The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-08-16
HISTORY OF PROHIBITION.
Since the Dawn of History Men Have
Tried to Stop Others Drink
ing.
Macon telegraph.


all had religious festivals in which
the wine played an important part.
The Bacchanalia, so called from the
wine god Bacchus, were first Of the
nature Of harvest festivals, but later
became riotouS orgies.
Wine is first mentioned in the Holy
Bible in connection with Noah. From
then on to the end it is frequently
referred to.
The Chinese claim the first crusade
against alcoholic liquors. One Of their
emperors as early as the eleventh
century B. c.. ordered the use Of wine
to be forbidden in the country. It is
said that the opium habit finally took
its place.
Early reforms are attributed to the
priests Of India and Persia; and the
early Budhists taught total absti-
nence.
The Holy Bible gives instances of
prohibition Of the use Of wine. The
priesthood were forbidden it when
on duty. Lev. x, 9. The Rechabltes
were commanded by their father, 10:
nadab. to drink no wine, neither build
a house nor SOW seed, nor plant vine
yards, nor have any; but to dwell IN
tents and be strangers in the land.
Jer. XXXV, PIG.
The early Greeks and Romans
seem to have had nothing in the ma
ture Of prohibition, but the Cartha-
genians, along with their infant sacrl-
fees, forbade the use of wine to their
soldiers and civil MAGISTRATES, until
the Romans appeared on the. scene.
Mohammed forbade the use Of al
eoholic drinks, and the use Of pictor-
ial. designs save those purely geonle-
trical. He also allowed polygamy,
and spread his religion with the
sword. It is said, however, that Tur-
kew, the heart Of Mohammedanlsm,
is by no means dry. Some of the
church fathers thundered against
the abuses Of the drinks; but vine at
that time was used extensively for
sacramental purposes.
King Edgar, Of England, by law
established near the middle Of the
eleventh century, restricted the mum
Der of taverns in London, and IN 1850
taverns we're required to close at cur
few. Parliament attempted in 1875
to restrict the use of gin by means OF
a prohibitory tax, which, however, on
" brought about illicit trade.
In this country, since 1769, the ma
tional government has placed inter-
nal revenue taxes and custom duties
upon liquors. Dating back as far as
April, 1908, there have been temper
ance societies in the United States.
The woman crusade led to the foun-
dation Of the Woman's Confederated
Temperance Union in 1874. In 1868
a prohibition party arose IN limos
and a temperance party in Michigan,
which eliminated in the National Pro-
hibition party, organized IN Chicago
in September, 1869, which has been
slowly gaining ground IN various
parts Of the country.
The earliest state laws were those
in Connecticut, adopted In 1889, winch
left the matter to local option. New
York adopted similar laws in lS4o'
Maine passed state prohibition laws
in 1916, Massachusetts,, Rhode Island
and Vermont in 1852, and New Hamp-
shire, in 1855. After these Deleware,
Indiana, Nebraska, Michigan, Lii
nois. Iowa. North and South Dakota,
Kansas Introduced prohibition into
its constiaution in 1880, and South
Carolint adopted the dispensary sys-
tenn in 1892.
Prohibition bills We're defeated IN
Texas. Oregon, Tennessee and fenn-
sylvania. After varied experiences
all these state Of the union when
adopted state prohibition repealed the
law, with the exception OF Name s
Kansas. North. Dakota and South
Carolina with the dispensary, the
greater number Of them adopting IN
Stead local option, so that at the BE-
ginning Of this year there were ~
States operating under the local op-
ton laws.
It is said that Kansas practically
has local option, no attempt beng
made at concealment for over dee-
ade; though some claim that TINS IS
true only in the larger cities. Ihe
same condition is said to exist IN the
other states having prohibition. Ii