The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-08-16
Mr.. Sumter Answered.
Editor Daily Item.

to answer it.
To begin with 1 respectfully sub
NIT that the author of the article has
his major premise wrong when he
says The prOhibtionist says, No.
means and will bring about no dis
pensary no legitimate sale Of liquor,
and abstinence, total, eventually. The
prOhibtionist does mean that no will
bring about no dispensary, no legiti-
mate sale of liquor, but nothing can
bring about total abstinence; the
laws regulating the liquor traffic are
violated, just as other laws are. 1t is
against the law to kill to commit ar
son and other crimes, and each has
penalty attached; in the two named
above there is a death penalty; yet
how many killings and how many
house burnings take place annually?
And yet no sane man will argue that
the laws do not reduce the commits
sions of crime. If they do not what
is the object of electing representa-
the laws when made?
Then again, he says, Fanatics
| commence it," here he seems to be
| speaking of religion, but that can not
| be. for he continues you will find
that not one scientific principle has
ever emanated from a fanatic" sure
! ]y he does not speak of religion in this
manner. Then it must be, by pro-
cess Of elimination, the whiskey ques-
ton he is speaking of. If he is, 1
would ask him, who brought up the
question? The dispensaryiteS. They
ask that a question which has for
years been closed, he again opened.
1t is open. And those who have been
called 'prohibitionists' but whom |
choose to call anti -dispensaryites,
are merely putting before the pub
lie facts. and rebuttals Of the argu-
ments of the dispensaryites; which
are pregnant with fallacies.
And in drawing a picture in which
he represents the dispensary as the
tree of forbidden fruit, saying that
It's presence would make or tend to-
ward making the young men stronger
and more self reliant, he not only for
gets that we are poor weak mortals
after all, but he also forgets to draw
the picture of the seductive tempter
Satan. Yet Sumters streets are not
free from Satans, who to be "sociable'
would ask young man to have q
drink, and would not be dispensarS
make such invitations SO much more
frequent than they are now?
One of the arguments upon which
the dispensary men lay great stress
is that we should have the dispen-
sary for the revenue. The author ol
last nights argument says IF conduct
ed on different plan from the one
heretofore existing it Ohe dispen-
sary) will not be source of reve.
nue. How are we to Judge? We
can only judge the future in the ligh,
Of the past. And. that light has beer
chiefly darkness
Again he says Every preceding
moment. hour and day has it's effec
in governing what is done the next
making every action in this life, have
an impression on the beings we are
creating to leave behind U.S." Surel,
he would not want the young men tc
be impressed by the things done by .
man under the influence of whiskey
Yet he would enlarge the number OF
actions" as it is a fact ascertained
by actual statistics that seventy per
cent more whiskey is sold when the
dispensary is in operation than when
it is not
Quoting again from the author, af-
ter he has spoken of the progress OF
the world, and the broadening view
BY it the races are growing healthier
BY it the world is growing great
BY it the nations are growing
wealthier,
Ever reaching a higher state''
Yet he acknowledges that whis-
key is unhealthy. Yes; he ackn0wI-
edges the power Of progress, and
then overlooks the fight against the
legalizing of the liquor traffic which
progress is bringing with it's power.
We must all leave our foot prints
on the sands of time" he says; yet
would he or any other man, want
his son, his neighhOr. his younger
brother or any other young man in
whom he has sincere interest, fol
lowing in the footsteps Of an ex-
ceSSlVe drinker, steady drinker or
a drinker of any other kind? There
are footsteps now on the sands of
time that need to he covered up. and
! that would be if the Shiftipc s.,,l,