Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1916-12-06
A State Tapering Off.

There is a growing sentiment IN
favor of revising the gallon-a-month
law so as to read quart-a-month.-
Edgefeld Advertiser.
"The Advertiser would have the
state to taper off like man who drinks
too much-quit gradually. The trouble
about that kind of quitting is that it
seldom quits; it is tonly few more
ups and downs for while, and then the
same old gait.
The foregoing paragraph is from a
somewhat lengthy editorial in the New
berry Observer advocating the repeal
of the gallon-a-month law, thereby
shutting liquor: out altogether, instead
of reaching absolute prohibition by de-
grees. The Observer and The Adver-
tiser are not very far apart. AS both
desire to see ABSOLUTE prohibition
with all their mind and soul and body,
about the only difference between them
is difference in the route or means OF
reaching the coveted goal.
So satisfactory, in the main, has
been the means or method adopted IN
the past of reaching our present state
or stage of prohibition in South Car
olina that The Advertiser is disposed
to praise the bridge that has brought
US safely thus far. The advance OF
prohibition during the past decade has
been by degrees, forward step being
taken when public sentiment warrant
ed. or sustained the law. Going at
one bound from the State dispensary
to Statewide prohibition would have
been as unwise as was the attempt OF
the Germans to take Paris and subdue
the French at one fell swoop. The in
vading armys would have seized more
territory than it could hold, and in like
manner the going. at one step, from
the State dispensary to Statewide
prohibition would not have been a real
victory. At that time prohibition SEN
timent among the masses in South Car
olina was in its swsddling clothes.
However, by line upon line, and pre-
cept upon precept, public sentiment
has steedilv grown, making steady
and sure victory possible.
Liquor has been overthrown in every
part of South Carolina as rapidly as
the people were educated and the pub
lie conscience enlightened upon this
great question. From the graft-ridden
State dispensary the people went to
the county dispensary, with the county
option provision. Under the latter
provision, county after county voted
out whiskey as rapidly as public SEN
timent sustained a forward move.
Finally, majority of the counties
tabooed the dispensary and the next
step was Statewide law. When the
people by a majority vote of more
than 80. 900 ratified the Statewide pro-
hibition referendum the fight was not
ended, for the law had to be enforced.
Under the county dispensary system, a
citizen could purchase liquor for per-
sonal use in unlimited quantities with
out the State and ship into the State
by freight or express. But when State
wide prohibition went into effect the
legislature limited the quantity to one
gallon a month. Under this provision
of the law large quantity of whiskey
is being shipped into the State and into
Edgefeld-a larger quantity than
should be permitted. The Advertiser
would like to see these shipments dis
continued altogether, if such step be
wise at this time. A question that the
legislature will have to decide is,
Should whiskey shipments be stopped
altogether or should the quantity be
further curtailed?
If public sentiment is ready for an
other forward step-that of stopping
whiskey shipments altogether-then
The Advertiser favors such law. If
public sentiment will not sustain so
drastic step, then we are for further
curtailment of the quantity, say to a
quart a month.
The Observer and The Advertiser are
not so far apart after all. Both de-
sire to see ABSOLUTE prohibition.
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