The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-05-24

The trouble WITH Japan. reduced to
Its lost analysis. seems to hinge on the
fact that Japan has n navy that IS
superior To that of the United States
and large standing army composed
OF veterans OF the victorious war with
Russia. III Uncle Sam had navy
twice as strong as Japan and a large
and efficieut standing army. there
would be no talk Of war.
Mr.. T. II. Jenkins has undertaken
10 have a careful and accurate in
vestigation made of the comparative
amount OF liquor sold I'm Sumter
county during n stated period OF the
last year the county dispensary was
operation and during a like period of
this year. The statistics will be com
piled from the records OF the county
board OF control. under which the
county dispensary was operated. and
from the records of the express and
freight offices. The statistics will be
carefully compiled and every effort
viii be made TO have them both ac-
eurate and complete. From these sta
tistics II will be possible TO make an
approximate estimate of the quantity
OF liquor consumed in this county un-
der the dispensary system in COM
parison with the amount consumed
under the blind tiger and mail order
regime OF the present time. OF course,
IL IN impossible to make an absolutely
exact and indisputable comparison.
hut the approximation will be so near
the truth that those who have an
open mind and are not prejudiced for
or against one or the other side of
the question now In issue will be en-
abled TO form an opinion, based up
on facts. rather than sentiment, and
VIII be In "a Position To decide dis
passionately how To act i'm respect to
signing the petition for the dispen-
sary. or. I'm the event that the election
shall be ordered, whether To vote for
OF against the re-establishment OF the
dispensary. In the meanwhile we ad-
wise all who are interested In the
welfare OF the community TO keep
an open mind and not commit them
selves irrevocably to either side of
the proposition. The investigation
may develop facts that will prove be-
yond a doubt that the use of liquor
has materially decreased since the
abolition of the county dispensary and
that the city and county have been
greatly benefited thereby, despite the
activities OF the blind tigers and tn.
lawle5sness and disrespect for law that
they have fostered. The establishment
OF such facts would leave the dispen-
sary and the legalized sale OF liquor
I'm sumter count without "a single ad-
vOcate. save those who want liquor
for liquors sake and the profit that is
In the sale Of liquor. regardless of the
evils that the Incorporate use OF al
cohol entail upon the victims Of the
habit individually and upon the COM
munity as whole. We have been,
and still are, Of the opinion that the
use OF liquor has not greatly de-
creased since the abolition of the
dispensary and that the curse of blind
tigerism has more than counterbal-
nnRa1
ed from the voting out Of the dispen-
Hary. but this Is not an Interchangeable
conviCi."n and We are keeping an
olen mind ON the subject. so that If
iacis are adduced to disprove the pre-
viously entertained belief, We shall
oppose the re-cstablishmcnt of the
dispensary II Is not the money that
Sumter county may obtain from the
sale OF liquor that u the first consider
alton. but the well-bcing OF the peo-
pie and the good OF the community az
at large. II the establishment of
the dispensary will not improve con
ditiOns. as well as earn q large in
come for the county and city. then
We do not desire IL. II the Tc-cstab-
lishment Of the dispcnsary Is likeiy Ia
prove an evil influence In the com
munity-even more evil than tn,
blind tigcrs-thcn II would be- dear al
any price We would not favor the
disI rnsary under such conditions. even
though there was assureD,c that tn,
profits from II would bc ten times az
nrnnI ~ LIN tho IuaI