The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-06-30
pRoHlBIrIoNlsr HOLD RALLY.
speaches by Dr.. J. S. Moffatt and Rev
John l. Harley.

ID w dS Sicii "oA
prohibitlonist called the meeting to order Oh
last Saturday at y o'clock. The meel'pe wa"
opened with prayer by Rev. l.honne.
The chairman stated hat the OBJECT VI ~
meeting was the organization OF the le"Pel-
ance forces for Abbeville County.
Judge Fe,herstone who was expected 10 De
present was holding a special term oil loui'
In Greenvil.e and was thus prevented irom
being present on this occasion.
The chairman first introduced Dr. MonaIt'
nresident of ErskIne College. The speaker
thought It strange why the prohloition lorces
had not long since been organized IN Aooe-
Willie County, as a strong sentiment mas peen
running through adjoining states Tor SO iong
a time. Sentiment for prohibition mas peep
in the making in North Carolina and Georgia
for several years. He thought that thls cali
and issue should be presented to all the peo-
pie OF the county, that they should be thor-
opehly posted In order that they may con-
slider the matter and SO act intellIgently. He
stated that the papers had not peeh III
sympathy with the movement ana that Tue
matter had not been agitated, That IL was
time that II was laid before the people. IL IL
important that the laws should DO lniorceu'
As II is impossible to inforce laws Win "nicn
the people are not In sympathy, IL is nec-
essary to create a sentiment among men'
that willup hold all laws. Laws shoulo oe
the expression ofthe sentiment Of the people
and no law will be a success aside from sucn
sentiment.
How TO produce this sentiment. One way
NJ bringing about such sentiment is oy
agitation, Agitation has placed other places
on the dry list. 1t should be agitated through
papers. In talks with mel, and men should
agitate II in their own hearts.
A plan Of campaign consisting of arranged
picnics with dinner and invited speakers was
discussed as a means of getting the matter
before the people.
The speaker said the entire campaign
should be conducted with prudence, mat al
all times due deferance and grave respect
should be held for the opinion OF others.
No unnecessary an%tagonism Is wanted
. b matter should be conducted Wild
such prudence and wisdom as to win over
those of opposite. opinions as friends ra'her
than to have them as enemies
DE nss u presentiment That AbceVllle VIII
vote out the dispensary.
I'M principal thing 10 be considered III
this agitation IN the manhood and woman
hood OF the county. A money consloefalioi
Ia not TO be compared with this. Inc greatest
sufferers from liquor, he says, are Inc women
and children. He has been in homes where
this suffering was much in evidence. a
family in whichthere were twelve children
WAS recalled. This family sometimes made
as much as SI2j per month, yet, they SANK
deeper and deeper in debt. The money went
-,Azu uIha1 thora unc M mOney
they borrowed and spent the money borrowed
in the same way. II was when be saw the
SORROWS OF womanhocd and children that he
went irrevocably to the side Of prohibition
He sroke of a young man OF 2I years whom
he saw In delirium tremens. heard The
screams OF the sufferer as he fought on de-
mons, snakes, lizard, such screams as ne
never heard before nor since. These things
act him against whiskey.
1.-THE evil continues your children Will be
sacrificed, he stated The boys and girls Of
the county are the greatest and chief con-
alteration. He thought Abbeville would 60
dry on account OF Henderson and Greenwood
These counties are nelghbors. To them VT
are fostering a nuhance and the neighborly
thing to do, would be to vote 1t out. He says
that the people outside OF Abbeville County
would feel results II the dispensary 10 voted
out more keeply than people here in the
County Itself.
When q man comes to Abbeville and buys
LIQUOR he takes only one drink in town and
reserves his bachanals for the highway
home. There they shoot and howl and yell,
and 60 home TO make trouble for their wives.
He. cited instances where phone messages
LOO .aoalrod ~ npa uDoot IN ofaot IN lob
ont for such and such a party and have them
arrested who were holding high cornwall
along the Due West road. He also cited cases
where boys slipped off from college and came
to Abbeville TO get whiskey. He mentioned
the opinion Of q man who lives on the road
between Abbeville and Anderson who says
that person visiting Anderson and returning,
come back clothed and in their right minds
while those from Abbeville are the reverse.
This man was out eight or ten miles from
police protection and felt the want keenly.
The speaker ~as at Greenwood once. -Four
men were there to take the train with the
conventional suit cases in their hands.
Boys we're there with their none handing
It over and giving in their orders for Able
willie whiskey. He would like 10 know II
this is fair to Greenwood.
The North Augusta dispensary was also
mentioned as q nuisance and most unfair 10
Augusta.
The speaker Is OF the idea that the dispen
sary will be voted out when the objections TO
its being voted out are considered. One
chief objection is that 1t will bring in a flood
OF blind tigers. Some people unkindly init
mate that blind tigers want 1t voted out. He
says that many consider the question as q
choice between blind tigers and the dispen-
sary. These people. however, are mistaken,
for it is blind tigers either way, with or With
out the dispensary. He says that Abbeville
has blind tigers and Charleston has blind
tigers, instead OF having one or the Other, We
have all OF them.
No one expects enforcement OF the aw, ali
we may expect Ia that this law be enforced al
any other law is enforced. And II we have
this enforcement We will have less drinking.
Enforcement OF the law depends upon each
cit izen. Ifthose in ofice whose duty 1t Is TO
enforce the law do not do 80, then We will
put men in office who viii. enforce it..
Temperance cannot be promulgated In a
day. He says that 1t will not affect this ger-
Grafton one way or the other very much, but
with the law on the statute book we will ex-
pect results In the next generation. And
while the next generation will be largely in
tiuenced by this present generation the third
generation will not be SO Influenced.
The position Of the true prohibit!onist In
this matter Is not against the blind tigers OF
the dispensary but is against the sale oI
liouor in all of its forms. IApplause.1