Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-09-07
TALK WITH FEATHERSTONE.
The Prohibition Candidate Expresses His
Views on Various Subjects.

Ellerbe In the SecOnQ race Ior SuoeF-
material honors and emoluments, was
in Columbia yesterday among his many
friends, and was being warmly con-
graduated on all sides upon the excel
lent race he had made in the first
scrimmage. The cold water advocate
was the picture of health and was in
excellent spirits over his prospects of
ultimate success. He had a chatty
interview with a representative for
The State and talked freely and pleas.
antly. Mr.. Featherstone is decided
optimist and his buoyancy is conta-
gious.
"How have you stood the cam
paign ?" he was asked.
"Remarkably well, sir" came the
reply, quickly, and he looked it. 81
have not lost a pound of flesh and l
am feeling as we'll as I ever did"
"What do you think of your chan
ces, and what will be the result in the
second race?"
"Well, you know am not the man
to boast, as I suppose you have discov-
cred from the campaign 1 made, but l
will say that my chances have been
growing brighter and brighter for the
last month. I was sure that would
be in the second race. I have made
an honest, clean campaign, have made
friends all over the state, and if my
friends do their duty I will be the next
governor of South Carolina. People
all over the state have become disgust
ed with the dispensary and the manner
in which it has been used TO further
the interests of certain parties. Dur
ing the campaign whisky was shipped
into the state by houses from which
the dispensary buys liquor, and it was
used in the interest of certain dispen.
sary candidates. In addition to this,
many are disgusted with the manner
in which the dispensary has been run.
Beer dispensaries, hotel privileges, etc.,
in various parts of the state have been
run with the view of selling as much
whisky as possible. Defaulting dis
pensers have not been handled as they
should have been. Whisky constables
have gone beyond their duties, and
when they were convicted in the courts
they have been pardoned and allowed
to 90 Scott free"
"By the way, what do you think Of
the dispensary law, anyhow ?"
"Well, as you know, L am a Prohi-
bitionist from principle. To start with,
the dispensary law is wrong in princi-
pie, and ought never to have been
enacted. But am opposed to it main
ly on the ground that it sells whisky
to our people as beverage and de.
bauches our citizens"
"Some of our people would like to
know what good it would do to elect
you governor with dispensary legis-
lature. Would you mind giving your
views along this line?"
"No, sir; not in the least. To start
with, it is by no means certain that the
next legislature will be in sympathy
with the dispensary law. There will
be in the next general assembly large
number of Simon pure Prohibitionists.
Also large number not Prohibitionists
who are opposed to the dispensary law,
and it is by no means certain what will
be the result. You will recollect that
the last general assembly came very
near passing the Childs bill ; and l be-
lieve that if Mr.. Childs' health had
permitted him to be present and push
his bill, as he would have done but for
his i'll health, the bill would have be-
come law.
"But in case I should be elected gov
ernor, and the general assembly should
see fit to let the dispensary system
stand, it would not only be my duty
but my pleasure to enforce the dispen-
sary law and all other laws to the best
of my ability. The law has some good
features, and with an honest, clean en-
forcement it can be made to do much
better service than it has done in the
past. l do not mean to be understood
as charging that the entire force of
dispensary officials are rotten and cor
rupt, for I know that there are some
good men amongst them who are seek
ing to do their full duty, but it cannot
be denied by the most ardent advocates
of the law that there has been large
per cent. of rottenness and corruption.
1t will also not be denied that the law
is capable of great Improvement along
the line of enforcement, and to accom-
plish this better class of men will
have to be put in charge of a great
many of the Offices.
at has been charged that the pro-
hibitionists are not in favor of enforc-
ing the dispensary law. Such is not
the fact. So long as it remains a law,
as law abiding citizens they are in ia
vor of its enforcement. They would
like to see it enforced by men all over
the state who will make its manage
ment clean and honest-who will not
use it as a political machine and to
further their own private ends, but
who will manage it in such a way as
to sell as little whisky as possible.
Such state of facts will honestly
endeavor to bring about in case I am
elected.
"What are you views on the educa-