The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-08-12
BOSSISM.
Is a Boss Ticket Acceptable7

are anxious 10 cut Oh lEoh tne Puoie oeaooi'
one-third OF the net profit OF the dispensary,
estimated now at $50 600. which s5O,OOO 10 10 be
apportioned next February.
T%hird-They would cut If Sl5.WO which
will 60 TO the county for the betterment Of
roads and bridges, tor what reason, we are
not in informed.
Fourth-As an excuse for cutting of their
noses to spite their faces, they put up a plea
of "holier than thou" in their alleged anxiety
for the welfare Of people who do not thank
them for their meddlesome acts.
The boss promoters Of this scheme OF holier
than thou. having utterly and absolutely
| failed 10 secure anything like the requisite
number OF names to the petition to secure
the order for an election, on the dispensary
question, would now ask the people
10 send them TO the Legislature. where they
might possibly aid the movement for STATE
wide prohibition, without reference to the
wishes of the best people Of Aobeville Coun.
ty. In 1876 the battle cry was Hampton and
Home Rule We have not Hampton now,
ard the would.be bosses Of the town In Which
they do not live and to whic9 they have
evinced very little friendship would
destroy our home rule. These good men
are most excellent clllLtnS anu " VI
gentlemen, but the candidate In the Boss
Ticket who lives nearest TO AobeVille. seems
Eto be more friedly 10 Greenwood than 10 Ao-
beville. His talk would lead US TO believe 30
at least. The candidate on the Boss Ticket
who lives far hest ft m us has shown little
friendship for Ibis town, and It is fair to pre-
sumo that II AL ) body from AbbeVille should
90 to his home town and should 60 ID see the
people In the ID. K lois In effort to inter med.
die with the Hairs Of that town, good
people would have just reason to be indig-
nant, however good the intentions OF the
inter-meddler.
Except when there Ia reason for doing
otherwise, this newspaper believes that II ID
both good principle and good policy to vote
for ones neighbors and friends. And we can
conceive OF no good reason why the people
Of any town should vote for the would-be
Bosses over its government.
AS q rule The great public heart loves falr
play. That same great heart loves that true
m anhood which u Is developed by moral sua'
sion. 1t loves that honesty which comes
from principle. 1t loves and adores that rec
titude and sobrieiy OF life which comes from
conscientious convictions as TO right and
wropg. Our Bosses. 1t seems however, would
abandon moral suasion and attempt to fence
us in and make us temperate by cast iron
rules, ever as they fence in and curtail the
Or iviledges and rights Of the cattle that rove
their enclosed fields.
Instead OF preaching Righteousness, judg-
ment and temperance some preachers pros
titute sacred desks in holy temples by talK-
Ing about the dispenssry at Abbeville and to
the magDifying Of the number Of people
whom they charge with The crime OF drunken.
n cas-, We all admit that drunkenness is bad
indeed, but all men are not drunkards. In
this town OF Abbeville, we do not believe
that there are anyway near half dozen men
who may be classed as drukards. But there
are a thousand boys and girls who are iaole
to become lovers Of Intoxicating drinks. Dld
anybody ever hear from the pulpit reference
to this fact, with intention to instill temper
ance principles?
l, Did anybody ever hear a preacher warn
expectant mothers against drinking liquor
2 Did any body ever hear OF m preacher
warning nursing mothers from the use OF
spirltuous or intoxicating liquors?
8. We've all heard ofthe dangers or temp
tation 10 the drunkard that may be found
at the dispensary, but who has cared Tor tne
unborn child? Who has sought to protect the
innocent babe from acquiring the thirst for
into1icants as 1t akes in its mothers mtlk?
4. Who has heard OF any preacher warning
parents against setting the feet OF innocent
children in devious ways?
5 Who has inveighed against social drink
ing7
On the principle that an ounce OF preven-
ton Is worth a pound Of cure, Is 1t not better
to save our boys by moral suaslon than to at
tempt 10 reform the drunkard by the force Oh
the civil law?
Ofcourse there are men who honestly be-
lieve that intoxicating liquor should be ban.
Issued from the country, but there are others
who may be seeking a little notoriety which
they could never gain in any other way.
And there are men who are prohibltionists
from ulterious motives.
/. A large class OF prohibi,ionists may be
opposed TO the dispensary because their en-
ployed laborers or choppers enjoy a drink.
This class Of prohlbitionists generally belong
to that class of we'll to do citizens who would
destroy the poor mans credit BY the repeal OF
the lien law. Having land and some money
they long for q system Of servitude or slavery
that would practically made negroes and
poor folk their serts
2. Another class Of prohibitionists may be
opposed to the dispensary because Of their
unfriedliness to the city Of Abbeville.
3. Another class may be prohlbitionists
because they would deny to dying consump-
tives the drink that Is indispensable to the
]prolongation of their lives.
hpnthar claaa NJ nr0hIbiti0nigta might be
anxious TO deny TO those stricken with pneu
monia the right OF getting the necessary
stimulant.
5. Another claes OF prohibitionists may be
anxious to be relieved Of the necessity for
moral So aston, preterring to be relieved Of
that heart responsibility by the cold forms OF
law
6. Another class of prohibitionlsts may
care nothing for the decentralization incident
to the presence Of blind tigers. To allow or
to encourage the violation OF law is 10 break
down the barr iers that protect from danger.
Speaking for myself, 1 an now the only
survivor OF a family. My mother and her
children, died OF lung trouble, and for each OF
them the physloians prescribed stimulants,
Ia there any man In Abbevi1le county, In his
hypocritical cry for prohibition, who would
have denied me the right to minister TO theil
several needs? Is the re ar honorable man In
Abbevllle county so lost to human sympathy |
that he would deny the right OF a physician
to prescribe whisky for the pneumonia pa.
tient that might be at deaths door? l my
self was sick of pneumonia. J contracted the
disease while in the Confederate army.
Having little to eat and little to wear, the ex.
-o...sz A. tLa rroothos ND horirr Nh fnnt II