The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-04-19
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF INTEMFERANcE.

George r. Scott Writes in Sarcastic Vein
Abont "Our SaIoons"-The Question OF
Individual Respousibi1ity-The Prod.
uct of the GinInill as an Exhibit.
A Presbyterian minister Of New
York State in an address to lis con-
gregation urging that something should
be done to break up the saloons called
them Our saloons" writes George r.
Scott, in the New York Witness. The
two words quoted are full Of mean
ing, for the saloons of every town or
village in this State are "our saloons"
made so by the act OF the majority Of
the voters.
In the village in which I reside the
saloons do not exist on account of my
vote, but in opposition to it; therefore
they are not our saloons" as far as l
am concerned.
But the word 'our" takes in every
voter who said by his ballot that he
wanted them. If a voter did not know
what he was voting for he was not fit
TO vote. But the truth is that those
who voted against no license knew
what they were doing. Three men
Viz NOlSu 1Ol llCSuSS nave S]ASS >ohS
to me to do my best to save their boys
from drunkenness, but it is q difficult
thing to do to get a boy out of the
clutches of his fathers vote as far as
the drink question is concerned.
Can a respectable man feel proud OF
'our saloon" in a village, even if he
did help to plant it there?
AS it has been decided by the Su-
preme Court that a saloon has no in
herent right to exist, it is left to the
people to choose whether they want
them OF not. If / wanted saloons in
my village 1 would vote for them; as
l do not. l vote-when the opportunity
offers-against them. That relieves
me from all responsibility in the mat
ter. When a man is Keeling home drunk
to his family in my village no pangs
of conscience smite me, but thankful
ness to God takes possession of my
heart that the poor drunkard cannot
say, MI. Scott, you had a part in max
ing ne the bad young map l am.
Yet the first voter the drunken man
meets who voted for the license is
guilty of being one of those who took
part in establishing a hellhole in which
to ruin him. The explanation some
times made that those who get drunk
will get drunk anyhow is a lame ex-
cuse. It Is for the protection of your
weak brother that your ballot should
be cast.
I do object to men asking me to save
their boys from, the curse they voted
upon them, especially when they are
ready to do the same thing again when
they have the opportunity. For the
sake of the boys l will always do what
l can to help them out Of the mire, but
while so doing my respect for such
fathers is not increased.
/ can understand how a very bad
father can vote to permit "our saloons"
to exist by the score, but cannot even
think why any good father wants to
be q partner in such an arrangement.
Every good father should first pull
his vote out of O saloon before he asks.
his son to stop drinking at its bar. The
supposition is that what is good enough
for a father to vote for is good enough
for his son to drink. If it is not'the
father should cast a different kind OF
vote.
"Our saloons are altogether too au-
merous for the public good. The old
fashioned permits to run q saloon had
printed on them, For the public good
name of the saloonkeeper) is hereby
permitted to SELL" etc. But there. is
now too much sense to permit lawmak-
ers to put such language on a license
permit. There would be more pro-
priety in having printed on a license
certificate the words, for the purpose
of injuring the public John Smith is
hereby permitted to sell at his bar
spirituous and malt liquors as a bever.
age.
Our saloons are mean places.
They were not instituted to do the peo-
ple good, but for the avowed purpose
of making money no matter what the
result may be.
Did you ever take a look at the pro.
ducts of a saloon or saloons? l have.
About a year ago, on a hot summer S
day. a miserable drunkard was fast
asleep on the stoop of a saloon within
200 feet of the spot where l am now
writing. He was ragged and filthy.
His mouth was a trap to catch flies
that did not know enough to leave 1t
before be occasionally closed his jaws.
His face, neck and hands were full OF
bruises. He could swear when he
spoke or attempted to speak. His COM
plexion was everything but attractive,
and he grunted likes hog. Drunk
through and through he knew not who
he was or where he came from. A po-
liceman gently tickled his feet with
his club to bring him to his senses.
An onlooker proposed to rub his ears,
but q newsboy intimated that the
mans ears had nothing to do with his
being drunk. Twice the poor trunk
ard threatened to nearly kill everybody
WlIhin his reach, but he had not the
power to put his drunken desires into
practice.
:. This product Of a saloon was taken
to q police station and was 10 doubt
sentenced to prison. What do y6u'
think of the way ''our saloons" use up
their customers?
whisky Got Bim.
Ten years ago there was a certain
bright young business man in Atch1-
son. Great things were predicted for
him. Finally he began losing ground,
and at last failed altogether. Whisky
got him. When he began be used to
saw he could take a drink or let II