Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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A Liquor Man's Views Between the prohibitionists on one aide end the representatives of the liquor trade <>n the other, with the press ever alert looking on and et i tain to see In time Ahe comedy of the situation, there would seem to he M possibility of our having any pro hlbltlon In this country, and this not? withstanding the millions that have been spent In Aghtlng the liquor trat he. and the millions of properties de? stroyed by the passage of ao-calh d refprm legislation, and n dw Ithstand tn#; the prayers end the tears and the appeals of hundreds of thousands of good, earnest ami emotional women. Of course. It Is easy to understand that the men connected with the liquor trade do not desire prohibition, and are unceasing In their efforts to prevent the adoption of such lawg or to bring about their repeal. These men do not believe In prohibition, ?Ither as to principle or as to prac? tice, and furthermore, they have vast financial Interests at stake and. there? fore. It la not to be expected that they would encourage such legislation. The Anti-Saloon League, however, and the prohibition party, and the churches affiliated with these move? ments, and the W. C. T U. and what are known as the reformers In gen ?ral. profess to believe In prohibition In the matter both of principle and practice, and they certainly give an Immense amount of time, and they subscribe or collect millions of dollars and they keep up a perpetual agitation In favor of what they call prohibltor> laws, and in favor of the destruction without compensation of the proper? ty s of distillers, brewers, wholesalers a>id retailers. To hear a prohibitionist speak, or to hear a woman connected with the W. C T. U. recite an essay or poem In regard to drink, one would natur? ally suppose that they would go to any extreme to prevent the use of an ar? ticle to which they attribute 90 per cent of our ills. It Is a remarkable fact, however, that the leaders In this prohibition crusade ehow a greater fear of a real prohibitory law than do the men who are connected with the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. The older men in our trade have become convinced that if pro? hibition rcallv prohibited it would be repealed, and for that reason they would welcome a law that would pro? hibit not merely the sale of liquors, but the purchase, possession and use as well. We could have no better object les? son than to have a State adopt such legislation for the purpose of rinding out whether the majority of the peo? ple In that State really desire prohibit? ion of the use of liquor, or whether they are simply making a pretense for the purpose of satisfying their con? science or of deceiving one another. The leaders on the prohibition ?Ida, however, will not stand for a law that actually prohibits the Indi? vidual from securing for his own use a liberal supply of whiskey, wine 04 beer. These reformers seem to be very greatly concerned as to the rights of the Individual in such mat? tere, and they throw up their hands In horror at the suggestion of a law that would prohibit a man from hav? ing liquor in his home. That this Is true la shown conclu? sively by the fact that, notwithstand? ing the passage of the Webb law. there Is no terltory except a few coun? ties In Iowa, and a limited section? known as Indian Terrltov. and under the supervision of the general govern? ment where dealers In "wet" States are prohibited from shipping liquor to Individuals In "dry" States and coun? ties In su? b quantities as they mnv re? quire for their own consumption. In North Carolina, for Instate e, It was evidently feared bv the good pro? hibitionists that the Webb law would actually shut liquor out of the State, and the legislature, composed almost entirely of what are known hh pro? hibitionists. Immediately amended the prohibition law so as to make it legal for dealers in "wet" States to ship |c consumers in North Carolina not In eiceas of one gallon Ht a time in tot b Of course, this built hi..n has been dispensed with ae-l nhlgssjgejl I Hp to nve gallonM are heiiiK mete m North Carolina without .in lun.ti*n< ?., but even if the law sjejfg absolutely enfort ed It Is hard to imagine why an |g dividual in sny kind of territory wet" or "dry" bJmmiM want more than a gallon of whixke> in hi hou v ? t one time. In Oeorgia. Imwe . r. the pfohlbll lonlsts have very liberal Ideas as to the requirements pfl ilunn.tM, ;m ! n rently the ' Temperate e Committee' of the Senate unanimoiiMly roCOSJI mended, and the legislature BjSjMWd by an almost unanimous vote, an amend? ment to the pffjgjl ri I 11 v\ hl h ^ provides that where a shipment in Georgia of less than three gallons is sei/.??!. the burden of proof shall rest ? the State to show that the ship? ment was intended not for consum p - tion. hut for illegal sale. In other words, the prohibition leg? islature of prohibition Georgia de? liberately provides that any Individ? ual of Georgia may legally have ship? ped from another State at any time not in excess of three gallon.1; of whis? key, provided the goods are intended for his own consumption. Hut this character of legislation, this comedy of reform, Is not peculiar to North Carolina and Georgia, be? cause In every State in the Union, with the exception of the "dry" coun? ties in Iowa, similar provision has been made In the Interest of consum? ers of alcoholic beverages. As far as the "dry" counties in Iowa are concerned, they are being supplied by automobiles from "wet" towns within the State, or Just acroas the line from adjoining States, and the question of permitting the people In these "dry" counties to receive their supplies of liquors Interstate and without hindrance from the au? thorities. Is now before the courts and will probably be decided in favor of the consumer. When we remember that this pro? hibition movement has been going on steadily for more than sixty years, and when we take into consideration the fact that it has cost hundreds of millions of dollars, it hardly seems possible that such a situation can pre? vail today as we have described, and yet the fact remains that such a sit? uation does prevail, and that real pro? hibition, so far as we can discover, is without a friend, insofar as any of the organizations are concerned on either the "wet" or "dry" side. Those who are fighting on the "wet" side do not desire prohibition at all. Those who are fighting on the "dry" side desire prohibition each for the other fellow, but not one of them for himself. Furthermore, as far as we can tlnd out, not one of them, from the Rev. Purley A. Baker or the Hon. Wayne B. Wheeler down to the humblest con? tributor In the ranka of the Antl Saloon League, will consider for a moment the passage of a law that will prohibit him from having liquor in his own possession, and from using it as he sees tit. In this fact lies the great weakness of what we know an the prohibition movement, and it is this fact that makes it Inevitable tha|t in the future, as In the past, there will be no pro? hibition in this country ellTher by na? tional. State or local legislation.? Editorial by T. M. Gllmore in Bon fort's Wine and Spirit Circular. ARGUMENTS AGAINST HISI'IN SAItY. Stipt, Edmunds (lives three Reasons Against He-establishment of Liquor 1 Yaffle. Editor The Item. In matters affecting the body politic citizens of a republic should be pleased to give or to receive with? out bias or prejudice expressions of opinion and, therefore, in questions, whose determination may promote or Jeopardize the general welfare, there should be a readiness on the part of anyone Interested > show where lie stands and why he holds the views that he does. In this attitude of frtandllnesa and frankness towards those who agree as well as towards those who differ With me. I wish to say that, in the approaching election to determine whether or not the dispensary shall ho re-established in Sumter county, 1 shall vote against the measure for at least three reasons First: Undis? puted Statlatlca reveal the fact that not lifts per cent of the amount of whiskey Is being sold in this county under the prohibition regime: Second: The records of the coronsr'a office siu.w a most remarkable reduction in the number of homicides?a ques? tion of life and death affecting our fellow rtttaona; Third: The young men of our city, through their leprc esntatlveo, have appealed to those, whoae habits are alreadj formed, not t<> place before them this additional I. mpt it ton. In my lodgment imv one of t'.? reasons Is cogent; their combined strength Is Irresistible S II Kdmunds. There were about sixty four lleketi sold from Bumter on the northern excursion Wednesday, slightly mote than in former years. A great ninny mor? Pullman roeorvatlona were made I has usual The man Is or Boumanls seems lo i?e to g,t toot,, territory ?Greenville News. DISPENSARY <>R NO DISPENSARY. On the 19th day of August 1913. h<>w many will vote No; of his own 11?i will and accord'.' How many will vote Tes; of his own free will and accord? It will be the duty of the voter to consider well the many sides of the, ease before he Votes at all. The prohibitionist claims No. means, and will bring about n<? dispensary, no legitimate sale of liquor ami abstin? ence) total, eventually. Do you be? lieve it'.' Do you believe that if you Were able to vote No, a thousand times, you could break UP a luxury Indulged in by the race for many generations. A habit as old as re? ligion, attendant with similar consol? ations and similar disasters to the hu? man race. Every innovation of men's religious beliefs and endeavors to dic? tate to him what God he shall wor shlPi or what forms, etc., he shall in dulge in, or should not practice, has resulted in wars, deaths, and disas? ter to every generation. Almost every hook in the Bible from Genesis to Revelations, is tragedy, where tribe after tribe was swept from existence on account of religion ami even in this enlightened age we would back up missionaries with the sword to make the Chinaman embrace Christianity. Fanatics commence it, who for awhile hold their sway, until another fanatic comes along to promulgate a new Idea. You will lind not one scientific principle has ever emanat? ed from a fanatic. Take the liquor question; the man? ufacture and sale, and thinking of it in one form or another has been in existence for as many generations as religion, and like it has been attend? ed with consolations, pleasures, and disasters, and similarly 6aeh innova? tion dictating how it shall be sold, or how man should dilnk it, cr that he be prohibited from drinking it at all; has resulted In trouble, disaster, and bloodshed, especially the dispensary system, and worse the bind tiger sys? tem. It ifl futile to try and regulate man's appetite or his religion, out? wardly he may profress abstinence while privately he gratifies his appe? tite. Outwardly he may profess great religion through policy, while pri? vately he indulges in all that his re? ligion forbids. Some business men will vote No, believing that the class of men who spend money for whiskey would have more money to apend for their goods, others will vote Yes, because they be? lieve that the dispensary will draw more people ami their indulgence will cause them to spend more money. The prohibitionist will vote No, be? cause they think all men can, and must do without it as they do, who find tn> consolation, good, or pleasure In it. I think these are the chief reasons governing these three voters. The hist is voting No, from a sel? fish motive. The second is voting Yes, from an absolutely selfish mo? tive, neither caring for the welfare of his fellow citizen. The third is, 1 believe, sincere in believing he can, by voting No, prevent the use of it. and benefit men. Hut if he will lift the curtain he will find often selfish ness and a "l>og in the Manger'' spirit behind it. There is another voter who will vote Yes, from a purely business standpoint, which is that all will he benefited by the revenue obtained thereby from a population we do not now get a.iy from as they pay no taxes. There is another voter who win vote Yes because he believes it to be better than the blind tiger or the country club; better for all such things to lie under police surveilance. Take these voters; the tirst who votes No, forgets that if the men cannot get it from a dispensary they will And a thousand other ways to get it. The second voter votes Yes; he overlooks the fact that it may cost him more in the finish on account of enforcing law and order, and he paying for it. The third vote: No! he is a fanatic, he cannot have prohibition, total ab? stinence, he cannot dictate or force every man to think and do as he does. They aro too extreme, these men. no matter how good their intentions are, should pursue other mean.; to stop the evil habit of drinking, than to endeavor to forge ami enact law;; to foi I e the educated and ignorant, strong and weak, old ami young alike, depriving one of pleasure, one <>i comfort, some of necessity, and mak? ing others, the young, fear to trust themselves, if you believe in the Uarden of Eden story, then the Creator should not have allowed that tree of forbidden fruit to groa there in tin- Uarden ol Eden to tempt poor weak nun. Tin Is whal you arc Irv? ing to do when vou Vote No' Instead of removing the tree (dispensary) Why do vou ma let it stay, ami get to work to make the young mote self rellenl than Old Adam was. One thing certain be cannot, like Old Adam did, gel drunk in ins wife's name Tin- other voter who votes i for |he sake of revenue should consider well whether it Will be a source of revenue or not. If not con? ducted on a different plan from the one heretofore existing it will not bo. The evils thai existed and which should estimated are too numerous to mention here. As to the dangers of it to the com? ing generations, that is a problem that Is rapidly Bolving Itself. The young nun and women <d this gen? eration! have a new world teeming with new ideas, new avocations and new methods <d pursuing them, never in the history of the human race has there existed such opportunities as are now forcibly presented to man? kind. The pages of every magazine ami newpsaper teeming with Informa? tion presented in forcible yel simple tyle on every subject in the world, and our government is spending mil- | lions to aid science. Take agrb ulture tor Instance, it will soon he, not only | (as it has been) the most honorable profession in the world, hut the lead? ing one. If a man la deficient in mind or body there are new discoveries and , j new methods of restoration to assist nature in carrying out her work to enable man to perform what he was I created for. Every human beint; lik^ 1 every living thing is made for a pur? pose. We all must leave our "foot? prints in the sand of time." Do not think that the day or that the min? ute, that has passed has no effect on the future because it is gone, every preceeding moment, hcv.r and day nas its effort in governing what is done the next, making every action of this life, leave an impression on the be? ings we are creating to leave behind us after our duties are fulfilled and our forma are changed ami been merged into other beings. After considering all this what does it matter how whiskey is sold or any other injurious commodity? Instead of wasting time endeavoring to remove temptation, such as whis? key (there are existing worse, that can never be removed.) It would be best to control as far as possible nec? essarily existing evils. And let every aim be for higher education, nobler education, higher religion, nobler re? ligion. I do not mean by this a clas deal education or religion such as is taught in colleges and schools by ! rules. But I mean that new educa? tion, that new religion which is now creeping like a current of electricity from man to man, pervading all na? ture, rapidly, surely and potently. To realize it we have but to compare a hundred years ago, with the pres? ent and a hundred years to come. It is startling, the changes up to now. and at the present rat*' more startling to think what will take place in a hundred years to come. This progress la all based on scientific principle asserting and proving and By it the race is growing healthier By it the world is glowing great By it nations are growing wealthier Ever reaching a higher State. No thinking or observant mind can deny this and note how rapidl\ old customs and old habits are he coining obsolete, in every vocation and pursuit of the race. Hence with one last illustration to liquor, no man can deny that it is harmful physically and mentally as is any drug. The business man shuns it, the physician or surgeon in ids endeavor to aid nature in curing disease or wounds (though in s;ome cases having to use it as a eervant) dreads coming In j contact With It where it has become a master often rendering his best ef? forts futile. In conclusion I say it without doubt that the superior races and the su? perior minds in each race are, and will rapidly learn to cast aside old and Injurious habits in the pursuit of other things, for the betterment of himself and his fellow man! It may be the survival of the fittest, but can they not by precept, and reason, and by the aid of the new environments now existing cast aside arbitrary measures, and let reason and exper lence hold her sway, and work her cure. Respectfully, T. S. Sumter. Good Reason for His Enthuslasro. When a man has suffered for sev? eral days with colic, diarrhoea or other form of bowel complaint and Is then cured sound and well by one or two doses of Chamberlain's Colic, Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy, as I? often the case, it is but natural that he should be enthusiastic in his praise of the remedy, and especially is this the case of a severe attack when Ifo is threatened. Try it when in need of such a remedy, it never fails. Sold by all dealers.?Advt. Washington, Aug. 13.-? A reporl was made to congress today by the Secre? tary of War transmitting the recom? mendation i >f the hoard of engineer] that an expenditure of $430,000 he made to provide an Improved Inland waterway between Columbia, Camden and ?lharleston, s. C . Remarkable Cure of IMsentery. "I was attacked with dysentery about .Inly 1Mb. and used the dot tor's medicine and other remedies with no relief, only getting worse all the tune I was unable to do anything and my weight dropped from 145 tu 1-T> pounds. I suffered for about two months when i was udvised to use Chamberlain's t'olic, Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy. I used two bot? tles ot it mid it gave me permanent relief," writes B. W Hill of Snow Hill. X. ('. for sale by all dealers. Advt. . ._ im i*. Sumter Answered. Editor Dally Item. i read the article by Mr. T. s. Sum-1 tor, in favor of the dispensary. In last, night's item ami ask permission to answer it. To begin with I respectfully sub mit that the author of the article has his major premise wrong when he says "The prohibitionist says, N<>. means and will bring about no dis? pensary no legitimate sab' of liquor, and abstinence, total, eventually. The prohibitionist does mean that no will bring about no dispensary, no legiti mate sale of liquor, but nothing can bring about total abstinence; the laws regulating the liquor traffic are violated, just as other laws are. It is I against the law to kill, to commit ar? son and other crimes, and each has a penalty attached; in the two named above there is a death penalty; yet how many killings and how many house burnings take place annually? And yet no sane man will argue that the laws do not reduce the commis? sions of crime. If they do not what is the object of electing representa? tives to make laws, of what use are the laws when made? Then again, he says, "Fanatics commence it," here he seems to be speaking of religion, but that can not | be, for he continue:; "you will ftnd \ that not one scientific principle has ever emanated from a fanatic," sure? ly he does not speak of religion in this manner. Then it must be, by pro? cess of elimination, the whiskey ques? tion he is .speaking of. If he is, 1 would ask him. who brought up the question? The dispensaiyites. They ask that a question which has for years been closed, be again opened. It is open! And those who have been called "prohibitionists" but whom I choose to call anti-dispensaryites, are merely putting before the pub? lic facts, and rebuttals of the argu? ments of the dispenser yites; which are pregnant with fallacies. And in drawing a picture in which I he represents the dispensary as the tree of forbidden frutl, saying that its presence would make or tend to? ward making the young men stronger and more self reliant, he not only for? gets that we are "poor weak mortals after all," but he also forgets to draw the picture of the seductive tempter, Satan. Yet Sumter's streets are not free from Satans, who to be "sociable" would ask a young man to have a drink, and would not be dispensary make such invitations so much more frequent than ihey are now? < me of the arguments upon which the dispensary men lay great stress is that we should have the dispen? sary for the revenue. The author of last night's argument says "If conduct? ed on a different plan from the one heretofore existing it (the dispen? sary! will not be a source of reve I nue." How are we to judge? We I can only judge the future in the light of the past. And, that light has been chiefly darkness. Again be says "Every preceding moment, hour and day has its effect in governing what is done the next, making every action in this life, have an impression on the beings we are creating to leave behind US." Surely he Would not want the young men to be impressed by the things done by a man under the Influence Of whiskey. Yet he would enlarge the number of "actions," as it is a fact ascertained by actual statistics that seventy per cent more whiskey is .sold when the dispensary is in operation than when it is not. Quoting again from the author, af? ter he has spoken of the progress of the world, and the broadening view. "By it the races are growing healthier. By it the world is growing great By It the nations are growing wealthier, Ever reaching a higher state." Yet he acknowledges thai whis? key Is unhealthy. Yes; he ackn pl? edges the power of progress, and then overlooks the tight against the legalizing of the liquor traffic which progress Is bringing w it it Its pow er. "We must all have our toed prints on the Bands of time," he says; ye! would he or anv other man, want his son, his neighbor, his younger brother or any other young man in whom he has ti sincere interest, fol? lowing in the footsteps Qf an ex cesslve drinker, a Bteady drinker or a drinker of any other kind? There are footsteps now on the sands ol time thai need to be covered tip, and. that would be it the slutting sands (the indifferent voter) would shift in j the right direction und vote against the reestablishing of the dispensary. 1 am confident that 1 speak for tin majority of the young men of my age when l say, that we the young men are no! willing to follow wins Key precepts or in the footsteps ol some of the older nit 11 of Sumter. Wo do mU care to emulate their examples and we bee, you, the voters, not to make it any easier than it al? ready is for us to do bo. I know that I speak lor one, ami that one, myself, i do md wunl the dispensary, ami 1 am going to vote against it bp cause i don't believe it best for my friends, my county, and myself, Uespectfully, K. o. Purdy, jr. HI T GOVERNOR Kl IT si s To V\ CATE OPPR E. Indications Point to Clash of Au? thority when Mr. Sul/or and the* Lieutenant Governor Meet at Capi? tal?I riends of "Indicted" l.xeru tlve Sni that He Intends to Con? tinue in Oaace and Dae Everj Weapon to Maintain Dower. Albany. N. V.. Aug. IS.?With Gov. Bulaer Impeached by the assembly and the date of his trial before the sen? ate and the judges of the court of appeals set for September 18. th? spectacle was presented tonight of two men claiming to be governor of the State of New York. As soon as the articles of impeach? ment, adopted early today by the Democratic majority in the assembly, were presented to the senate, shortly after .1 o'clock this afternoon. Lieu? tenant Governor Martin H. Glynn an? nounced his intention of occupying the executive ? hamber. Frienda of Governor Sulzer declared that the governor intended to continue in office and would use every weapon in his power to maintain his potion on the ground that the assembly had no constitutional right to consider Im? peachment at its extraordinary ses? sion. I Some asserted that the governor 1 would go so far as to summon mili? tary protection if necessary to pre? vent the Lieutenant Governor from occupying the executive chamber. Judge D. Cady Herrick, who will act as chief counsel for the governor at his trial said tonight that 'talk of resort to force is the merest rot." "He will meet the charges against him in an ordinary and dignified way." said Judge Herrick, "and will do nothing unbecoming the dignity of j the State. He will engage in no ' physical scramble to assert his rights to discharge the 1 unctions of the of ti. c of governor. The governor himself was silent, when at o'clock tonight he left his office in the capitol. where he had been closeted the entire day. he was asked if he expected to return tomor? row. "Yes. siree." he replied in angry tones. So far as could be learned no at? tempt was made by Lieutenant Gov? ernor Glynn in any way to exercise the functions of chief executive today, but there was every indication that there would be a clash of authority tomorrow, when both men appear at the capitol. The Lieutenant Governor would not indicate tonight what action he pro? posed to take except to say that there would be no "circus or military ma? noeuvres about occupying the execu? tive chambers; the law Is supreme." The inaction of Lieutenant Gover? nor Glynn in the matter was in the face of arguments given expression both in the senate and in the assem? bly today that at the moment the ar? ticles of impeachment were presented to the senate Governor Sulzer auto? matically ceased to be the chief execu? tive. This contention was based on an ar? ticle in the constitution which says that "in case of impeachment of the governor the power and duties of the office shall devolve upon the Lieuten? ant Governor." It was held by the majority leaders that the word "impeachment" corre? sponded with the word "indictment" in a criminal trial and that, therefore, in the meaning of the constitution, viie governor already stood impeached eten though not yet convicted, and was, therefore, not now eligible to hold his office. Tl ?se arguments were placed before the Lieutenant Governor by the Dem ocratlc leaders early in the afterinon but. nevertheless. Governor Sulzer was not molested. A few minutes after the governor left his office, Patrick B. IfcCabe, rlerk of the senate, appeared at the executive chamber with a copy of the articles of impeachment and a sum? mons and complaint, which he Intend? ed to serve upon the governor. When Informed ley the governor's secretary that he had missed the governor by scarcely a minute. McCabe asked for an Sppointmenl tomorrow. Platt re? plied that the governor would be at the executive chamber at 11 o'clock tomorrow morning, and that he would "to lo arrange matters for that time." It seemed practically certain tonight that the governor and the Lieutenant Kovernor would both resort to legal tevts ,,( their respective claims in the courts, which in the history of New York State never have been called up on for an opinion which would ad a precedent. Rumors of what form these tests would take offered such S w ide choice that, for lack of authori? tative statement, no one cared tonight to venture more than a guess. Upon having the executive chamber the governor went for e short auto mobile ride, and then returned (?? the executive mansion, where he was in consultation until a late hour with his adv iset s.