The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1913-08-14
Favors the DIspensary.
Editor County Record

Editor County Record
'Tis said that fools rush in where
angels fear to tread" but as the an
gels have already rushed in, the fool
may cautiously sally forth, so here
goes.
To begin with, am a prohibition
list. have voted that ticket straight
for 20 years whenever the chance
presented itself; but if | vote in the
approaching election | expect to vote
for the dispensary. Why?
Now, the first, as we'll as the last
thing a human being needs and uses
is air. 1t is only, however, from about
the 18th or goth year that they be-
gin the use, more or less. of hof air
For twenty years Iimbibed that stuff
and voted accordingly, but I've quit.
Four years age. when the dispenSa-
ry closed itsdoors, i doubt very much
whether there were five places in the
county where whisky was sold. Now,
suppose,it can be bought in at least
one hundred blind tigers, and you
people living out in the country are
the greatest sufferers, as it was very
difficult for boy to get it from the
dispensary; whereas, the blind tiger
runner will sell to boys as soon as he
will to the confirmed drunkard.
The honest element of the anti
dispensary crowd land | say honest
element adyisedly, for you surely
know that the blind tiger and all its
influence will go with you) charge,
as a rule, that the blind tiger is a re-
suit of inefficient officers. l say en-
phatically that this is not true.
Don't every one Of you know that
these blind tigers watch for an Off
Ger, like startled hare the baying
hound? I'll tell you plainly where
the fault lies, even if it does hurt
you. 1t is because you are ever
ready with that hot air | spoke of,
instead of going to an officer and
saying, Come on, I'll help you; l will
show you my faith by my works,
come," and then stand by, with and
for him, and he will show you results.
Instead, what do you do? You
hail one of us and whisper darkly
that such and such bloke has just
SHE'D around the corner with quite
supply of John Barleycorn, sick
him." and Immediately vanish from
the scene of action. In the meantime
there are sundry and various pairs
of eyes watching that package to
share its contents and to see that its
distribution is not interrupted by
the enemy. We sneak off, cut across
lots, climb into garrets, crawl under
houses, bump our heads, get cob
webs on our clothes and otherwise
maltreat and abuse ourselves, with
nothing doing as a net result. Too
many pairs of eyes watching US and
ready to take cover at the slightest
shaking of the bush.
Now, this brings me down to the
point where l am willing to make
this assertion, which | do with the
utmost respect for the honest ele-
ment who intend to vote against the
dispensary. for the noble men and
women who are praying for its de-
feat-there are more men going to
vote for it on account of that same
thing You call conscience than there
are on the other side.
We will say, for arguments sake,
that there will be 1000 votes cast
against the dispensary. If there are
100 blind tigers running, which any
well-informed person should admit,
they, to a man, will vote against it.
Put that 100, with all that they can
vote, and it will probably be 400, or
possibly more land this will leave you
600 who are honestly anxious to see