The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-22
Mccormick Would Regulate the
Morals Of Abbeville.

Influence 10 the liquor element, would as
sumo TO himself higher standards Of morals
and oodicitizenship than he or they accords
TO others: When 1t Ia known that the
ranks of the blieged prohibition element
fhave almost no strength outside the ranks OF
those who really want license or free liquor
II Is u lit o ludicrous 10 see q temperance
man posing as the leader OF those who would
break down. the restrictions which are now
placed on the sale Of liquor II the advocates
Of license, the whiske y suzzlers, and dtluded
temperance men unite .tU break down tue
dispenSary they pay do II. Mr.>Sturkey Is a
man OfinlelIigence aud he must know that
with the exception OF u few individuals In
the different c~unimunitles there Is. no reaI
prohibition patty In. this State. He. must
know that1be few 'prohlbiti0nists" who are
running tHls campaign against the uispeb'
sary are III TACT Lending their Influence 10
anu are leading The saloon element.
A large per cent. Of our citizens opposs
prouiblllon. and they may be sntsIy counted
on to support any movement, under whatever
name, which, may have Tor its purpose any
modiicati6h OF the existing restrictions on
The tale Of liquor. We beIieys ihst Mr..
Sturkey is perfectly sincere in bis desire %
see liquor banished from the State. and the
Press and, Banner yields 10 no imam greater
zeal for any sane proposition which has for
its purpose the bringing about ofthe happy
condition,f Tor which he hopes and dreams;
and at which we would rejoice.
But we are surprised that he does not see
that he and other alleged prohibitionist.
are in TACT acting the part OF mere tools for
the liquor element. AS far as we have seen,
the alleged prohibitionists have not brought
out q single fac. or argument that was not
first presented to them BY the liquor ele-
ment. :
Mr.. Sturksy says:
"They 1.-THE people .of MoCormiokl are
prompted ny what they feel " 20 their duty
as cilizeps OF Abbeville county In the cause
OF God and humanity"
Such assumption Of holiness, while profsn-
ing the Name, 10 what makes US tired. Why
u man, whose chief support comes from the
license and the liquor element, while doing
The devils choioiest work, should quote God
as bis partner would not be excusable on the
| part Of u more discerning man.
Again. Mr.. Sturkey says.
ITO have stood still when an opportunity
| was presen ted TO erase from our statutes y
law that has proved to be q curse and, a
nindranoe TO tetnperance would prove US uh-
worthy OF citizenship" $3.50.
Who offered this opportunity - Was It
the liquor sellers OF. the liquor drinkers ?
A lone prohibitionist here and there Ger.
tainly had NO opportunity" TO offer.
| Who will say that the prohibition for
twelve hours is a curse, while claiming that
prohibition. for twenty-four hours Ii 80 de-
sirable ? Where ia the consistency7 II Mr..
Stuikey believes in prohibition, as we be-
lieve that he does. Will he not seek to have
more OF irby reducing the hours IN which
liquor mas be legally sold What he says
about "un worthy cit1zenship";o only shows
his presumption.
Does he: claim to be q better citizen than
those who refuse to join the liquor element
in their hight?
Is be qualified to assess the degree OF his
neighbours ~ciuzenship7 Then, indeed. we
have a prophet and a great man amongst
Us. -.
Further. Mr.. sturksy says:
1--WE believe you 1.-THE Press and Banner]
are blind 10 your own good when you de-
fend the. system by which the State sells
liquor 10 the citizens"
We believe that this expression, or words
to that effect, has been raid about ten
thousand1imes by men who would re open
our bars. IT looks TO US as If prohibitlonists
allow the liquor crowd TO furnish them with
all their argument.
Mr.. Sturkey says: -.
Woe unto him who puts the bottle to his
neighbours mouth"
Here 10 what the dispensary! law has done
along The line OF putting whiskey TO- our
neighbours mouths. 1t closed 800 licensed
bars, and set 5000 men free to- work at other
business than the sale OF liquor, opened ITO
dispensarles, In which 500 men were employ
ed. Where 800 houses, or store-rooms were
occupied by the liquor business, now only
about ITO Of those are used for the gale Of
liquor. :" -
Again. Instead, OF thess LII. places being
open for treating and constant drink.
ing, no liquor can be drunk on the premises.
Instead q being open until a late % at
night az were the bars, the diapensariel close
at sun down. The early closing Is worth
much TO the morals and sobriety'of the ,peo.
pie. - -
For a man OF Mr.. Sturkey's regard for fair
ness and correctness o. speeoh, 10 make use
ofsuch expression. as we have quoted above,
when the State had closed ninety per cent. OF
the liquor shops ia surprising 10 US. IT Isn't
isir by either express or in piled speech to
mlsrepresent the State. The State organized
the dispensary by which we have only one
tenth OF the liquor shops that we hadS before.
In Mr.. Sturkey's zeal for temperance be
seems to forget that there can be no such
thing as the exclusions OF liquor from this
State: By the Interstate law IL
quor may be brought into the State at the
pleasure OF Its citizens.
While the Press and Banner aooorda to
Mr.. Sturkey's sincerity OF purpose and purity
Of motive, yet we deny that he knows better
than We do the best mod OF controlling the
sale OF liquor in Abbevllie. We have lived
on the Public Square for forty years. In
that time We have had prohibition. license,
high license, and dispensary. Our testimony
would be that under the dispensary there
has been less drunkenness than under any
other law. Mr.. Sturkey probably comes TO
Abbeville for q day twice q year, and yet
with that opportunity for Information, he
claims to know better than the people Of
Abbeville what il bert for them. The idea Of
Mccormick seeking 10 regulate another town
twenty miles distant! Has that town med
died In the affairs of Bdgefeld or Lincoln
Counties? :
But whether 1t Is right or wrong for the
people Of Mccormick and the Savannah
Valley to regulate our affairs need not be
discussed here. We have no doubt that the
License elements and the tipplers will sup
port any movement which has for It's pur..
pose the repeal of the dispensary law. They
| nomnnaa q large per cent of the nitizenahIn