The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-05-03

The japanese war scare is growing
apace and the advocates Of a bigger
and still bigger navy are making ;he
most OF IL. IL the mischief makers
keep on the United States will inevi-
tsbly be pushed into needless war
and a big navy will really be a ne
cessity. The man responsible for the
retention OF the Philippines weaken
ed the position OF the United States
and ny that act made a foreign war
one OF the probabilities OF the future.
This country Is doomed to pay dearly
I'm the not distant future for the i'm
perialism and world-power foolish
ness OF Roosevelt and his followers
The fight To re-establlsh the Coun-
" dispensary Is on. The petition for
the election Is now being circulated
and III we guage public sentiment
Alright there will be no great difficulty
In obtaining the signatures of the nee
essary one-third of the qualified cleo
tors OF Sumter County. There is no
disputing the fact that. In some re-
spects. conditions have been improved
ny the abolition OF the dispensary;
but II In equally az patent a fact
that In other respects the closing of
the county dispensary was followed
-
ance the good. Blind tigers have
multiplied within the town and
throughout the county and this form
Of lawlessness has been attended by
q growing disrespect for and contempt
ior law. drunkenness has decreased
but little. II at all. and the burden
OF trying to enforce the law has been
shifted from the shoulders of the Ii
quor drinkers to those of the tax
payers. The blind tigers have profit
ed. the express companies have reap
ed a harvest and the mail order whis-
key houses i'm other States have
grown rich as the direct result OF the
closing OF the dispensary. The -
rect and indirect evils of intemperance
We still have with us. for there has
not been n day since the dispensary
was closed that an occasional or ha-
bitual drunkard could not obtain
liquor for debauch. and the blind
tiger evil. instead OF less pernicious
and offensive with ne lapse of time.
grows steadily worse. The experience
Of the past four years holds out not
glimmcr OF hope OF improvement in
tie future. To continue the existing
condition OF so-callea prohibition is
no guarantee that thGra will be any
decrease In drunkenness among those
already slaves of the habl.. nor does II
promise the removal OF temptation
from the boys and young men who
Will recruit the army of drunkards
and vagabonds of the future. We are
frank to confess that we do not know
that conditions will improve IL the
dispensary is re-established. but we
do feel sure that they cannot be
much worse than they now are and
the revenue derived from the dispen-
sary will furnish money To aid i'm
sGppressing lawlessness and In max
ing public improvements Viewed
dispassiOnately the situation seems
rather hopeless one. IL We are To
continue the effort To- control the Ii
quor evil by law and To make men
temperate by legislation. Intempcr-
ance In both weakness and vice
and therefore a question OF morals
rather than one of law. and until II
Is treated as such we see little hope of
freeing this country of the curse Of
drunkenness. Unless the government.
both state and National. shall declare
the manufacture and sale Of liquor a
crime and absolutely forbid 1t. this
effort to control or suppress the use
OF liquor In one place while IL is
freely sold In another with the sane
tion OF the law will prove a farce and
a failure IA II has I'm Sumter County
during the past four years. IL tNC
government IL To continue To recog-
nize liquor as "A legitimate article al
commerce the only way out Of tn,
maze Of difficulties into which We ar,
ca, by legalization OF an evil by th'
National Government Is for the loca
governments To take possession Of tn,
traffic. sell pure liquor and use th'
profits derived from the business e
tighten the burden Of crime an,
poverty that the incorporate use al
liquor entails upon the community.
THE DISPENsARY ISSUE.