The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-08-12

/ tnlH Ren6IdLlOut duo tudp ~
stimulants the lives Of all my people
| who nave gone TO their graves were pro
longed by stimulants l shall not vote 10 close
the dispensary In Abbeville and l shall vote
| for no Prohibition or Boss Candidate for the
Legislature.
This course is prompted by more thar one
reason. The prohibition candidates are not
more competent than the others. They nave
/ not shown themselves especially friendly to
Abbevllie.
I should not be true TO myself, and should
be false to the best interest Of this tow
| whose people have been 30 good TO me, II l
gave aid and support to those who would In
ter-meddle with the management Of toWn
IN which they do not live and in which they
have no friendly interest.
While speaking Of voting, 1 do not in
| tend to vote for any man for the Legislature
who would repeal the lien law with the View
of making negroes and poor white men their
slaves, or as suited in other words, to enable
them 10 control labor"
I would commend to the attention OF In
%termeddlers into our affairs the example OF
the man in North Carolina who made a for
tune attending to his W business.
While I make no apology 10 anybody for
voting for the dispensary, 1t may not be
smiss for me to make a statement: 1 have no
recollection OF ever having tasted liquor but
once, except when IL was prescribed for me,
as stated above. But / van the privilege OF
buying liquor in case 1 should be sick Of
pneumonia or other ailment, and should
need 1t. III should be stricken down as my
sisters were, with consumption. l may need
liquor, even as they did.
AS there are other considerations than
personal reasons, 1t may not be amlss 10
speak further OF the dispenssry.
During the first quarter Of the year. and
Immediately after Georgia went dry the
profits ran up to $1,000. That figure indicated
a yearly profit Of SCI, 900 or more. but lately
the sales have run down until last month,
(JulyD the profits were only SO 500. II the
Georgia sales are not too much reduced. 1t Is
fair to assume that the profits will amount TO
q early $780, 900. The profits ale divided equal
" betw cen the county, the schools. and the
town OF Abbeville. The town OF Abbeville. II!
the profits should be $4,000. would get Sl5,UU
and the county and the schools $4,000. Two
years ago 1t was thought that an equal diVis.
ion between the city and the county would
be fair. but because OF dissatisfaction on'the
part OF some Of the people living outside OF
the town. the Legislature, In Difference 10
their wishes, gave only one.third to the town.
When the expense OF police Is taken out Of
the third coming to the town, the share OF Inc
town is cut In half. The police costs the
town between $1,000 and $S.OW. According TO
my way of thinking the roads, bridges and
schools get two-thirds OF the net profits, while
AbbeviIle must pay about one-half OF Its
on e-third for police-an expense which the
county does not incur.
How 10 dispose OF the profits on the d ispen-
sary without contracting expensive habits
has always been q difficult problem. IL the
LIQUOR is SOLD at cost, we encourage the drink.
Ing OF liquor. II we get a profit we reduce Inc
sales, but do not know how to spend the
money without becoming demoralized. In
Abbeyille the expense of police comes very
near to settling that question with US. The
school authorities and the board OF county
commissioners are ~squarely up to the prob
lem, II the school commissioner gets $751; O
In addition 10 what Is now required, and ap-
portions It among the schools, what can the
trustees do with the money? Can they do
anything with 1t, except to build new schoo!
hou ses and to pay the teachers higher salar-
ies? II they pay teachers big salari 8 some OF
US young men who have been trying TO
harry teachers for the last thirty or forty
years might just as well i've up the chase.
So there you are.
1t was hoped that the people would be a.
low ed 10 vote on the subject Of closing the
di spen sary, and 1 spoke to Capt. Nlckles,
ask,pg him II 1t were possible TO do so. to
order an election. He said he would be glad
for the people TO express their opinion al
the ballot. but he did not see how he could
order the election on petition OF less than
one.fourth the registered voters.
The county Is now in debt something Xix
sc, 900 or $500 900 for the Court house. 1t would
be int resting and satisfying to know
whether the taxpayers preferred to close the
dispensary and 10 assume the payment OF
that debt. Toe creditors OF the county seem
to be totally Indifferent as to how the money
is raised. They would just as soon have their
debt paid one Hay as the other. 1t Is pre-.
sum cd that all those OF our fellow-citizens
who are anxious TO pay for the court house
out OF heir own money would vote for the
closing OF the dispenssry. and those who
would consent for Georgians and n~eighbors
from Greenwood and Anderson to pay the
debt would be willing to crafty their wishes
in his respect by keeping the dispensary
open.
It Is a pity that the petition had not q sufi-'