Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1892-09-29
Local option is a Failure.

fine on all growing crops for the week.
Turnips, fall CT late, potatoes, both Irish
and sweet, and Late cabbage are magnifi-
cent. Hence cotton is slow opening and
but little coming in and the rc.ce is
Upward in tendency. Indeed, outside OF
the surplus old crop the supply will be
deficient, and were we TO risk venture
we would say cotton will sell for ten
cents before another crop is made.
We went to Elberton to the Surrepta
Association, but they wereso completely
rained out that there was but little enjoy
ment outside of mere business view.
Under the head of Prohibition" in
the last COURIER, we beg to differ with
the CoURiER's views in regard to local
option. We believe in educating the peo-
pie out of this trouble by enlightening
the mind out of this acquired and trans
mitted depravity. The love of strong
drink is not inherent to the human organ
ism, but is solely perversity that tetotal
abstinence will cure just as effectualiy as
quarantinihg against Asiatic- cholera,
small pox, yellow fever or any other
infection. Now, as an ounce of pre-
vention is better than pound of cure
and we apply this old addage to all the
avocations of life, even in cultivating
our crops if you please-and to bring
this matter before the common mind in
practical sense, we maintain. founded
on sad experience and observation,
that prevention is always better than
cure; and appeal to every inveterate
drinker and tobacco user, to the law OF
quarantine, to the culture of our crops,
murder, theft, or any other trouble
human flesh is heir to, if prevention is
not easier and better than cure. Take,
for instance, the man of God that stands
up and tries to preach the gospel to
every creature" to renounce the use of
tobacco. even when he is convinced of its
wrong, and, though stalwart man,
acknowledges his puny imbecility to
break away from the clutches of long
continued habits. Take the tipping
preacher q use this class because they
ought to be exemplary and that moral
suasion ougl. 20 aid thesnin breaking
away from these vices.) or take the farmer
who has let his crop run away with grass
and weeds, speak and see if they will
not all with one accord agree there was
once when these troubles could have
been managed, but now, oh, now, how
hard it is to cure what we could once
have prevented. to say nothing of the
evil consequences, even if we succeed IN
curing.
''vice is hideous mein.
And to be hated needs to be seen,
But often seen familiar grows her face;
We first fear, then pity, then embrace >
This illustrates practically the danger
of evolution and association. Now the
blind man, though fool or a wayfaring
one. may see, if he will run the philoso-
ply Of the idea. There are thousands of
the worst drinking men that are not only
willing for, but are in favor of prohibi-
ton, if they knew nobody else was indulc-
ing. Hence we say local option is fail
ure, farce, fruitless frenzy that ends
with ..prohibition does not prohibit" "
Again. local option enables thousands of
other men to send off through the express
companies and obtain whiskey, while the
ignorant poor man is exasperated and is
in favor of its general use. and hence the
failure in both cases. Local option is
like quarantining against an epidemic at
one seaport only, and soon the disease
makes such headway that the populace
cry out, quarantine is failure, or like
fighting a destructive fire and leaving
portions of the destructive element
smouldering in some dangerous locality
10 break out and sweep over again the
territory once saved. Hence we claim
that prohibition to prohibit must be gen
eral-a law passed that will be thorough,
that will treat everybody fairly and
souarely. without favor or fear, if we
expect those that voted for prohibition
to be successful in having their wishes
carried out; and every member of the
Legislature of South Carolina ought to
feel under obligation to his constituents
to enact the best code of laws that their
wisdom could devise and then see that
the law be duly and persistently enforced.
The three greatest ruling powers of the
world ought to govern this matter and
they will do it if properly enlisted, viz;
The clergy, the bench and the press;
the clergy to persuade, the press to dis
seminate and the strong arm of the law
to force where persuasion fails.
Underwood, Baptist: Cartledge, Pres
byterian; Lovejoy, Methodist, and Wingo,
Baptist, literally stumped Franklin and
Hart counties, and Habersnan, too, l
believe, three of the very worst counties
in Georgia, and they all dried up, Now
prohibition has laid the axe at the root
of the tree that will not work, and w.
hope to see these opposers Topped. off
who refuse to work III The grandest cause
of deliverance humanity ever bowed
down to. Divine injunction says. IF
sinners entice thee consent thou not,
but withdraw from their company. Now
the more distant we withdraw the more
effectual, and the further we push whis-
key from US the less we will want it.
SO let us haze State option. We are
in favor of national platform with a
temperance plank so broad that whiskey
drunkenness, disorder, bad government
badly administered will be among the
things that ,eere. B. X.
Hope for the Planter.