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

In the discussion OF question: which In
tersst the public, and about which there
may DO n many different shades OF opin
ions - there are men, 1t would seem to ui
that the respectful and fair presentation ol
fscts a well ~ just deductions from the
same. should govern Intelligent and self
respecting men.
In the discussion OF the dispensasy II occurs
10 No that thsro 10 neither occasion for self.
lsudstion nor warrant for disrespect for those
who hold different Views -.
Ifthe Press and Banner was on the witness
stand, W would testify that all south Caro-
liuians love South Carolina; that they are all
patriotic, that mon from oil the ranks would
take up arms for tho protection Of the honor
OF the state II asssiled by the stranger or the
alien thai We believe the Intelligent and
sslf-respsoting public have little patience
with the man who by Implication claims TO
be better than the man whose principles he
may bc assailing. .....
How can the public have more respect for q
prohibitionist who joins the lioonse advocate
than they hold for tho license advocate
How can tho prohibitionlst claim 70 be better
than the license sdvocstef Are they not
equally honest? 10 not defender Of the dis
psnssry system % honest and a. good a. the
"prohibitionist," whether or not he smliates
with the license sls ment? d
II ID q matter Of opinion whether the dis.
psnsary ought to be continued or not. The
fscts In the case warrant NJ in believing that
the aispsnssry sys:sm II the best that has
Jet been devised. When the law came into
eject there were In the State. 90 we were told
In the nswspsFsrs. 800 licensed srogshops,
and 5000 men sGsre engaged in ths sale OF
liquor. The. De ,dispsnsaries give employ
mont to psrhapas 900 .
Under xhs pnss system these 900 bar.
rooms ksbiS plsoss OF business open at
night nj. sssd s always closed on Sun:
Under the tispsnsary no liquor il sold
from snnsst uaul sunrise, and no LIQUOR has
besn SOLD on e. ndsy.
This editor a ! prohibitionist all his life
until the Inauguration Of the 'dispenssry
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 dispen.
saTy than uncsr any other system OF dealing
with LIQUOR.
We regard high license a. the most wicked
Of all the forms of dealing with LIQUOR. It
offers moro inducements TO fraud, extortion
and improper uss Of LIQUOR than any other
form.
In lighting tie dispepssry some most ex-
esllsnt men have fallen into errors so grave
that their statements are not far from wrong
doing. We refer just now. to staten ents
rsosntly credited 70 Mr.. Cromer OF New.
berry. In the paragraphs copied into the
the Literary Digest, more unfair. or more nm
Just, or more unfounded statements, would
be hard to nnd. Az We understand, Mr..
Cromer d Q man Of education. and one who
stan do 30 high with his fellowmen that we
are surprised, that he should resort to speech
thst would not tally with the fsots. None
have been more partiIan or more unfair. The
public II seems to MS expects man possest-
ing bis great influence 10 conduct bis cam.
paign on higher or better principles than are
Indicated by the quotations In the Literary
Digest.
Nobody oh jscts TO Mr.. Cromer fighting the
dispenssry. That II his right. But he has no
moral right 10 misrepresent the dispensary OF
70 mslign those who sustain II. There are
plenty Of men sustaining the dispensary who
are just a. good. just a. pure, Just rs temper
sts, and just - honorable ~ Mr.. Cromer.