The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-04-21
Greenwood Protests Against Dispensary
at AbbeViIle.

Green wood, 8. c.. April II. 1909:
Dear MI. WILSON,: I wish you would
publish the accompanying document IN tne
Press and Banner 1t Is written IN me oess
Of spirit and not OF fault finding. l enJoyea
your review OF the missionary operation OF
our Associate Reformed friends very much.
You showed them up very braveiy:
Make such corn ments on the letter as you
think proper. We are not for q tuss.
Yours very tT pIc
Greenwood County to Abbeville County
Sends Greeting: ia
Proud of her descent from the sIano ouu
riors and Statesmen, Greenwood has not
ceased to cherish you memory ana 10 SMu,
late the noble examples furnished per. ~ hhee
under your material care. we grew IN al tue
elements Of greatness, nntn we .n a's selS0reliSnce
and when It became proper to 40 SO we az,
| eumed our separate existence, renewing ySo
of our care and responsibility, ana slter tns
eTsmp ga on ysSsIIvt s1 ,1 the ,I ssrS S Of royalty. We
now dwell By your side as your equal nno on
whom rests equal responfiplllties. 49,.
not expect ever TO attain 10 Inc hssn bonor IL
YOURS. but our consolation d Is In the faSt, Una.
what was yours then was ours also. we we're
with You, and stood by You IN every emeIsen'
owe will not say Of what vslue we W Sror,
L w ran G0nnueuklf ~
our mutual relation In the past. that we are
in no sense strangers, but our ntlmacy ID tne
most cordial, and we earnestly nope tnas our
mutual respect and appreciation ~ nave ave- "a and
cITenmstapceS Temporal mutant ct mntamus
cum Ills, often. Since our separate e4ls.ene u
wa have had no great national issues "
grapple with, such az you nave NAG, .U S
our wisdom n strength sepafS'eiy "n
Our attention and energies have peer
directed mainly along the line or educatlou
railroads.. COM MERGE and manufactures, Will
Of PREPARATION for this arduous civil service
we begun. to look about us with q view ~
| cast Oh every possible hindrance 70 our sue
ceHa. ..,o-,na tho,
The nonater evil that obstructed most OF the
| progress of each OF these lines OF Duainess ano
development was the sale OF inSoAiCattoE
%liouori: TO this source 1t was founa ina! eiHaiy
| per cent OF all the crimes commltIeo, allectIy
and indIreotly, were tracesble. The licensed
saloon existed In our villages and towns every
where. s.ohr.as
IIndnIyed 10. and led TO the ADOPTION OF
The only practicable remedy sPplicaoie 10 tne
llIouor trafflc-prohibltiion. No other meas,
ure can avail the weak: nothing else VIII
reach bis extremity. si5G 70 III sa9 Or in any
way modify our policy In reference to the
lega. trafdc In this fearful evil. Eepea.eu
efforts have been made to erect Wllhln our
limits a dlspensary, Win 81 ibs so ,1afac by The
law, imposed to lie needed but IN eacn IN.
stance The proposition was oVerWhelmlngly
defeated by q popular vote. WIN US PlGUr
hlbition Is the irrevocable polic.. InsI IN
| the proper policy we are assured AFTER an p1l
| perience OF more than thirty years; we
believe that this measure has contrlouteG
more TO our material prosperity, peace ano
good order than any other single measure wv we
T--tl 1L~-t Un 40 mot NlQtm I0aL Ou
| efforts at prohibition have been q complete
success. We know that the law mas peen
| and is evsded in spite OF all our epoeaVols te
en- force It; and will be as long as a dispensssy
| exists In an adjoining county, whence tue
friends OF / traff can obtain their Supply.
so readily and the temptation Is 20 greaI' tni'
| fact to that extent, destroys our eHort 70 pro.
You are not aware Of this fact and it becomes
our duty to inform you OF tne nslosp,p
! imposed upon Us, that you may relieve us
and for the further purpose TO Illustrate tne
| fallacy OF the doctrine OF local oP!ion. ~
mattets Involving moral principle and moral
conduct. ,n,,.d r.
material things, such as the fence law. onl
liquor won't stay fenced: II VIII geg e 1Sef r..
ouires. But one way to deal with IL, 81
proven by a history OF more than SWo years
| kill IT,. No people has ever endured great
er ipfiction than South Carolina and In fact.
the whole South Country has just passed
successfully through one OF the most 1earIui
crises with which she has ever been con1ront'
ed, under the guidance OF your noble son, Inc
Attorney General, who today STANDS mead
and shoulders above any other officer or tne
State, because OF what he has acnleVeo
through his ability. nerved onward by M
devotion to duty, regardless OF assaults ano
threats of personal violence. His success
before the Supreme Court has sent q thrill OIL
Joy through the hearts o fthe people and given
paid that Abbeville 10 the only place on the
route from New Orleans to Richmond where
ia uor can be had legally. II this be true II
Ia an unenviable distinction. 1t is true that
she Ia the only County In the Piedmont region
that haR q dispensary. This 10 also an un-
enviable distinction.
An election has been provided for, to be
held In the next few months, to determine
whether 1t shall be continued. May we not
I; ask you to give us q cup OF cold water IN lieu
of a flask OF whiskey, and mus observe To-
wards us that Comfy which 10 due from one
people 10 another. II we knew the dispeD-
sary with you, was q harmless measure. on
your own account, we would bear The iDhlc-
lion on ourselves without a murmer, but In
as much as you cannot claim 1t to be q
blessing to yourselves or even harmless. to
the extent OF Its injury 10 us You have 10
assume The additional responsibility.
There is a beautiful spirit OF unity that
regu lates the conduct OF cultured communi.
ties In their intercourse one towards another.
A spirit OF forbearance and federation espec-
nnriment. VIII you not help ua 10 place the
brillancy Of the Attorneys General name over
agalusl the name OF dispensary, aud OF him
who eDgrafted II upon ua, 10 the remotest
time. He WAS once our fellow citizen; will
you not aid US 10 honor him?
Greenwood County.
70 rnt, no frn,h1aa with rotto, n,ith -o.-