The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-05-22
HOW 1T WILL BE DONE.
Tho PrOhibitionists are Organizing
for tho Suppression OF the Liquor
Traffic.

Traffic.
Mr.. T. ]. LaMotte, Of Columbia, a re-
cognized leader of the prohibitionists
in that city, has been interviewed b,
the Columbia Journal, and his views
on tho situation are given as follows
THE Prohibitionists are by nc
means inactive as the newspaper men
seem so anxious to make it appear and
the public to believe. Organizations
suppression OF the illegal traffic in
liquor now prevailing throughout the
State have been perfected in various
parts of the State. They comprise dis
Greet, earnest citizens heretofore iden-
| titled with the Prohibitionists' move
ment. Such organizations exists In
Sumter. Lancaster ana Columbia. They
| propose to use every lawful means
whether supplied by the ordinances or
| statutes OF force which can be brought
to bear upon the offenders. The places
where it is alleged liquor is being sold
are being brought under the observa-
tlon OF the organization, and the neces-
sary steps will be taken to secure evil
| dence which it fs believed will in all
cases be sufficient to secure conviction.
Every citizen should understand that
In the view OF those upon whom this
work has been dsvolved thew are
equally Interested in the suppression
OF violations of law and they will be
called upon to bear their part of the
common obligation.
Those who visit these places and
sustain by their patronage these viola
tlons OF law may reasonably be expect
ed to be required to furnish such evil
dence as they have Of the fact of viola
tlon, and it is the purpose of the organ
lZ9tiOn tO ma lSa nf nf -,
that way as well as in any other by
which it can be made available to ac-
complish the suppression of tho liquor
traffic. 1t need not be expected that
the Prohibitionists, as that term is un-
derstood to refer to those who have
heretofore been organized in tho Pro-
hlbltion movement, propose to assume
to themselves alone the burden of this
fight against the saloon in which every
citizen Of South Carolina is equally in
terested. Our idea is that ali must be
made to bear tho full responsibility
which attaches to him as citizen, and
SO Tar as we are concerned we propose
to assign the share which belongs to
those who are aiding and countenanc-
ing by their patronage this violation of
law to take that part which properly
belongs to them.
Tho municipal authorities will be
furnished with evidence upon which
they can apply the proper municipal
penalties against the violators, and in
addition to that these violators will
have the opportunity of testing wheth-
er the grand and petit juries of the
country are, as they claim that they
are, in league with them to defeat the
operations of law.
am satisfied that the law is being
violated fn n n in VITO
bia, but from my personal observation
and from information | do not belicvc
that liquor is being sold to anything
like the extent to which it was sold
from the time when the fold was
thrown open by Governor Tillmans
assurance that he would not Interfere
with it, Immediately after the first de-
cision of the Supreme Court up to the
time OF the proclamation issued by
Mayor Sloan. Many of those who were
responsible and reputable who engaged
in the traffic under the supposition that
they could do so lawfully without Ii
cense seemed to have become so far
satisfied by the recent decision on that
point that they have gone out of tho
business, and the business is now con-
fined mainly to irresponsible parties
acting for themselves or others, who
are willing to take the risks involved
for the money there is in it.
or course those who are moving in
this matter are not anxious to enter
into this fight if it can be avoided ;
they would much prefer that the men
who are thus openly violating tho law
and defying the public sentiment on
this subject should in view Of all of tho
consequences desist from doing so, but
they may rest assured if the evil con-
tinues that it is the determined pur-
pose of those thus organized against it
to use every means within their power
to establish the supremacy of law and
order in this State"