The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-09-08
THE TEMPERANCE PROPAGANDA
CONCERTED ATTACK ON DRINK
WINNING ALL ALONG LINE.
Thrift and Temperance.

communication entitled Finance Of
Prohibition"
1t will not be long before "trium.
plant virtue" will result as it Is now
commencing in the revival of the
public revenues" I'll. D." need not
fear that the revival of a spirit Of
frugality" will ultimately and ire
sistibly extend, as voiced by the peo-
ple," to the political managers and
the officers and members of all our
municipal corporations, city, State or
nation.
Our State legislatures and Con.
gress as wells as Boards Of Alder
men and Common Councils are be-
ginning to hear from the great ma
jority of citizens that the great
families which are strictly temper
ate and consequently frugal and in
dustrious are always thrifty and pro-
gtessive. What Is true to the indi-
vidual, and the family is certainly
logically to be taken as true Of the
State and the nation.
Alabama, Georgia and Virginia
will now begin to reap the advan-
tages and increased revenues which
have been so abundant in all such
temperance States as Kansas, Texas,
Maine, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Mis-
souri,, Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan and
the other prosperous, debt paying
States which have adopted the watch
words Of Temperance and thrift"
If in Alabama, Georgia and Virginia
the practice Of strict temperance puts
a stop to the propagation and in
crease in that vast army of criminals
which rum and alcoholic" hys.
terra" create, If there are no alco-
holic murderers, paupers and insane,
an immense load will be taken OF
the taxpayers.
If temperance reigns there will
not be that need we have now In the
wet" communities for asylums for
the victims Of alcoholism, poor
houses, penitentiaries, jails, State
prisons, hospitals and many chart
table institutions. The criminal
courts and police have little to do in
temperance communities; and the eX-
pense of maintaining them Is gener-
ally very light and finally practically
eliminated. It was proved beyond
a doubt in San Francisco when Cen
eral Funston closed all saloons and
drinking places during that period OF
unrest Immediately following the
earthquake and fire that no cases OF
drunkenness, riot or crime traceable
to liquor or alcohol incentive were
found in the city. All the large ex-
pense and danger universally trace
able to the victims Of drink and
those habitually addicted to liquor
were eliminated.
It is not pleasant to think that
III. D." deplores an "unbroken reign
Of virtue from the Potomac to the
Rio Grande", any more than he would
from the Lakes to the Gulf and the
Atlantic to the Pacific. What a
glorious, thrifty, enterprisipg, patri-
otto and prosperous country we
should have if all the money which
Is wasted on drink could be turned
into the channels Of legitimate bus
mess; if all the time which Is lost
In the use and abuse Of drink could
be devoted to the substantial indus
tries and work of the nation; If all
the i'll health, disease, sickness, in
sanity and crime directly traceable to
drink could be obviated! How at
once the prosperity and general
thrift of the nation would be stimu-
lated! The money now absolutely lost
by the Individual and family indulg-
ing in useless demoralizing drinking
would be saved and employed in a
thousand methods and channels Of in
vestment and substantial permanent
industries which would solidly in
crease the tax valuations and genu-
inc wealth and provide for larger and
more substantial tax reserves for the
support of the municipal and State
institutions and the departments OF
government. .'.
This undoubtedly Is shown in those
communities where restrictive liqour
laws are enforced and Temperance rs
practiced. Look at those cities, coun-
ties and States where liquor and
drink is controlled and limited as a
social evil, a r,enace to health and a
subverteT of morals, and you will
find them in every way reaching
higher standards, stronger financial
conditions and more elevated planes
of. thought and action.
Pick out those States, those cities,
towns or counties in New England,
in the Northwest or South, or any
part of our nation, which have adopt.
ed temperance standards and COM
pare them with those which have the
;"hysterical cries" for free beer, free
rum, liberal "licentious" Sundays
and weekdays, and compare the pic
lures and the results.
suppose those people who want to
enjoy the temporary inspiration
and "hallucinations" which come from
drink and drugs cannot ever be en-.
tirely prevented from the folly OF
running their health and their NOR
ais. We cannot wholly prevent crime
and insanity, but as we try to pre-
vent the spread Of disease and moral
leprosy, as we try to prevent the eX.
tending of fevers, diphtheria, tubercu.
losis, bubonic plague and all vile and
dangerous ills, why should we not
try to stop the disease of alcoholism
WHICH pTODduly Ids SleoISu 40 uonJ
pitable victims and deplorable degen'
crates as all the rest of the evils first
enumerated have cast upon the vari'
Gus communities and municipalities
to be taken care of at great expense
by the public and private charities
and general institutions of our land
R. G. c oShlan, Of San Francisco
in the New York Sun.
Try 1t On, Mr.. Gilmore!