The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-08-30
SLAVES OF DRUGS.

Fearful Prevalence Of the Eabit i
Prohibition Districts.
Not Being Able to Get Other Stimu
lants Cocoaine, Morphine ana
Other Drugs Are Used.
I The Washington correspondent o
the Columbia Record says Albert Lie
Der, one OF the most prominent citi
Z5ns Of Indianapolis, has baen in Wash
ington on his way to New York tt
meet his father, Peter Ljeber, United
States consul at Dusseldorf, Germany
Consul Leber ard his wife are re
tuning to the United States after q
long residence abroad, and will spend
some time in this country visiting rel.
atives and friends.
I was appalled, at some facts giver
me In the Arlington hotel by South.
ern man stopping there" said Mr..
Lieber to The Record correspondent,
and the statements are such that
they should receiVe the earnest atten.
ton of the best thinking people Of
the United States The gentleman
said that be had been informed that
physicians in many portions Of the
South, especially where prohibition is
In force, had found that the cocaine
habit was making slaves Of the negro
race. They were prevented from sat.
istying their appetites with beverages
o. some kind that would stimulate
and they had turned to cocaine, which
was being consumed in immense quan.
titles, generally being put in cider OF
some other drink. Physicians ha6
told the gentleman who had informed
me that the long continuance OF the
habit would prose more destructive tc
the negro race than anything on the
face Of the earth, inasmuch as it not
only wrecked them physically, max.
them despise work, but would kill
them of quickly. IL the Washington
Post Of July 3lst was an interview
with Mr.. E, J. Bowen, of Little Rock,
Ark, who gave utterance to precisely
similar views. He said that where CO.
Gains could not be obtained lemon ex
tract was being used In prohibition
communities. he said he knew a man
who used to drink it necessarily until
1t killed him. There Is often a brisk
trade In perfumes, red ink ard nearly
anything that could be used as a sub.
stitute for stimulating drinks.
i know OF my own accord went
on Mr.. Lieber, THAT in many prohibi.
tion counties in the country men and
women have begun the use Of opium
and drugs that will satisfy the craving
for stimulants Of some kind. 1t seems
to me that this Is a fearful argument
against some Of the existing forms Of
prohibition. Now, I believe In tenn
perance myself, but do not know
anything more foolish than to deprive
people Of stimulating beverages Of
some kind. Personally I would not
object to rigid prohibition against
Hhiskey in any community, but I be-
licve ali sensible people will admit
that beer and the lighter drinks
should not be shut out OF any commu
nifty. Let US take the very communi-
ties where good authority says the
people of race are largely turning
to cocaine and other drugs, and the
probability is the same state Of affairs
exist all over the South and in other
portions OF the country. Suppose the
prohibition laws should admit beer
and the drinks that do not produce
drunkenness unless used to the gross
est excess? These negroes would not
desire the awful drugs that they noW
use. The small percentage ct alcohol
in beer would satisfy their appetites,
and they would be happy. Human
nature demands something that
stimulates, and the least harmful OF
all drinks is beer.
1T the prohibitionists would deal
with human nature as it is and recog-
nize the demand for something stinu-
lating they would insist upon the ex-
clusion OF the ardent spirits ard ad,
nit beers, wines, etc. Prohibition
now results IN the sur:eptitiCu5 sale
OF whiskey where possible and the
shutting ont Of wines, beers, ect., be-
cause they can only be handled in
bulk. The effect is disastrous. Men
and wouen, especially the ignorant
ones, turn to opium, cocaine, nicotine,
ginger ale, with tnice as much alcho-
hol as beer; patent medicines, con.
tanning 20 to so per cent. Of alcohol,
and some of. the soda fountain drinks
that are bad as opium"
n @-iP Pr