The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-07-04


ically and morally, between things
essential and things wanted, between
things essential and things wished
for. And herein is the secret of this
whole matter, nine-tenths of those
who affirm that these things are
necessary simply want the privilege
Of indulgence, and want to hide be-
hind the cover of the law.
"But, then, they are necessary
from financial reason. We eaARSt
get on without the revenue, yaN say.
Such contention Is 80 base and
puerile that it would Seem to be I'm
possible Of presentation by n parent
or patriot. Nevertheless it is ans
wered in one sentence: Statistics
will show that it costs more to pun
ish and defend crime than is deriv-
ed in revenue from the licenses
granted to these feeders and breed
ers of crime. In other words, if
Georgia gets 100000 from her near
beer licenses and Augusta gets $780,
600, it will cost more to punish and
defend the crimes directly and indi-
rectly traceable to the drunkenness
arising through these open doors
than the amount of the revenue from
the licenses. For it is practically the
unanimous testimony of the judges
of our superior courts that from rs
per cent to 80 per cent of the crime
committed in their circuits is trace
able to drink.
But to advance in the argument,
will Georgia, will Augusta barter the
virtue of her daughters and debauch
the manhood of her sons to pay her
taxes? Will you, brother, desire to
reduce your taxes just little at SO
great price? All, not if the virtue
bartered was your own daughters,
and the manhood deteriorated and
debauched was that of the son of
your loins! But if these cess-pools
of vice and moral contagion are kept
open, what guarantee have you that
the infection will not reach your own
home?
"Legislating Morals"
Again the defenders of necessary
evils tell us that you cannot Iegis-
late morals into people Now that
is very specious argument. 1t
looks sensible and conclusive, but it
is not. 1t is shallow and contrary to
all experience. Law is essential in
the life of people, individually and
nationally-law is the body of which
sentiment is the spirit. In all life
you must have both spirit and body
that life may perform its functions.
Law is educational as we'll as pro-
hibitory. Indeed, one of it's chief
functions is education, See, Jehovah
knew the educational power of law
when He gave the ten command
ments. That was the chief purpose
of those divine laws issued from
Sinai's lightning-girdled heights.
And, mark you, God did not wait for
the sentiment of the people before
He passed His laws. Neither did He
give laws on the low level of the
standards and ideas of the people.
But He promulgated such laws as
that the people might arise in pro-
cess of time to the standards and
sentiments of the laws. The law is
our school MASTER the scriptures
affirm. So our prohibitory laws
serve as a school master to the young
and ignorant as well as a guardian
against the debased and evilminded.
Moreover, it is needful to pass
more stringent laws, because of the
flagrant abuse of the present law.
For example, the state agreed to the
sale of 'near-beer' which was claimed
to be and supposed to be non-intox-
icating, and also she agreed to the
establishing of locker clubs where
a man might keep his liquors for
his own use exclusively. But alas,
it is now freely asserted that every
near-beer saloon has become a reg
ular beer saloon; that in fact, there
is no such thing as near-beer sold in
Georgia. mot an ounce this side of
the Ohio river. 1t is only the
straight goods. These men have
thereby broken faith with the state
and have forfeited her trust. And
the locker clubs, or more accurately
the liquor clubs, of them it is de-
clared by those who know whereof
they affirm, that these have become
bulging, brazen bars, run exclusive
ly' for the patronage of any man and
all men of whatever town, state, or
name who will pay the one dollar for
the admission ticket and his book