The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-11-22
Columbia Barrooms.

In many town and village OF
South Carolina young men, and men
not so young. are saving their dollars
for a vacation In New York. They are
desperately bent on getting away a
little while from the humdrum Of life
at home. III they do not intend to
be wicked themselves I'm New York,
they expect to DO refreshed and enter
tanned by the naughtiness OF others
the men and women mingling I'm the
cafes and restaurants along the Great
White Way" the flashing OF cut glass
and silver under the blazing lights,
the popping of champagne corks. the
song. the dance. the abandon OF the
pleasure chase. Times have been
rather dull here In South Carolina. for
n long tme-except In Charleston.
Nearly two years ago a member OF
the stan Of The state. went to Char
lesion during the racing season and
wrote for his newspaper a description
OF the tiger" In his lair. IL was a
glowing but by no means over -colored
pictude OF a "wide-open town." Its
publication did not In the least affect
conditions In Charleston.
The journey Of a hundred and thir-
~ miles to Charleston is not necessary
TO obtain the facts and setting for a
similar story now. The open bar
room Is here. One may find In CO.
iumbia. without exploring the obscure
sections OF the city. much the same
gay life" that one would discover In
sew fotk--the vine, the women and
be song. One may even have his
'venlnr &c en Attractive resort marred
~ high words ana q necessity for call
ng iu STRONG arm" men to put down
disturbance when the warm blood
of youth has become super heated by
strong potations.
The state does not intend to convey
the impression that such places are
numerous or such scenes and incidents
frequent In Columbia. but the open
saloon is here. Why there are not
nifty or n hundred instead of dozen
or twenty. we do not know. We do
know that ir the present circum-
stances no man wishing to engage In
the whiskey trade can be prevented
from opening a barroom in Columbia
without unfair discrimination against
him ard favoritism towards others.
mo. you can't stop II; you can't
check It," said an observant visitor a
few days ago. "and the reason why Is
that Columbia has arrived You
have money here now. your 'gilded
youth has II and would spend 1t. CO.
lumbia has passed from the village
stage and the same problems face
you that face other cities. Your bar
rooms have come to stay" That is
the challenge and the accusation. We
dispute a. We believe that Columbia s
moral sense IN not so dea1encd that
IL will suffer this disgraceful condi-
ton.
The question before Columbia Is
not one OF the sale OF whiskey. 1t is
whether or not the laws shall be brok
en- and decentralization OF the com
munity Invited. Always there has
been illegal liquor selling In Columbia.
but heretofore II has been a hiding
and skulking traffic. Now 1t Is for the
community to consent to and approve
OF open traffic I'm defiance CT the laws
or stamp IL out.
We have reclted the plain. staring
facts. Except as TO the number OF It's
barroOms. whiskey traffic conditions
In Columbia are not better than In
Charleston or Savannah. The bar
rooms are open. That is the whole
case.-Thc State.