The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-06
THE PROHIBITION MEETING.
delegates Elected to Columbia-Some
Strong Speaking on the Subject
Executive Committee Appointed
The Blind Tigers to be
Looked After

The Blind Tigers to be
Looked After.
The prohibition mass meeting helC
in the court house on Monday wa
we'll attended. At one time the cour
house was pretty we'll filled. The pro
hibitionists talked like they mean
business, but as talk does not count TO
much we will have to wait for actor
to see if they are in earnest. The,
seemed to be agreed that the troubl
was going to be in managing and han
ding the blind tiger. They all fel
that he was aD enemy to prohibition
and should be belled, but the question
that puzzled them was who was to d,
| the belling.
| The meeting was called to order b.
Mr.. Arthur Kibler, a member of th
State Executive Committee.
Rev. W. l.. Wait moved that Nj
Kibler act as chairman Of the meeting
and it was so ordered.
Mr.. J. 6. Jenkins moved that tn
secretary be appointed by the chair
and it was 80 decided.
The chair appointed Geo. B. Cromer
Esq, but be declined, and then MI
! A. H. Kohn was appointed.
The chair said the first thing ii
order was to have the call under which
they met read, and il was read by th'
secretary, being the call issued by Mr.
Childs as State chairman and pub
lished in The Herald and News u few
weeks ago. This was simply a mas!
meeting called for the common good
They were met to discuss the Liquor
traffic. Continuing, Chairman Kinlel
said it was a big question. He coulc
not tell what the people present
thought of it-whether they preferred
the open saloon to the dispensary, Of
the dispensary to the open saloon. W.
all know that absolute prohibition il
only a theory and cannot be attained
People will have whiskey, but if the
open barrooms come again we viii
have them for a generation. Having
heard from almost every part of the
county he believed that the whiskey
question in one form or another would
be the paramount question IN the
coming campaign. We have victory
now, but whether we shall have vic
tory in the future depends upon our
own action. Our business now is to
discuss the best means of doing some
thing. The first thing for US to take
up is the advisability Of putting out q
State ticket from Governor down.
Mr.. Jno. G. Neel: Have We not pro-
hibition now?
The chairman said he did not know
just exactly what we had, but possibly
Mr.. Cromer could give US some light
on that subject.
Mr.. Cromer said that the penalty
now. for selling spirituous liquors was
heavy enough, be thought. The fine
is $500. Only needed somebody to
bring the offender to justice. He
wanted to see what the prohibitionists
were going TO do. He had always
fought for prohibition and was willing
to do it again, although he doubted
the practicability of prohibition. In
this fight we are going to have trian-
gular battle. Will have to fight the
dispensary and its advocates. Some
who were with you two and four years
ago are now in favor of the dispensary
plan. If it is right for anybody to sell
whiskey it is right for everybody to
sell it. It is just as right to have an
open barroom as it is to have blind
tiger over in the Phifer building. Till
man has no more right to enforce the
law than anyone else. Tillman
thought the dispensary was the solu-
ton of the question. It was his pet
scheme and it was his business to see
that it had a tair trial and was en-
forced. Prohibition WAS the pet
scheme of the prohibitionists and it
was their business to see that it was
enforced and given q fair trial. He
had read some resolutions Of a prohibi-
tion meeting and they declared for
fourte IN distinct things; they were
shelling e. woods with grape shot.
The only way to enforce prohibition is
to enforce it. The thing for the prohi-
bitionists to do is to stop blind tigers
the ones in town as well as those in
the country. He was willing to 60
with anybody who would organize the
sentiment of the county to put down
blind tigers. If you are not going to
enforce the law it is no use to pass res.
olutions and hold meetings. When
you work up the prohibitionists to the
point of enforcing prohibition then I
am with you. When you stand off
and expect trial justices and others to
enforce the law, then you are not going
to have it enforced. Mr.. Cromer Of
fered his services to the prohibitionists
free Of charge in giving counsel or in
helping to have the law enforced.
Mr.. a. 81. Kohn said if this meeting
does nothing else it will bring out the
condition Of the bling tigers, and we
expect to agitate the question; and agi-
tation always results in good.
Mr.. Jno. G. Nee]: If you put out a
prohibition ticket I am with you. But
we are not q prohibition people. The
thing was carried two years ago on
account of the prejndice of the country
people against the town people.
The leading law officers of this county
will go in blind tigers, and in secret
will buy whiskey and treat. I do not
believe there are two hundred real
in this county. I voted
for prohibition and I hope I am pro-
But this world is world
Of dollars and cents, and where there
is profit in the thing you can't stop it.
Chairman Kibler: Everyone must |
admit TIE force Of everything that has
been said. He must also admit that |
the present condition is better than |
the open barroom. The people are
stirred up on this question and every |
thing is in very unsettled and chaotic |
condition. Suppose we report blind
tiger and take man before trial JUS |
tice for violating the law, how do we |
know but that orders will be sent here |
TO release him? We must have posi- |
tive law on the subject. We want the
rignt men in the Legislature to give US
3 positive law on the subject. We |
want to get the people stirred up so
hat we can get the law enforced. I
lon't want to cut off all liquor. Want |
10 get rid of the treating feature.
There are some men who must and
will have liquor. We want to resch
he young men and boys. !
Mr.. Jno. w. Scott: / don't agree
with Mr. Neel that the vote for prohi-
oition was the result of the prejudice
If the country people against the town.
{ admit that there was great deal Of
prejudice. But prohibition was one
battle that was fought on its merits.
Dur officers were not elected on their
merits, but when we discussed psohi-
oition Tiilman and nti-Hllman came