The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1906-01-03
Can Prohibition Be Enforced?

This question arises in many minds in considering whether
they should vote "Dispensary" or "No Dispensary" in the election
to be held in Laurens county on January the 9th.
What is the answer to the question? Simply this: A law pro-
hibhng the sale of liquors can be enforced as we'll as any other law
that seeks to restrain the evil passions of men. The writer once
heard a judge, in charging a grand jury in a prohibition county,
say, 81 take it for granted that the law against the sale of liquors is
violated; every other law is" The judge was right. We do not
live in Utophia. AS long as men delight in wrong-doing, so long
will law be violated. This is a we'll recognized fact. Yet who asks
the question, Can the law against murder be enforced2 Who pro-
poses to abolish that law because in the United States, in 100. there
were 1916 homicides? Or because this was an increase of 2oo1
over the number in 1900? Yet, because in prohibition towns and
counties, there may be some illegal selling of liquors, men cry out,
"Prohlbitlon IS a failure; it cannot be enforced" The writer was
instrumental in securing the passage of a prohibition law for the
county in which he heard the charge of the judge above referred to.
That was more than twenty [2o] years ago So we'll pleased are
the people with its enforcement, that it has never been repealed,
though the laws of that State permit IL election to be held every
two years. Last summer, a gentleman who lives i'll a prohibition
town of 5000 inhabitants in Mississippi, said that they had only one
policeman, and his principal business was to collect the taxes. A
VIGOROUSLY bad town, whose reputation was S unsavory that
strangers dreaded to spend the night in it, has been completely
changed DIN character by the adoption and enforcement of prohibi-
ton. This is within the knowledge of the writer.
"Of the great commercial and manufacturing countries of the
world" says DR.. Strong, in his Social Progress" for 1904, "the
United States has by far the lowest consumption OF alcohol" In
Germany and III Great Britain, it is twice, and in France, three
times as much as in the United States. Why? largely because in
more than 900 entire counties, and more than 1900 cities and towns
besides, in the United States, prohibition prevails. Norway is de-
cared TO be the most temperate country in Europe today, whereas,
during the first fifty years of the last century, it had the highest per
capita consumption of any civilized nation. What has caused that
changer Restrictive and prohibitory laws. If they were not EN-
forced, no such effect would follow their enactment.
But one thing is needed to enforce any law, and that is a strong
public sentiment Let the people of our county determine to have
prohibition, and they will have it.
Let the friends of the cause not fail to turn out and vote.
M a" can be enforced; but whether it can be or not, every
man Is responsible for the discharge of his own duty in this matter.
II is a clear issue between the sale of whiskey by your vote or its
prohibition SO far as you are concerned. Vote right, and clear your
skirts OF all responsibility in the matter.
ROBERT ADAMS.