The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1907-07-10
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, JnIy 10. 1907.

Wednesday, JnIy 10. 1907.
Reply From "Justice."
To the Editor of The Dispatch:
Histhe desire Of the writer to make
afew remarks to one who styles him
self, cone Who Favors Whatever is
Right the profound logical reasoner
in search Of truth. a
He makes a big ado about the head
inc, ssThe Board Justified" ridicul-
ing its writer and claiming to see no
iustifable reason why such a heading
should be placed over such a mean
ingless article, the conclusion is not
warranted by the premises. Now the
truth is this: We wrote no heading
to the article; we left this matter to
the discretion and Judgment of the
editor.
We gave, as we thought, q few valid
reasons for the establishment of q
dispensary here, and left the conclu-
sion to be drawn by the honest, unoi-
8 dpeople of the county. The editor
IA prohibitionist-drew this conclu-
sion and we are satisfied.
As to your logic, we must confess
that you could prove anything with
the unlimited latitude and twisting
you give your premises and it is USE
less for us to consider them, their in
validity being too plainly seen to need
pointing out, e.g. People drink whis-
key-an people drink whiskey, etc.;
laws are unjust-SOME laws are un-
lust;; or should we yet, this time, as
in the frst instance, all laws are un-
iuste Butitis useless to take up more
space with this.
Now, wehave great respect for con-
stituted authority and believe it be-
comes us as citizens to enforce and
obey the law. The board of control
are officers of the law and are ap-
pointed to execute the law, if they
fail to do this they r not just nor
honest.
Now, in regard to a dispensary
here, as We said before, whiskey is
already sold in g few hundred yards
oflour town; Columbia gets the money,
Brookland the DRINKS. Now if we
must have one, and under present
conditions we certainly must, why
not have the other; why not let those
who cause the trouble thus pay for
the protection and safety of us who
respect ourselves and the law? Is the
money worse than the DRINKS?
AS TO petitions, they, as we said be-
fore, are not counted under the Carey
Cothran law, but "He that is not
with me is against me-" and if the
anti''s have not majority on their
petitions. it is safe to say that the
majority is in favor of q dispensary
here.
No one denies that drunkenness is
an evil, but there r some people
who would make us believe that
drunkenness is the only and para
mount evil Of our country and never
open their mouths about anything
else; when the ten Commandment
the greatest of all iaws-never men
lions 1t; hut it does forbid n thing
which we consider the most henious
curse OF our country-adultery and
fornication. Now, I wonder what
Mr.. "searcher After Truth" would do
with the material that produces these
crimes? Every since Noah came out
of the ark, planted a vineyard and
got drunk on the wine, drunkenness
has been prevalent in the world, and
al the laws that have been enacted
have not prevented it, and I am one
of those who believe that nothing but
moral suasion and proper raising will
ever reduce this evil, therefore, we
believe to sell whiskey under the
strictest police control is much better
than to have a law we know people
will violate, and will never be en-
forced by the people like n who be-
lieves in whatever is right, and thus
to throw an influence on the rising
generation of disregard for all law.
A friend of mine, and a man who
does not drink either, told me the