Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-12-11
THE THACKER PLAN.

Rev. J. II. Tbacker, of Hickory Grove,
has written to Governor Ellerbe letter
on the whisky question which has been
widely published and which is attracting
not little attention. Here is what Mr..
Thacker has to say:
DEAR SIR-As per your request, l sent
you sometime ago my reply to the ques-
tions you asked the clergy OF your state
concerning the liquor traffic.
I stated that so far as knew the people
by large majority preferred prohibition
to either the barroom or the dispensary.
most of the people with whom 1 have
discussed the matter expressed the hope
that the next meeting Of the Legislature
will give us what the people, by 10000
majority vote, declared for year ago
prohibition.
Prohibition is what the good, true and
noble citizens of the state have worked
for, prayed for, and voted for, and won
in a fair election at the ballot box. We
think it best for God. for home and ma
tive land and we haye been making an
honest fight for it. We have always sub
mitted when beaten in fair election, but
since we have won in fair election we
have great reason for complaint that the
majority's wishes were sneered at and
spurned by our lawmakers and executors.
The barroom system was tried long
time and ruined its tens of thousands.
While the dispensary is an Improvement u,
in many respects on the barroom system,
it is now dead letter. Now, in all hon
esty and fairness, we claim that prohibi-
ton should be given a fair trial.
No law has ever fully accomplished the
ends for which it was made. Law can
only approximate closely, or remotely,
the ends in view. And no doubt such
will be the case with the prohibition law.
It would not and could not give us abso'
lutte prohibition but it can be very near
ly approximated. We hope your excel
lency will excuse the seeming presump-
tion but at the suggestion OF some OF the
most prominent citizens OF this section
among whom are two very prominent
lawyers, we give you below briefly out
lined plan which we believe Will very
nearly approximate prohibition.
The plan is as follows:
l. Let law be passed according. to the
constitution Of our state prohibiting the
manufacture and sale Of spirituous OF
malt liquors, specifying fines and penal
ties to enforce the same.
Q. Let it be the duty of town councils IN
incorporated towns and magistrates IN
townships, to execute this law.
8. Let the township commissioners IN
each township be constituted an advisory
board, whose duty it shall be to advise
the governor of any failure or refusal OF
the proper officers to enforce this law,
4. Let the governor be empowered tc
remove from office any officer or set OF
officers who shall fail for any cause to en-
force this law.
5. Let the governor he empowered to
appoint force of constables sufilclent tC
enforce this law in such town or township
where the constituted officers have failed
or refused to do so. Such constables TO be
paid by special tax on said town or town
ship.
6. Let the governor be subjected to inn
peachment should he fail or refuse to eX-
ecute this law.
Section 2-1. Let there be a law max
ing drunkenness misdemeanor, with
such fines and penalties as will be neces'
sary to enforce the same.
2. For each otfense let the fine ana pen
atty be double the one for the preceding
otfense.
8. For each offense let the fine and pen
atty be reduced one half on such offender
furnishing satisfactory information as 70
where, when, how and from whom nc
obtained his liquor. The dealer to be
tried and fined as prescribed by law no"
extant for such offenses. -,
This plan is given with the hope that
it may help in the accomplishing OF tne
end for which we have been working and
praying for years. Respectfully submit
ted, Rev. JAMES II. THACKER.