Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-12-15
The g q IIssss.s


.rhaS s,ss:s 81. IS
The SsSsel bio Statee on dorsea heart
lily thu co,isumraatiei on ne doyoutly
|Wished sor sssto the liquor sSprob blem
Ia South ( Carolina, Lo6al option,
However, iss what " has fought for all
the time, and which at one time IL
seemed to think would be adopted
SSy the next session Of the Legisla-$
tpre, at least, what the Governor
would favor. ti5l u
Our contenpo orary does net cpl ear
to be 80 sure Of its ground now asit'
wac just before the last primary, but
that does not affect the matter, nor
lesson the strength Of its position.
Local option is the only and Demo
cratic position to take on this subject.
1t certainly is@ the only; reasonable reasonable
position that q high license advooate
OF prohibitionist can take in the next
Legislature. I, s ID
4 I'VE hope lat we did our prohibit
tionist ftends on injustice when We
intimated that they would go no way
if it was: not their way, and that they.
are not ameEable to the reasonable
ness of the local option mems post.
tion. The prohibitionists know full
we'll that they dan not have their.
own way. They did not have it
when they carried the vote of the
State, as to prohibition or no pfohi-
bition in 1890, and they certainly
cannot hope for better success in a
legislature that has not behind it the
fear of the will of the majority of the
people. So their case is hopeless so
far as the whole State is concerned.
Local option will give them The
chance 20 show the workings of their
doctrines in at least one-third of the
counties of tho State. The Column
bia State thinks that the prohibition
lists are in the majority in ct least Il
dozen counties, and we do not doubt
that it is right. They certainly have
nothing to lose from local option and
everything to gain. Let them prove
that prohibition works we'll in coun-
ties in South Carolina, and other
counties will iio5 be slow to follow
the example.
The same is true of the high license
men. They cannot hope to have
things their %ay III the entire State,
and as one of their number, we would !
not desire it. Those communities
that prefer prohibition, we would
decidedly prefer that they should
have prohibition. In certain other
communities the dispensary law
works we'll and has the support of
tho people. We would not wish to
disturb the present order in those
counties. So any other position for
high license men to take would be of |
a dog in the manger variety.
And to the real supporters of the
dispensary there is every reason for
them to favor local option also.
They know full we'll that they will
carry the majority of the counties in
the State, certainly one-half, and in
those counties the disponsary law
will have fair trial and will show
what it will do for a community. 1t
will then be freed from the burdens
of the constabulary and the other
vexations it now endures because of |
attempted enforcement in communi-
ties in which public sentiment is
against it.
TO the pot-hunters who are sup
porting the dispensary law there is
nothing we can say. The only argu-
ment that appeals to them is the
pockotbook, and that is on the side
of the dispensary.
But to all lovers of South Carolina,
whether they be prohibitionists, dis
high license or local op-
tion men, there 10 this great argu-
ment that will appeal strongly to
them all, local option will free the
State from the external wrangling
we have had for six years. And
how tired we ali are of it. There is
am old saying, "Those whom tho
gods would destroy they first make
mad," and how mad we people of
South Carolina have been for six or
eight years. The time and energy
we have wasted ii our chickering's
and quarrellings would have made us
rich if properly applied. Let us be
done with it.
One word more to our friend, The
State, which is with us this time, "de-
spite our warfare on Governor El-
lerbe." Have we made war on
Governor Ellerbe2 WHO -, but
we are tired of quarreling. And,
Governor, will you join us and Joe
J Jefferson "Here's to you and your
family. May they live long and
prosper l"-CharlcSton Post.
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