The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-05-26
What Are the Liquor Laws and How
Are They Enforced?

What Are the Liquor Laws and How
Are They Enforced?
Every State has, of course, its own
liquor laws. But in by far the
greater number the rule has been to
grant some form of license for the
sale Of intoxicants. In all cases this
sale Is acknowledged to be attended
with grave dangers and many evil
effects, and the idea Of licensing sa-
looms is partly to- bring them under
certain restrictions and thus mini
mize the evils of the traffic, and part
ly to make use Of the saloon In the
collection of revenue. In some places
one idea Is paramount and in other
places the other idea. Some hate
the saloon blu. think that the license
system is the most effective means Of
checking the evils arising from the
saloon. Others think almost exclu-
sively Of how saloon licenses tighten
their own taxation, and are quite
willing to have the saloons continue
because nearly everyone is willing
that they should be heavily taxed.
The same sort Of reason has been
given for stunning national legisla-
ton against the liquor traffic. Where
would the country get its revenues
without the aid of the liquor traffic?
In Great Britain especially, where so
large part of the revenue is derived
from the tax on alcoholic beverages,
the fear of not being able otherwise
to raise enough money for govern
ment purposes, has hindered the
growth Of temperance sentiment
among the ruling classes.
We have seen towns In our own
country grant licenses principally on
the ground that If they did. not do
so, the commercial traveller and the
tourist would shun them. The moral
question involved was put quite out
of sight in order that the business
opportunities Of the t~ownspeople
might not be lessened. OF course,
many made the excuse to themselves
that they believed the liquor trafdc
might be regulated to advantage but
could not be suppressed.
Now the young people OF u So
ciety should grow up with a clear
understanding Of what"is right IN this
matter and with a definite conviction
that no individual or community can
afford to doRwrong however profitable
wrongdoing may be for a time, so
that when it comes to be their turn
to decide such questions they will set
principle before policy without any
mixing up Of motives. No man a
serve at the same time both God and
mammon.
Our LIQUOR laws serve for the pro-
lection of the liquor traffic rather
than for the protection Of the pub
lie. And the chief way we should
concern ourselves with them is IN get
ting rid of the whole complex, Ill
working lot Of them and substituting
a simple, straightforward law OF pro-
hibition.
The saloon Is a curse to- the coun-
try and not in any sense a necessity;
it should be outIawed everywhere,
for the sake of the community, Tor
the sake of the poor drunkards, and
for the sake of the poor saloon-keep-
ers and b%artenders themselves.
AS a rule, liquor laws have not
been enforced; the reason being that
the political bosses are commonly IN
league with the liquor sellers against
the laws. The politicians nullify the
laws by not enforcing them and then
cry out against the enactment OF
such laws on the ground that they
cannot be enforced. OF late, how
ever. public sentiment on b subJect
is becoming too strong to be nouteo
in this impudent way and liquor laws
are beginning to mean something. IL
It had not been for the ~subserviency
of the great majority of voters TO
the bosses who control the machinery
of their respective parties, we might
have had effective prohibition over
a, large portion Of this country long
ago. a.roo,s
which has already accomplished 50
much. and in which new victories are
being won every week-in some part
of the country, should be pushed with
increasing ardor. There should De
no halt till the victory is complete.