
origin. Neither Is sufrioient to prevail Of It..
self. Once the hated dispensary has been die.
posed Of with the leading daily papers refer.
red to, using every influence for high license
we quake for the potency Of the "water wag-
gon." Perhaps the despised adherents OF the
dispensary may yet be called on to save the
prohibitionists from their friends.
Would 1t not be we'll for tho sincere prohibi.
Zionist TO stop and reflect for o moment. he 10
not dealing with citizenship Of saints. or Of
noodles. There are temperate drInkers and
intemperate drinkers In this state. and In the
aggregate they very much exceed the prohi-
bitionists. This element will have. liquor,
the wealth!er by ordering 1t from other states
and the poor through the blind tiger. Can
the prohibitionists, small minority OF the
states citizenship, expect by the mere passage
OF an act or acts to enforce reformation upon
be majority? Where the moral sentime ent
. not changed and the majority is out OF
sympathy with an act aud unwilling TO give
IL moral support that act becomes . nullity.
Witness, for instance, the distractions that o
minority has thrown in the way OF tho oper-
alton OF the Dispensrry Law. Too dra.tio for
the high license man, not drastic enough for
the prohibitionists 1t has been fanked and
fred upon BY these two forces In every con.
ceivable way. That it, operation has proven
In measure successful 10 . wonder. Once
your common enemy is oisarmed, do you ex
pect fairer treatment Of tho license ad dvocates
or blind :tisers than has been accorded tn.
dispensary.
A great many good men advocate the
license system under the dispensary regula-
tions. They say that they are opposed TO the
state going into the business, hence they
would delegate this right to any OF her oiti-
zens, and exact compliance with the dispen-
sary restrictions. In other words, they would
put the license so high as 10 create q monopo-
ly in each county In the interest OF an indi-
vidual. instead Of thesstste, and they would
make that individual the States police agent
TO carry ont restrictions diametrically op-
posed TO bis interests. They would expect
fuller compliance from an individual whose
income 10 Increased with his sales, then from
the states appointed sgent whose salary H.
fixed.
Now then, after the dispensary IL is either
prohibition or high license. Prohibition,
with portion Of the dispenssry element dis.
gruntled, with the license element, disgrunt
led with the blind tiger lu1urstinR In the Cd.
portunity Afforded by divided public opinion,
or It will be high license, with the licensed
party, whose revenue.is his trade. required to
close the door on public days, before night
and on Sunday.
Way back, "time whereof the memory OF
man" ETC., some one taid. "I.st we'll enough
alone" Ifthe influence OF the press counts
for an thing; II q large existing whiskey vote
counts for anything. the time may come
when the prohibitionist may have occasion
to reflect on these az the truest words ever
spoken.