The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-06-28
PRoH1BITIoNIsTs APPEAL.
An Address From the Recent Colum-
bia Conference.

Marion, June 23-Mr. Louis J.. Bris-
tow, who was secretary Of the recent
Prohibition Conference held in Co.
lumbia, today gave to the press of the
State the address of the conference,
which he was commissioned to write.
The delay in issuing the address was
occasioned by illness in Mr.. Bristow's
family, and his unavoidable absence
from his home. The paper follows:
To the people Of South Carolina:
The prevailing = condition brought
about by the sale Of intoxicating IL
quors through the State agencies and
otherwise is such as to deman the at
tention of even the most thoughtless,
and we have endured the evils rising
out of the liquor traffic until we feel
the necessity for determined effort to
remove the entire liquor business: We
therefore, appeal to all good citizens
Of the State to join US upon the fol-
lowing grounds:
The sale Of liquors for beverage
purposes is not function Of govern
ment. The State cannot enter into
any competing business with her citi-
zens. The State has no better right
to engage in the sale of liquors for
profit than she has to engage in cock
fighting, in horse racing, in gambling,
or in the setting up Of dens Of in
fanny.
The evils arising out of the liquor
business Of the State are literally hor-
rible. 1t is generally admitted that
three-fourths of the crimes commit
ted by our people are directly due to
the drinking Of liquor. The homicides
have increased in the State since the
enactment of the dispensary law more
than one hundred per cent, while
crimes Of all kinds have kept pace in
proportion.
The dispensary system has in-
creased its sales Of intoxicating IL
quors enormously every year, and last
year it consumed s3,5Oo,oOO-the
equal of one hundred thousand bales
Of cotton-of the common stock OF
the State, and put back in its stead
mere pittance in education while it
poured into the State mtIn1ns upon
millions of its own evil products.
The men employed to conduct the
liquor business Of the State must nee.
essarily be Of low moral conceptions.
Before man can get his own con-
sent to serve in the business he must
put the money he is to receive for
SUCH service into one side Of the
scales and into the other he must put
the sorrow and shame, the poverty
and crime, disease and death he is to
be instrumental in bringing into the
homes Of the people. If with him the
money outweighs and he strikes the
bargain it is because of his moral OBJ
liquity. Hence the dispensary can be
conducted only by the weaker mem
bers Of the human family, and is open
to all kinds Of crimes, as is evidenced
by the large number Of dispensers
who have come short in their ac-
counts, and the general charges Of
corruption. from top to bottom, which
have become the common talk of the
whole State.
The interest and excitement mani
tested when it comes to the election
Of a member of the liquor board by
the legislature indicates that the free
distribution of samples has had the
usual effect, and it is commonly ac
cepted as true that members Of the
liquor board WELD more influence in
legislative matters than any like num-
Der of members Of the legislature.
This, in all probability, accounts Tor
the fact that enough South Carolin-
ians were found in the legislature to
vote the passage of law which al
lowed the establishment of dispen-
sary by the vote Of a bare majority of
those in favor Of liquor selling, while
it demanded, in addition to a major
ity vote of sober, God-fearing men, a
tax of thousands Of dollars laid upon
themselves to get rid of a dispensary.
The constant violations Of the dis
pensary law by those whose duty it is
to execute the law is rapidly carrying
our people into utter disregard Of all
law. The restrictive features Of the
dispensary law have well-nigh been
obliterated; so that any and every one.
just when he or she pleases, buys,
without signing any request" all the
liquors desired. Instead of restrain