The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-05-19
Several Things.

Nh. EpIroR: A goodly number of people
are very grateful that so many of the secu-
lar papers are helping forward the great
cause of Temperance. This is as it should
be. The truth is, no man who cares any
thing for himself his family, his country
or his church. should allow paper which
upholds whiskey in any way to enter his
house. The good people of the State are
also glad to know that large number OF
the members of the Legislature are in favor
of prohibition. Let every man who wishes
his State and country we'll, see to IL that
every candidate who is opposed to it be al
lowed at the next election to stay at home.
It is astonishing that some men seem to
think the Legislature has nothing to do
with it. You, Mr.. Editor, as q lawyer and
member of the Legislature, know that it
is the business of that body to make such
laws as will protect and improve the inter-
ests of the people. You made lava
wise and good one-punishing men for car
rying concealed weapons. And yet, there
are men who say you have no right to grasp
with the strong arm of the law this giant
monster, as with nerciless tramp he crushcs
widows and orphans and broken-hearted
mothers under his feet, and defiantly waves
his black flag in the very teeth of tue State
authorities. The good people of this coun-
~ are becoming sick and tired of being in
suited and run over by drunken men on
their way from Anderson. Already they
can be heard saying "the Town Council Of
Anderson is causing nearly all our trouble
now" Aud how? BY hoisting the food
gates for few dollars and sending the
streams of woe and death all over the coun-
try. For little pay they give men permis-
sion to make others drunk, and then pun
ish them for getting drunk. But if they
hurry off from town, it's all right. Is this
the way to treat sober people in the coun
try? The country people have some rights
as well as others. There was State prohi-
bition convention recently in Raleigh, N. T.,
$50 delegates represented every county in
the State. Let the ball roll on. Alcoholis
doomed. The grandest forces of nature
operate slowly and silently, but s':ret -
Friends of prohibition, work. 1t is only a
question of time when this bloated monster
shall lie giant corpse ut our feet.
Another thing. In the last issue of your
valuable paper are these words: "It is now
estimated that the forests of America will
be all used up at the end of another thirty
years"-enough to cause alarm to any think
ing man. Why this vast destruction OF
timber? In our Southern land cotton-the
peoples masters at the bottom of it. 1t
is absolutely provoking to see even the
grand old shade trees willing and dying
trees that shaded our mothers and fathers
when they were children-under the strokes
of the axe, all to get few moro cotton
stalks. Shade trees, garden spots, gras
lawns and even bottom land-where there
aught to be corn-are giving way to cotton.
No wonder we have drouths; no wonder
corn is scarce; no wonder the merchants
are growing rich at the expense of the
farmers. Many farmers are destroying by
wholesale their timber just because the
fence law, which is go d thing, makes it
50 easy to kill aud burn the timber, as there
are no rails to split or fences to build. save
for pasture So easy to ruin the timber
and then-make cotton. 1t is almost as
hard to convince some mon that cotton is
running them as to satisfy them that the
poisonous stuffs called pure liquors" will
eventually be rooted from the world.
Would that we could hear from Ut. Il.
R." more frequently. He STRUCK the nail
on the head" when warning the farmers to
spare the old field pines.
One thing more. Why will Some men
run their furrows when plowinG right out
into the road? w. A. II.