The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-06-02
The Dispensary or Blind Tigers?
THAT is the. Question.
All Agree that the Drinking Of Intoxieants is Bad,
But we Are Not all Agreed as to Which is the
Most Demora|izing- Some Men Just CIamor to
Give Blind Tigers a Chance.
How about AbbevilIe?

| SAYS the Abbeville Press and Banner; 'Ine
rated at Anderson. One man shot and
killed, and one man condemned 10 be
hanged for murder committed while ne was
drunk"
We were looking for something of this kind
The man who did the shooting testified up-
der oath in court that the whiskey that he
drank tasted like cheap corn whiskey-like
dispensary whiskey."
We do not know whether 1t came original
y from the dispensary at Abbevlile or not.
but we do know that the Abbeville dispen-
cary has furnished supplies to blind tigers IN
anderson countp In the not very remote past.
We nave not denied that there are some
b Ind tigers in Anderson; but 1t Is FOLLY 1or
anybody, to say hat the recent oep.oraOIe
tragedy here was directly due 10 prohibition.
There have been killings In AooeVllle that
were directly tracable TO the whiskey sold dy
the Abbeville dispepsary.
VIII The esteemed Press and Banner give
us some Information on this point?
VIII the Press and Banner tell us now
many killings there have been In AobeVllle
county In the past few years that were due 10
whiskey, beginning with the kennedy-Dans-
by tragedy, In which three men were Killed
as the result of whiskey sold by the dispen-
sary? ,u,,oh
on the police court records in Anderson: Will
II give the public some facts as TO A6oeVilles
own record?
The Press and Banner not long ago asked
The Daily Mail for some Information about
whiskey shipments In Anderson, and we
cheer fully secured the facts and presented
them without coloring. VIII the Press ana
Banner now be equally ob!iging TO us?-An-
dersop Mall.
Really, we would be glad to publish any
Information obtainable on this question.
| Abbeville had three homicldes In one night
| a few years ago. All the parties to the trou-
| BILE were killed, and nobody was left to be
| called into court. Anderson has had one
killing within the last few months. and Is 10
have q hanging q little later on. These are
| regrettable affairs for which the people OF
| both Abbeville and Anderson are no doubt
very syrry. AS far IS that goes the honors
are not 80 different. even II they are not
easy.
We have no means OF knowing how many,
II any, killings have since occurred In Able
| Vile court In which liquor may have been q
factor or even the exciting cause. But we
| wish that we did know. We certainly shall
conceal no important fact that may come to
our knowledge In reference to the liquor
question. The Anderson Daily Mall Ia an
honorable paper which fights fair and uses
legitimate The Press and Banner
hopesto emulate the example OF the mail,
and to exhibit proper courteses and good
| will to him and TO all men.
| HAS BEEN A TEMPERANCE MAN ALL HIS LIFE
As it is possible that the editor Of the
Press and Banner may be Misunderstood, IT
may not be amiss for US to say a word as to
our position;
This editor has been a temperance man all
| his If, and he has never knowingly allowed
an opportunity to pass without saying a
word for temperance. Few prohioltlonists
or any other man on the face OF this
earth, can be "a more Jealous advocate OF
Temperance than the editor Of the Press and
Banner. IN 1856, he Joined the Sons OF Tenn
perance In Newberry, In 1857 he helped TO
organize a lodge OF the Sons OF Temperance
In Dne West. In that latter work Dr.. ]. l.
Bonner, the founder of the Due West Fe.
male College, and from which institution the
Synod persistent!y withholds the honor OF
giving 1t his name, was so pleasant that the
| young priuter ventured TO ask him to join.
| This Of course DR.. Bonner did not do. as he
said because the church was opposed to Sc
| cret societies. But for all that DR.. Bonner's
| treatment OF his printer boy In this matter IS
among the most pleasant recollections OF that
good man. In 1852 when this soldier editor
| was stricken down with pneumonia. when
be was near death, physicians prescribed
| whiskey. Its good effect no doubt saved his
life. While others may now think that the
| Confederate soldier could have been very we'll
excused from living any longer, yet 1t Is true
| that this editor Is glad 10 be alive Today.
| On one occasion soon after the war he was
| urged to taste liquor. which he did, not ir-
tending to swallow II, but he did swallow
what he thought TO be one drop. That Ia all.
Has any prohlbitionlst a better record on
the liquor business?
.IDIFFERENCE IN CONVICTION AS TO WHICH IS
BEST OR THE WORST METHOD
| THE difference between the Anderson Dali
ly Mail and theAbbe Vile Press and Banner
lies in tho difference OF conviction as to
which is the best method OF dealing with
LIQUOR. The Daily Mail as we understand,
l~prefers to run the risk OF having blind tigers
to the certainty Of having dlspsnsary-that
paper believing that the dlspensary is a
greater evil than the blindtige RS.
The Press and Banne has labored aud
slept on the public square Of Abbeville for
fifty years. In that time we have had al
sorts of laws and part of the time 1t was
prohibition or no law at all on the subject Of
liquor, namely;
Ii DlspENsARY THE BEST SYSTEM.
Our testimony would be that the dispeu-
sary. considering only the ~sobriety and order
Of the people, has given better results than
any other system. The difference agains,
the barroom system and in favor OF the dis
pensary was marked. The high license was
perhaps the worst and most Objectionable
'egal form OF controlling the liquor traffic
Prohibition was simply intolerable. This IL
legal traffic was 30 bad and the consequent
decentralization was so great that before we
had prohibition for one year, good church
people circulated a petition to the Legis'
lature for permission to the town to restore
the licensed bars.
Well, now, we believe the above state
ments to be absolutely and indisputabiy
true. Ifsnybody IN Abbeville has a recol
lection Of facts which are at variance with
these statements we shall be glad 10 hea1
from him..
PROHIBITION I~NToLERABLE.
i Being an ad vocate OF temperance and
consistent well wisher OF this people, during
a long and active life. is 1t reasonable to ex
lpect us to aid OR TO assist in bringing about q
state of affairs which was in former year
( simply intolerable?
Il Until we are false to this people, and until
we shall renounce our temperance principle
and forget the history OF the past we shall
not join even the best OF men In their efor
to bring about a state OF atfairs that would b
unspeakably evil.
We respect our friend the Anderson Nal
. for the sincerity and honesty OF purpose