Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-10-01
The Ruinous Liquor Traffic.

There was time when it was law.
ful TO sell intoxicating liquors as
beverage and for profit. and of that
time we have nothing to say, except
that the man who preferred that way
of making living had right to do
il and nobody could lawfully say him
nay.
Since the outbreak of the world war
il has been universally recognized ev-
erywhere that intoxicating liquors are
more dangerous to the cause OF sue
cess and liberty than are enemy artil-
lery. machine guns. rifles, bayonets,
shells. gas, etc.
There is no mawkish sentiment
about Lloyd George, the great British
statesman: yet early in the war he
stated boldly on the floor OF the house
of commons that England had either
TO quit swilling liquor or lose the war,
and with the war lose England's proud
place as the foremost civilized nation
of the world. England has not entire
ly quit swilling liquor; but drunkenness
has decreased TO small fraction OF
what II was when the war commenc-
ed, and England's army and navy are
more formidable today than they have
ever been.
Even mighty Germany, never a con-
sumner of alcohol to anything like the
extent that England was; but large
consumer of beer, has reduced the
manufacture and consumption of beer
to almost nothing, because she finds
that the elements that enter into the
manufacture of beer are far more val
liable in the prosecution OF the war as
food than they are as drink.
Early following the example of hci
European Allies, America has tre-
mendously reduced her consumption
of Intoxicating liquors to the very ma
tcrial advantage of her military ef-
fcctivencss and now she is preparing
TO cut 1t out entirely.
The human system does not require
strong drink. 1t Graves strong drink
merely because of the temporarily
pleasurable sensations 1t excites at
the expense Of the body and mind, and
weak human nature persists in indul-
gence solely for the sake Of the animal
that remains in it. Among those who
indulge, to be sure. are many who are
in every way as good as those who do
not indulge. They understand their
weakness and the danger of 1t as well
as anybody and they need the assist
ance of those who have better control
of themselves in breaking away from
their own folly.
So long as there are weak men with
a craving for liquor and so long as
these men have money, there Is in the
situation a promise of profit that holds
out everlasting temptation TO the kind
of people who hold money above the
welfare Of their own souls and the
souls of their fellowmcn. Where the
law makes traffic in liquor all the
more dangerous, the promise of profit
is greater and the appeal that much
stronger 10 the abandoned classes that
are willing TO risk their liberty for
money. and more especially to che
sneaking cravens who deliberately go
about ways and means of circumvent-
ing what they know to be the law
without jeopardizing their precious
hides.
There are a number of preparations
that are being sold in the drug stores
under the guise of medicines; but
which depend for the demand in which
they are held altogether on their alco-
holic content. That was the sole idea
on which they were prepared. This
Paw-paw stuff Is one of them. The
bloated and diseased skunk who orig
mated the preparation dropped dead
in Florida hotel not long ago, and
previous to his death he made no hes
itation in telling his friends that the
alcohol content Of the stuff was the
sole dependence for its sale.
The country Is in war now and it is
up to every one who is worthy of the
name OF citizen to help enforce and
carry out every one of the country's
war policies. The suppression of the
traffic in intoxicating liquors under
whatever guise is, most important
policy. and no man engages in this
traffic except for filthy profit. Among
the people who drink liquor are many
good citizens. who would be better cit
liens II they could break loose from
their soul and Notwithstanding appc-
tites: but the people who sell these
damnable connections for the money
that is in them, are traitors to their
fellowmen and traitors to their coun-
try-absolutely no good for any pur-
pose on earth.