The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-10-16
The Evening Piedmont.

The daily Evening Piedmont OF G%reenyllle
has issued an Industrial edition. 1t Is all that
the proudest city could wish. The enterpris-
ing city Is placed we'll in the line OF progress,
and It's success is enough TO make sleepy old
towns ashamed Of their slow growth. Able
VILE canpot compete with Greenville in en-
terprise and thrift. but hen the towns with
good people are called out, you can just bet
your bottom dollar that Abbeville will be
there. II our town cannot be great, our peo-
pie can certainly be g%ood-while we are
asleep. II the Press and Banner had the facts
upon which to base a publication like that OF
the Industrial Edition Of the Piedmont, we
would neither nod nor sleep sgainA
We are 80 good that our neighboripg coun'
try cousins threaten to come In and vote oht
the biggest cash business that We have-the
dispensary. Some fifteen years ago Abbeville
county voted more than four to one for pro-
hibitiop, when Tillman gave us the dispen
ssry. He, or some one else, said 1t was a step
toward prohibition. He, or some one else,
spoke wiser than he knew. 1t now turns ont
that the prediction was a true saying.
There are various kinds OF people who will
now vote for prohibition, or more correctly
speaking, for blind tigers.
First-Those who love liquor and think
that they will be removed from temptation II
the dispenssry Is dead.
Second-Those who hate to see the negro
enjoy 1.-THE fun OF getting drunk.
T%hird-It Is barely possible that a consider
able contingent would vote against the dis.
pensary as a spite to Abbeville.
Fourth-A number may vote against the
dispensary because somebody has said that
the dispensary Is doomed.
F%Inh-There is also a number OF "prohibi.
tionists' who think they are better than the
rest OF us, and will seek a little notoriety By
engaging In q holy war against those who
drink.
~Sixth-There 10 another class OF men VINO
believe that whiskey will be drunk anyhow,
and the county might just as we'll get the rev.
enue.
S~eventh-There may be others who would
love to see good Christians, and praying
brothers, handling express packages OF
LIQUOR. Some good men think that 1t Ia aw-
n for good men to handle dispensary money.
but some very wicked men would like to see
good Christians handling liqIor for the per-
sonal use of customers OF the express.
II all these unite. the dispensary will be
closed. At present II seems that the election
for voting It out cannot be held before the
General Election in November next year,
1908. II 1t is voted out then, six months long
er time will be required to close ont the stock,
30 that the dispensary by that route would
not get out before the Spring Of 1909.
It is proposed by some who claim to be pro-
h%ibitionists, that the Legislature at Its sitting
in January will be asked TO pass q prohibi-
tory law for the State; and 1t looks as II pro-
hibition was sweeping the country. But BY
next January the counties which have voted
ont the dispensary will have had some e1pe
rience with prohibition and blind tigers.
II that experience is favorable to sobriety.
then q prohibitory law may be enacted. II II
is unfavorable, then nc such law could be
passed.
From the act OF the Washington officials IN
placing Georgia In the revenue district with
South Carolina. It would seem that the Gov
erpment expects its revenue will be greatly
reduced. We believe 1t has been stated that
the revenue on liquor to the general govern
ment will be reduced from half million TO
less than fifty thousand dollars.