The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-09-27
Unfair Statement.

Tn the discussion Of questions which In
terest the public, and about Whlch Inefe
NAV be as many different shades OF opln
ions as there are men, 1t would seem 10 u'
that the respectful and fair presentation ol
facts az we'll as just deductions from the
same, should govern intelligent and SELL
respecting men.
In the discussion Of the dispensasy 1t occurs
,o ma that there is neither occasion for self
lsudat,on nor warrant for disrespect for those
who hold different views.
1.-THE Press and Banner was on the witness
stand, we would testify that all south Caro-,
liuians love South Carolina that they are all
patriotic, that men from all the ranks wouio
take up arms for the protection Of the honor
of the state II assailed by the stranger or the
alien that we believe the Intelligent ana
self-rsspecting public have little patience
with tho man who by Implication claims to
be batter than the man whose principles he
may be sssailipg.
How can the public have more respect for q
prohibitionist who joins the license advocate
than they hold for the license advocate
How can the prohibitionist claim to be oelIef
than the license advocate? Are they not
equally honest? Is not defender of the ols
pensary system as honest and as good as the
"prohibitionist," whether or not he ahliates
with the license ele ment:
It 10 matter OF opinion whether the dis
pensary ought to be continued or mol. Ihe
fsots In the case warrant us in believing thai
tho dispensary system 10 the best that has
vet been devised. When the law came Into
effect there wore In the State, 80 We we've told
in the newspapers, 500 licensed grogshops,
and 5000 men wsre engaged in the sale OF
LIQUOR. The 100 dispsnsaries give employ
mont TO perhaps 500.
Under tho license system these 9ss bar
rooms kept their places Of business open al
night, and were not always closed on Sun
day.
Under the dispsnsary no liquor is sold
from sunset until sunrise, and 10 LIQUOR has
been sold on Sunday.
This editor waa prohibitionist all his life
until tho Inauguration Of The dispensary
system. After having in this town, license,
high license, prohibition and the dispensary,
our testimony would be that We have less
drunkenness and less disorder under dlspen'
sary than under any other system Of dealing
with liquor.
We regard high license as the most wicked
Of all the forms OF dealing with liquor. It.
offers more inducements TO fraud, extortion
and improper use Of liquor than any other
form.
In hgh ting tie dispensary some most e1-
cellent men have fallen into errors 80 grave
that their statements are not far from wrong
doing. We refer just now 10 statements
recently credited to Mr.. Cromer OF New
berry. In the paragraphs copied into the
the Literary Digest, more unfair. or more un-
just, or more unfounded statements, would
be hard to find. As We understand, Mr..
Cromer is man Of education, and one who
Ut an ds SO high with his fellowmtn that we
are surprised that he should resort 10 speech
that would not tally with the facts. None
have been more partizan or more unfair. The
public 1t seems to rs expects a man possess
ing his great influence 10 conduct bis cam
paign on higher or better principles than are
in dicat ed by the quotations in the Literary
Digest.
Nobody objects to Mr.. Cromer fighting the
dispensary. That is bis right. But be has no
moral right to misrepresept the dispenEary or
TO malign those who sustain It. There are
plenty OF men sustaining the dispe nsary who
are just as good, just as pure, just as temper.
ate. and just az honorable as Mr.. Cromer.