The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-01-22
Wednesday, Jan. %. 1908.

good men will endorse any institution or pus-
sand dollars worth Of liquor to our people N
two months.-Associate Reformed Presoyte-
rian.
In the fret place 1t might be well enough
for our respected neighbor to present the
facts as they are. 1t Is true, we assume, tnat
the dispensary sold the amounts speoineo IN
the above paragraph. but 1t Is not true that
s26,SGSS7 worth of liquor was sold to our peo-
pie in two months. In all conscience, the
lieuor business is bad enough, but does that
give our good aud pious brother the right 10
magnify 1t by the use Of misleading nIures.
Where did the Presbyterian learn that our
people bought all the liquor that was sold
from the dlspensary The dispenser esti
mates that twenty five per cent. OF this
amount was sold to Green wood people and TO
others beyond our borders. But in order to
put as black an effect, 1t serves our good
brothers. purpose to charge all the hquor "
the people of this county.
AS our respected brother OF the Associate
Reformed Presby terian does not understand
some things, while being ignorant ourself' we
shall try to explain the situation without 90
Ing as he and others have done In stirring up
the evil side of ones nature. We hope to ap-
peal to the better side OF his heart and 10 the
higher side Of his brain-with the view Of
bringing out the good instead OF the evil ths,
is ever present with all Of rs.
In the first place, after resting quietly for
fifteen years under the dispensary law, and
until after the contract for both the court
house and the city hall had been let, the sud-
den springing OF the question OF opposition to
the dispensary law, while the old court house
was being torn down, seemed more like spite
to Abbeville than the result Of any settled
conviction or principle in opposition to the
dispensary. We do not understand this suo.
der spasm, except 1t sprung from some latent
i'll will or jealousy Of the town OF Abbeville.
The act excites the evil side OF our nature
rather than the bringing out Of the better
side. This for these reasons:
l. The Presbyterian years ago refused the
touch OF the elbow to this newspaper when
we advocated in these columns the lessening
OF the hours in which liquor could be sold al
the dispensary. II the hours had been short
ened the sales, as we believe, would have
been correspondipgly reduced. II the Pres
byterlan was as jealous then, as now, In its
fight against the dispensary. we failed TO see
the evidence.
2. All self-respecting people are sensitive
to the lack Of evidence of q proper regard on
the part Of OF hers, and nothing is more apt to
excite resentment. -.
3. We do not know who was first to begin
this agitation, and that fact need not be con-
sidered now, but we believe the fact is, that
good people OF Due West, combined with, or
oo-operated with, representative Of McCor-
mick In the act which seemed to be inspired
more by ill-wlll toward this town than from
any excessive amount Of personal virtue.
T.. We admit that every citizen OF Abbe-
willie county Is more or less interested In every
spot of ground in the county, including the
town OF Abbeville.
5. But we submit that II an educated com.
munity. moved solely by, virtuous principles,
meant to interfere with the affairs OF another
community, would In straightforward
open. face TO face way.-go to the people OF
the community in which they meant to or
ganize reforms and would in friendly man.
ner con fer with those who were more direct
ly interested. This would have been the
way to appeal to the better side Of our nature.
and 1t would have been the way to enlist In
the proposed movement the sympathy and
kindly offices Of those most directly to be az
AoStSe W eho PioPooSo SAdbSSs
g. For good people. II going directly to Nc
Cormick, TO pass through Abbeville, without
saying word to anybody, to form an al.
lance with q man who has not, as far as we
are Informed, distinguished himself for any
fight against Illicit liquor In his OVID, home
town, was treating this community with
something less than the civility which the
people OF Abbeville had q right to expect
from 30 good and so virtuous q people as
those OF Due West. And such action in dlr.
regard for the amenities might be conducive
to the development OF the evil that is In the
best OF u.s.. '.~~s-
T. We are not able to understand why this
community was not treated with considera
tion In an action which 1t was claimed to be
for the uplift OF the people OF the whole coun.
ty. We are not ready to believe that 1t was
prompted by the consciousness that they
were doing an act OF upfriendlipess.
8. So much for the preliminaries, without
reference to the wisdom or unwisdom OF the
movement to cut of the revenue OF the dis
pensary to the county and TO the town.
8. While We do not know OF our own
knowledge that any train has passed McCor-
mick for Anderson this year, we believe the
do not know that any liquor has been ship.
ped to either Mccormick or to Mount Carmel,
yet we hear that much liquor Is carried to
these places. II Mr.. Sturkey or any OF the
good people at Due West have made any ef-
fort 10 stop the shipment daily of possibly
fifty or hundred gallons Of liquor TO these
places, we have not heard of the fact. II this
fight is prompted purely by love OF sobriety,
why not look after other communities? II
we are not mistaken, as much or more LIQUOR
is shipped TO Mccormick and Mount Carmel
than is shipped to Abbeville, per capita. AS
for that matter, did you ever know OF any
prohibitioni ist taking any steps 10 enforce
prohibition
10. II dispensary LIQUOR should be the es-
pecial object OF virtuous Indignation, what
mollifes or breaks down the opposition to
blind tigers? Is 1t because the dispensary is
located at Abbevllle, and the blind tigers.
having haDitation elsewneres II those who
are making their hight on AbbevilIe are sin.
cere, and We have no doubt they are, why are
the blind tigers exempt from attention? ? We
ask for Information. We do not understand
the seeming Inconsistency.
IL. Personally this editor, while claiming
nothing, Is willing 10 compare notes With the
most selfconceited prohibitionist that lives,
or ever lived. In zeal for the welfare OF the
people we yield nothing to auy man. We
aim at the high standards according to the
lights before US. 1t is all very we'll to abuse
the LIQUOR law. 1t needs abuse But 1t is bet
ter TO preach temperance. 1t is better to