Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-01-09
"soUTHERN INTOLERANCE. "


in Hagerstown, Maryland. One
would scarcely imagine that the
Herald was published 30 near the Sun
nv South. A casual reader of its col
umns would undoubtedly first guess
that it was Republican organ of the
regulation sort published at least as
far north az Massachusetts, and GER
tainly not outside Of New England.
A couple of weeks ago a Republi-
can postmaster in Mississippi town
got drunk and started out to clean up
the place, shotgun i'll hand. He had
a personal grudge against young
gentleman who conducted a druggist,
and he announced that It was his iu-
tention 10 fill the aforesaid druggist
full OF lead. The druggist was no
fool, for when the postmaster pro-
ceeded to his place OF business to car
ry out the threat, he was met by the
druggist, who got the drop on that
official. Ten minutes later there was
vacancy in the postottice. This
Southern outrage was the occasion
Of a long and laoored editorial III last
weeks Herald. Once more the South
got raking over, aud once more the
bloody shirt was waved III the wlntry
breeze. WorNing lis was up from
Mississippi, the Herald finally reached
West Irsiuia, and nere's its para
graph reiatiug To nepnerdstown:
We can see this inuolerant spirif IL
lustraled aG our very doors. Just
aci uss Tile river Is She village OF Suep-
nerdstown, which lately voted against
q liuuor license. Ine true inward
ness of liIis election is not generally
Anorn. 1t was to drive Repuoilcah
saiOun- Keeper out OF the town, whose
iuliueuce was considered dangerous
10 Cue success OF the Democratic can
uiuats Tor Congress. Mr. wilson vas
elected, or returned, several tlihes oy
extremely sleuder maJoritles. we
are credloly Informed 10y resident
OF SnepnerdsIown that promlhenI
citizens vi that place, during the IL
ceiIse contest, declared tuat tnls ga
ioou Keeper must be driven away or
BILL Wilson would be defeated,
The only way 20 drive min away
Was To destroy mis- business. luis
was not done by violence, Us IN the
Iartnsr South, but under color OF Ia"
by an appeal to Democratic prejudice
aud the spirit of Intolerance that per
meates Southern Democracy.
We have no doubt the Herald got
it's information from the fountain
mead, but it does not tell al the
truth. 1t might very truthfully have
stated that among those who showed
this 'intolerant spirit" toward the
Republican saloon-keeper were some
of the very best and certainly the
most respectable Republican voters
In the community. Every minister
of the Gospel in Shepherdstown,
white and colored, showed the same
spirit, and all worked in the campaign
referred to as never ministers worked
in a political campaign. An over
wAelming majority of the white vo-
tiers worked and voted the same way,
and had it not been for the colored
voters, who certainly had full oppor-
tunity to exercise the right OF sur
frage in thi. southern town, the Re
publican saloon-keeper would have
scarcely mustered a corporals
guard.
We cannot vouch for the Herald 5
statement that it was necessary TO
close the saloons to save Mr.. wilson.
But we think that it was quite the
proper thing for the Democrats, II
this saloon referred to was being used
a. Republican electioneerins head
quarters, to close it up in the way
designated by the law. II at the
same time the sale OF the whiskey
was undermining the moral fouuda-
tions of the young men of the town
and seductively stealing away from
the heads of families the money that
was needed for food and clothing for
the children-if in connection with
this evil it was believed by the Dem
ocrats that Republican Doodle was
flowing into the saloon i'll ready cash
and flowing out again in the shape of
free drinks placed where they would
do the most good among the doubt
full voters-if to the ordinary train of
evils attendant upon a whis .ey sa-
loon were added the well-planned
schemes to debauch and corrupt the
voters-then, we say, it was indeed
high time for all good citizens, es-
peciaily all good Democrats, to rise
up and put down the evil that threat
ened us politically and socially. 1t is
a singular fact that all the saloon
Keepers in Shepherdstown Of late
wears have been Republicans. This
being so, it follows as matter OF
course that when any saloon-keepers
business il destroyed" it is a Re-
publican who suffers. But even If they
were all Democrats, we believe it is
certain that public sentiment would
have beer aroused every now and
then and cleared the saloons out just
like ii has done while they were un-
der Republican rule.
We do not think that Mr.. Wilson
would have been defeated even if the
Republican saloon-keeper had been
allowed to keep open his headquar-
tiers. We must say, however, that
the result of the election in this town
last November goes far to sustain the
wisdom of every Democrat who vo-
ted to close up the saloons last
spring.