The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-01-28

upon tho Western farmer for corn and
oats and hay and pork and beef. In
some sections tobacco culture has al
ready become o profitable industry.
We have perhaps the: advantage of
Northern aid Western farmers in
many respects, and with cotton as q
sure money crop, we can offer to immi-
grants advantages not possessed by ar y
other section. There Is now reason to
believe that the manufacturers OF New
England arc already looking towards
the South. They are beginning to re-
aliZe that it Is cheaper to bring their
mills 10 the cotton than to take the
cotton to tho mills. With our splendid
water powers, many Of which are un-
developed for lack of capital, but which,
If harnesscd for the use Of man, would
materially increase our wealth, we
ought, it seems to mo, to call the at
tention Of tho outside world not only to
these unparalleled advantages, but
also to our genial climate, tho richness
and variety of our soil, our mineral
wealth, our splendid forests of pine
| and oak and hickory and walnut and
gum and other varieties of trees.
South Carolina ought to become q
great manufacturing State. We need
" variety Of Industries. There should
be no antagonism between the farmer
and the manufacturer, between the Cit
iZen of the town and tho citizen of the
country. Their interests are mutual
Every exclusively agricultural country
is not only dependent, but poor, and
the poverty Cf the South is due not
| alone to desolation Of war, but to the
lack of the arts and industries which
have made the North rich. At tho
same time, we should not in our zeal to
foster manufactures, commit the fatal
blunder Of neglecting or failing to pro-
tec' our agricultural interests, which
lie at the basis of all our prosperity.
Capital, it is said, is cowardly. At any
rate 1t seeks q solid basis for invest
lnent. We ought, on this account, to
inspire in tho outside world the conf
! dence that legitimate investments
made in South Carolina shall not be
disturbed by unjust Legislation, and, at
| the Same time, we should protect and
! encourage industries already cstab-
| lished. If we rigidly pursue this pol
| icy during the next decade, we shall
| be able to double the material wealth
| OF the State, and thereby to reduce the
rate Of taxation by increasing our tax
able property.
DISpENSARY.
The most difficult and perplexing
problem with which the people in all
! civilized countries should contend is
that of the liquor traffic. All the
efforts Of the Legislators to cope with
thchydrahcaded monster of alcoholism
have been unsatisfactory and inetiect-
ual Prohibition has been tried re-
peatedly in different States, and,
while it has failed to check drunken
ness, 1T has encouraged hypocrisy,
evasion or open violation Of the law
Its advocates are unquestionably in
spired ny tho loftiest Of motives, but
! human nature remains forever the
same and, whilo Legislators may enact
laws for the punishment Of crime, they
can never force men to become virtu-
GUS or sober.
SO vast problem as that of tho H.
Quor traffic demands for its solution
tho cooperation and combined wisdom
of all the people. Local option cannot,
therefore, settle it, except temporarily
and to a very limited extent. The open
| saloon Is Il constant menace and a dis
grace to civilization.
AS Is well known, | was at first not
an advocate Of the dispcnsary law and
| was skcptical as t. its ever being {,
success in any form. | can 20" there.
fore be considered AS unuuly biased in
its favor and I have arrived at my
present conclusion in regard to it
somewhat against my will. The Opin-
ion reached by me, after thoroug h
investigation Of lis working through
out the State, and aftcr having tile
views OF u good many Intelligent and
good men, is that tho law is q great
Improvement over the old license sys
tenn and that it deserves to he fully
tried, in its present form, before there
is any radical change made. The
proof Is overwhelming that there is
less drunkenness now than formerly
and that tho consumption of liquor has
been largely decreased. This is &C.
knowlcdgcd by every faiI-minded man
and that the masses Of the people arc
avcrsc to returning to the license sys'
tenn in any form is very evident to any
man who has mingled with them
Having stated my opinion as to tho pol,
icy the State should pursue. | feel il
my duty to enter at some length on
tho workings and merits Of the law,
And point out the severe tests TO which
1T has been subjected. 1t is not saying
too much to assert that it has never
had II fair chance. Enacted during q
period OF intense political activity,
when prejudice and party spirit were
running high, 1t was opposed by many
on political grounds purely, without
Schoh'S' Eoioh VI luo PURPOSE Or HCflG,
and every possible obstruction thrown
in its way. The Federal courts by in
functions have crippled IT,; enforce
lnent seriously. After tho DArlingto
trouble had been Quietcd the decision
OF the Supreme Court declaring the
law unconstitutional camo to undo oil
the work that had been done. While
it demonstrated tho utter futility of
prohibition 1t at the samo timo initiat-
Cd the sale Of liquor without license in
every Dcighborhood and many who
then began the ncfariOus traffic never
ceased to follow it, and arc still selling
| liquor as much as they dare.
o. what usc is it to argue that the
State should not sell liquor to its citi-
Zens or reap profit from the "blood
money! an some term it, when they
advocate licensing its sale and thus
starring in the profits made by the pri
vntc dealer? ? One system Is just as
immoral as the other, If there is i'm
| morality in either. But the monopoly
| OF the sala by the State enables it to