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

sincere amaZement indeed. Have you
not noticed that the most unsuccess-
full business men are the ones who re-
gard the money drawer as the most
important fixture in the store, and
who feel that they are saving money
by employing cheap but questionable
help. Does it seem that a big mer-
chant might advance his business or
increase his profits in the large sense,
by offering to sell liquor to his clerks?
Are we really considering this direct
slap in the face Of progress and pros
perity, by taxing the poor and ignor-
ant members of our population to the
extent Of these enormous yearly sales,
every cent of which goes far beyond
our borders, never to return, repre-
senting a drain on our resources, not
only by this large amount OF money,
but direct tax on energy, thrift,
morality, and health? Why man
alive, II had six boys, would take a
big chance on getting five of them into
the penitentary, that / might send
one to college? Just name the sum
that you yourself would accept for the
ruin of one of your own sons? Assume
that your son has sufficient stamina to
escape the risk, what attitude have I
not heard you with my own ears, ad-
wise your son to hold with regard to
his neighbor and his neighbor's son?
| If voted for the dispensary, what
fairer return might / expect from
providence, than that one of my own
boys become a drunkard?
l happen to know that you gave
money 90 help build the Y. NJ. c. A.
and you subscribed literally towards
it's support. l beg to use that fact,
coupled with a few Possibilities, and
bring them all together into your own
home in the shape of an argument
which has just occurred to me. To-
morrow your son comes home in q
high stete of intoxication. He has
never been so before, and having pa ss-
ed the age of corporeal punishment,
you decide to wait till the next day,
and use moral suasion. Neyt day,
then you approach him. ''Son, where
did you get that whiskey?" why
from the Y. NJ. G. A. father. It's good
whiskey, too, for it comes from a
good place" OF course that staggers
you some, and you come up goggy
But Son, I want to know what they
mean by selling liquor to my boy ]
gave lot of money to help build that
hall, and / pay them a large sum
every year" But father, you know
they need the money. Times are hard
People are behind in their dues. and
new members are hard to get, and a.
we all think we like whiskey, or mos,
of US, they get along quite nicely from
a financial standpoint, by giving us all
the whiskey we want at so much per
bottle. They are selling a good deal
OF it 10 the boys too. One Of the fell
lows went home the other night. and
slapped his sisters face, and cursed
his mother" But my son, they have
no right to sell it. The Y. NJ. c. A.
Is founded and maintained with its
sole object to guide young men into
avoiding the very thing that they
have now lead you directly into do
ing" But father, they don't make
us buy it. They just tell US it is there
Tor US when we want it. 1 will try
to cut it out if you object, but il must
I be all right if the Y. Nj. c. A. sells it,"
But son, they must stop selling il.
L Will use every means in my power to
bring this outrage before the people
1T will be fine condition of things
indeed when our institutions for the
moral guidance of the youth must en-
gage in the liquor traffic i'm order TO
meet their expenses. 1 will resign as
member" We'll father, if that is the
way you feel about it, you might as
Well move out of this State and be
done with il. You singed that pe-
tition for the dispensary election, and
you say YOU will vote for it. You
could never convince me that il ia
wrong for the Y. NJ. G. A. to sell Ii.
quor or for me TO drink il when YOU
are willing for our very government
itself to sell it, and for everybody
else except me to drink it. Our local
government here don't need the mon
ey any more than the Y. NJ. c.. A.
dos. The two institutions are found
ed on the same broad principles. We
learn from our government that there
are two ways to so, right and a
wrong way. They teachus that the