The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-05-31
THE PROHIBITION CONVENTION.
Mrs. Chaplin Gives Her Views Of Its Con-
duct and Action.
from the News and Courier. !

From the News and Courier.
AS nv name has been mentioned
several times in different papers in coll
nection with the so-callcd Democratic
Prohibition Convention" recently held
in Columbia, | beg the privilege Of,
making a statement of Just how the
thing stands, and what l had to do
with it, or rather what did not have.
Sam Jones has a lecture, "Git there,
Eli, with the Eli left off, so this was a
i democratic Prohibition COnvention'
with the Prohibition left Oft. Weeks
ago 1 was written to by Prof. Haynes,
Informing NE that he and some others
intended getting up prohibition con-
vention, and urging me mot only to
come, but to come and speak. I bad
engagements, and important ones, in
Mobile Montgomery and Birmingham,
so could r OF promise. Again and again
I was urged. At last received a letter
from my own w. &. T. i. women,
asking me to be the bearer of their
greetings to what they supposed was to
be really the organizing of our own tenn
perance men to work for the home
against the saloon, and they thought it
only proper that they should receive
"God-speed" from the guardians of the
home. a request from the women who,
year after year over my repeated pro-
test, elect me as their leader, is with me
a command. SO, at much personal
expense and a long, weary journey, [
cancelled all my engagements, came to
my native State and hunted up the
Convention. On other States conyen-
tions hunt me-
Upon entering the hall where the
meeting was to he held looked in vain
for representative ProhibitiOnists. Presi-
dent Carlisle, Senator Murray, Hon.
w. X. Blake, NJ. Lander, even Prof.
Haynes was missing. Some whom |
saw apparently manipulating things
had always been regarded as tor high
license. The geniuses, with but few
exceptions, were conspicuous for their
absence, and were not out in force
enough to prevent the capture of the
Convention by the political usurpers.
So as far as prohibition is concerned it
was d dead failure. In this decision l
am Joined by all Of the original project
ors with whom have conversed.
No third party was proposed by Mr..
Haynes in his call; his intention was -
thorough canvas Of the subject OF pro-
hibition for South Carolina and 10 effect
a permanent State organization on non
partisan lines"
Now let us see how they carried out
this programme. No sooner was the
Convention declared open than a
clerical brother, holding a paper aloft,
marched to the front and read some
thing to this effect: That no person,
not a Democratic voter should open
their lips or even hold up their hands
to vote in the Convention. Is it not
strange how women's votes and earth
quakes, even in imagination, can de-
moralize some folk? Well, that was all
the prohibition there was about the
whole Convention. am glad ! afforded
them occasion for ever one prohibitory
law; only that, and not one more. But
was it not real mean and ungallant,
Mr.. Editor, after urging and insisting
on my being present, and after all the
expense and fatigue l had been put to,
to shut the door in my face before l had
time to say how dye do or deliver my
message? Could saloon-keepers have
treated me worse? The senseless and
ungallant resolution was counted in Ut
did not pass) after vigorous protest.
Brother Oliver, who is TOO honest to
understand how much more depends
on the counting than the voting, said
he and others thought they were voting
to lay the resolution on the table and
begged to reconsider. That was not in
the programme. They claimed one
majority and could not risk it. 1mme-
diately after the number Of delegates
was declared to be forty, twenty had
voted against the resolution, and
Brother Oliver arose to inquire after
that one majority, but, like the historic
Rhine mother, they only answered
"mew." Any political body might
have learned approved lodges from the
Democratic Non-Prohibition Conven-
ton. Prof. Haynes, who was unfortu-
nately too ill to attend the gathering,
sent in q resolution asking that the
Convention endorse the introduction by
law into the public schools of the study
of the effects of alcohol upon the human
system. In thirty States and Ter
ritories this law is in operation, but this
Convention declined to endorse it.
Another proposition was that Prohi-
bitionists should nominate for office
only such Democrats as would pledge
themselves to stand by the prohibition
cause. This, too, after q heated discus
sion was withdrawn, as being incon-
sistent with the principles of the Demo
cratic party. And yet this was claimed
to be nonpartisan convention. There
were good and true Prohibitionlsts in
the Convention, who feel Inundated
and mortified at the turn things took.
The Convention was meant to be i
prohibition convention. 4 ring cap,
tured it. But prohibition still lives, and
God lives, and can overrule wicked
designs for His OWE glory.
S. +. CHAPIN.
Charleston, May 25.