The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-01-04
Skirmishing Begius-Anti- -Dispensary Organ.
izatiou.
Editor The Manning Times:

SKl1IulSNuS -An-i-DlSpenSaly ulSau-
ization.
Editor The Manning Times:
I think the public should thank you
for the hall column devoted to the
notice OF the temperance meeting held
last Sunday evening. The subject Is OF
so much Importance, and the lmpera-
tive need of some active measure 10
lessen the evil is so apparent that IL
should find place in your excellent
paper. You were prevented from near,
ing all of the speeches, else you ,woulo
have modified part of your article II
was admitted at the outset OF the meet
inc that (l) Strong drink has always
been an evil and will always be an evil
until the millennium. That even with
local option or prohibition. backed by
the strongest pnblic sentiment TO up
hold the law, there would still be the
necessity of careful scrutiny and con-
slant vigilence to get the best results.
~ That there were honest differences
OF opinion as to the best way to control
the liquor evil. (3) That men could
not be made good by legislation, br;
the best legislation could only put a
restraint upon the men who drink: or
remove the temptation: Al That a
strong public sentiment was necessary
to the enforcement of any law.
TO your sweeping Indictment OF en-
couraging or winking at greater sins
than intemperance I ask to be allowed
to plead mot guilty" There are great
er sins, sins more damniug, and more
damaging to the human family, and l
have always tried to show their wick
edness and to condem from the pulpit,
as well as in private, a life guilty OF
these sins, and also to turn such from
these things. do not claim to be per-
feet, and I am liable to err in my at
tempts, but am sincere in such efforts.
The League is aimed al one thing
The suppression, as far as possible OF
the Incorporate use of liquor. 1t will
make war on the dispensary or a bar
room, or any sale of liquor which in
creases intemperance. The dlspensary
Is doomed and the time is not far dis
tant when it will pass away. The ad-
mitted corruption in its general admin
istration, the growth in the consump,,
ton OF liquor, and the adultera led
brands of liquor sold, will OF them
selves drive the dispensary law from
the statute books of South Carolina at
no distant day More than this-A
number of US feel that to take the prof
its from the sale of liquor and use it to
; lessen our taxes is to take blood-money,
money upon which Gods curse rests.
The sale of liquor in our local dispen.
sary is enormous. The population OF
the county of Clarendon is something
| like 10000. The sales for 1904 amount
to S66, 1O3.5 and the profits Sl2, 600, to
be equally divided between the county
and the town. Last year the saies
amounted to S54, 4442 5S, daily average
of S149.13 This year the average daily
sale has been S1Sl.10, an increase OF
s3l.e7 daily. The last purchase of
of LIQUOR by the State Board amounted
to 1885, 300 gallons, an average OF 1858
gallons for each county in the State.
Counting so gallons to the barrel we
have Is barrels for each county. DO
YOU not think we need to be aroused
| to the extent of the evil?
If any attempt is made to convert the
temperance league into polltlca! force,
such an attempt, if successful, will
prove it's undoing. Political lines should
not be drawn in its membership. lem
perance as political power is I'M
potent, but if the people who are ad-
hereuts of temperance principles will,
as individuals, throw their influence IN
the direction Of having the political
party, to which they may belong, nom
mate none but those who may be clean,
upright, and temperate men, then they
will become a mighty power IN the
community.
The one aim, Mr.. Editor. of the tenn
perance league is to promote true tenn
perance in our county, town, and State.
| Like yourself, ''we want to be certain
that we will not be led into an avail
anche of evils" We expect differences
/ of opinion as to what IS best or wlsest.
We do not claim that today is the best
time to remove the dispensary-the
public sentiment must first be aroused
to the dangers which threaten US. to
the need of enforcing present laws on
the statute books. In so far as you can
agree with US we want your hearty CO.
operation. We can and do not ask
more OF you. The dispensary is grow
ing evil. This you admit: There are
those of US who do not believe it is
the best solution, ultimately, of
the liquor evil, nor do we believe that
the dispensary law will ever be enforc-
ed as we find it on the statute book.
The skin of the Ethiopian can not be
made white, nor the leopard spots
changed. If the dispensary is swept
away, the advocates of the dispensary
must thank themselves for the result,
for they are idly sitting by and letting
the evil grow so great through the
violation OF the law. and through the
admitted growing effort to make as
large sales as possible, that many are
seeking to destroy the monster before
he becomes of so colossal proportions
that he will be irresistible. Why have
not the advocates Of the dispensarr or
ganized to curtai- the evil-to see that
the law is enforced? have lived where
the saloon was open, again where there
was no licensed sale of liquor, and here
under the dispensary. admit frankly
that the dispensary, In many respects:
is better than the open bar-room.
There are some features of the dispen-
sary that are deplorable. From my
own experience I will have tosay, that
with many and frequent violations OF
the law, the local option or prohibition
conditions are far preferable to the
dispensarv or the bar-room-
However you may differ from us,
MIR. Editor, we ask your cooperation
in every legitimate effort to promote a
temperate life and to lessen the evils OF
intemperance. We have respect for
YOU and for the sincerity of Your views.
Cordially Yours.
J. NJ. HOLIDAY.
: These figures are not absolutely
correct. for the reason that the Decem-
Der sales could not be gotten. Last De-
cember (l9O3l the sales amounted to
s9.637.65, and the profits sl,951.69- In
giving the sales for 1904, | estimated
the sales for December at SO, 900, and
oon h;,1 ic