Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-12-21

Of methods that are common else
where and contain the germs Of so
much of the sophistry that has all
along made prohibition difficult any
where.
The motive that actuates earnest
and sincere prohibitionists in their eff
forts to restrict and destroy the liquor
traffic, is a belief that the more liquor
traffic Is restricted, and the more diff
ficult it is to get liquor, the more sober
and Industrious will abusers Of the stuff
become, and the happier and the more
prosperous will their families be.
There is nothing selfish or sinister
about this motive, and 1t would be diff
ficult indeed to prove that people who
hold to the idea outlined are mistaken.
Indeed, so far as real practical demon
stration has ever gone, the facts are
all on their side.
Prohibition has had the sanction Of
law in Yorkville since 1882, with the
exception of two or three years of the
state dispensary. The original outlaw
ing of the saloons was followed by
drug store traffic with and without
physicians prescriptions. Druggists
sold liquor in violation Of the law and
physicians gave prescriptions in viola
ton Of law. Both reaped rich har-
vests, and for quite while there was
very little improvement in conditions,
except that 1t was more difficult for
certain classes to get liquor The claim
that prohibition was farce was COM
mon, and 1t really looked that way be-
cause official sentiment did not uphold
the law and 1t was extremely difficult
to get juries to convict. This situa-
ton continued on up to the establish
ment of the state dispensary and long
afterward; but in the course OF time
sentiment began to change, liquor SELL
ers who valued responsibility, began
to drop out Of the business, and juries
began to do their duty right along.
Today violators Of the liquor laws
are convicted more easily that any
Otner class OIL OIleIucIS.
We do not claim that there Is no IL
legal liquor sold about Yorkville now;
but we do assert that there Is not one
tenth as much as was sold here ten
years ago. We do not pretend to claim
that there Is no liquor consumed here.
There are people who continue to buy
1t for their own personal use when
they want It, but the express records
today will show a tremendous falling
off when compared with the records
of the same period Of only few years
back, and we do not think there Is any
reasonable question Of the fact that the
consumption of intoxicating liquors In
this town and community has decreas-
ed tremendously.
But II there is anybody in Clarendon,
or anywhere else, be he prohibitionists
or liquor man, who expects the prohi-
bition law to enforce itself, he needs
to be told differently. Such progress
as has been made in York county, for
instance, Is not the result Of time alone.
There has been lots of unpleasant,
strenuous work and sacrifice. II we
saw proper to review it all, we would
tell Of preachers who have lost their
charges and been forced to move, Of
houses burned by violators Of the
law, business boycott, Of assault, and
possibly of murder.
It would be foolish to claim that
the fight Is entirely won in York.
There is still much to be done. But
the change for the better is so marked
as to be easily within the notice of any
right thinking man who cares for the
general uplift Of those around him.
And whether those who have accom-
plished so much are in humor to
continue to go forward or-not. al
should realize that they should take
no chances of losing any part Of what
has already been gained.