Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1884-12-25
"Mct OF Dry y

The people Of this state have scarce
ly recovered from the agitation and cX-
citcmcnt attendant upon the national
and state elections before they arc
again brought face to face with an i'm
pOrtant issue. The extreme temper
ance people and prohibitionists are
pressing their ideas and desires upon 4
number OF communities in the state,
including three principal cities. Their
attempt in Charleston met with sig
nal defeat at the first forward move
ment made by them, and even had
they succeeded in having the polls
opened, there is scarce Il doubt that
the victory would have been with the
anti-prohibitiouists. The plan is very
simple, but it is fraught with great
danger when viewed from a political
standpoint, and it is just AS impossible
to keep it out of the political arena as
it is to hold any city, county, or state
election without exciting the political
animositics of the partiSans engaged
therein. The local option law, under
which these elections are held, was en-
acted in 1882 by purely democratic
legislature. 1t provides that where
citizens to the number of One-third the
votes cast at the last preceding munic-
ipal election shall sign and present to
the city council or town wardcnS OF an
incorporated city, town. or village, a
petition requesting m election to be
held to determine the question of eli
censc" or "no license, said councils
or wardcns shall order said election to
be held on or about the lst OF Decem-
ber, and ii majority of the qualified
electors shall vote in favor of mo IL
censc," then said council or war
dens shall not grant license
for the retail of spirituous liquors
for two Years from such cleo
ton. Under this law, the issues OF
which are laconically termed "wot and
dry" n number of towns have gone
"dry," and the time having expired
new elections have been ordered to de-
termine the question for the next two
years. The two mountain cities OF
Greenville and Spartanburg ordered
elections, to be held on the 29th inst,
and others have been appointed for the
first week in December. An effort in
the same direction in this city is being
made, and If it progresses far enough
to reach the polls it will be defeated.
There is on the statute books ample
provision for the election 0t municipa
boards who may be either opposed to
or in favor of granting retail liquor Ii
cenSes, under the charters which have
been granted these municipalities, bu
the temperance people stepped in and
secured the passage of special legisla'
tion, which adds to the irritation ant
excitement attendant upon all elec
tions, and this view of the law, that i,
class legislation, makes it the more
Objectionable. Further, there are nj
immense number of provisions in thu
statute books tending to cripple tn,
liquor business, such as prohibiting thC
placing of any screen, curtain or othel
device between the bar al which liquol
Is sold and the passing public, while il
( the same enactments the business il
licensed. But the greatest of all OBJ
jections to the local option law is thu
fact that it will create discord and di
vision In the democratic fold, becaus,
earnest appeals are made to the ne
groes to vote the dry ticket, which
will eventually split the democratic
party. The negro will quickly per
ceive his oportunity for accomplishing
under the local option Law that which
the race issue has hitherto prevented
The negroes have the samr rights a
the wet and dry elections as they hav'
at other elections, and they will no
fail to take advantage of the oportunit,
to make the white men feel the neces
sity of seeking their aid on one side O.
the other. In every dry town in thu
state drunkenness prevails great ex
tent, simply because the ! ,,,or is clan
dcstinly obtained. CounlJia Is. O.,
cor, 81, Louis Globe Deaoorah