The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-07-13
An Address to the Prohibitionists.

The following has just been issued
by the Chairman of the State Prohi
bition Committee:
To the Prohibitionists Of the State:
The politicians Of our party have
done everything in their power to keep
us from presenting our claims to the
honest Democratic voters in the pri-
mary. No one, familiar with the
treatment we have received, can fail
to detect the hand of the politician in
the work that has been done, and to
say that we have been treated unfair
ly expresses it mildly. We asked and
were given permission, by the State
Democratic Executive Committee, to
suggest State ticket, to be voted for
ia the coming primary, in order to
give the people an opportunity to say
whether they should have prohibition
or whether the State should continue
to sell whiskcy as beverage through
the dispensary.
Not willing to give the people a
chance to express their preference at
the ballot box without attempting to
forestall their action. the State Con-
vention, controlled by the politicians,
who are using the dispcnsary for their
political Advancement, without sub
mitting the question to the County
Conventions, which elected the dele
gates who endorsed the dispensary,
and elected State Executive Com
mittee, who, when the question was
asked them. whether the suggested
candidates of the prohibitionists could
take the constitutional pledge, replied
that as suggected candidates they
could not, but as individual Demo
Gratis thev could.
This forced us, in order to conform
to party law, to withdraw our candi-
dates. This we submit was another
advantage the party took of us, aud
showed that they feared fair test
before the voters on this question, and
that they have never hoped to defeat
us by fair tactics, but have been de-
pending upon the political pull the
machinery Of the dispensary would
give them to prevent the Democratic
party redeeming the pledge they made
the prohibition Democrats in 1892.
Yet | am still convinced that the
people of this State want prohibition;
that they, of all people, believe in
fair play. and that there is not enough
power on earth to make them bow TO
the demands of the whiskcy element.
it does not make any difference what
form it presents itself in-the dispen.
sar- or high license. 1t has ruled and
ruined the State TOO long to expect
support from the solid people of this
State, and when they express them
selves at the coming primary the poll
ticians viii lind that they have dlsre-
..artcd their 'ishes already too long.
low humiiating it is to see the GOV
crnor of a Great State, member OF
the church, bovine to whiskcy. in or
der to be nominated; Col. Watson,
who claims to be prohibltionlst,
bowing to the worst element OF the
dispensary in order to get othce; Col.
Archer and g. Walt Whitman ditto.
Col. George Tillman and Col. Schum-
pert, who are advocating high license.
are more consistent than they are, and
Mr.. Featherstonc. who takes the side
of home and principle, is character
that men who differ with him will
have confidence in and respect.
This is the fight. The combined
whiskey element against prohibition,
and we appeal to the Democratic vo-
ters to say who shall rule the State:
the whiskey element or the Christian
people. Sec that men are voted for in
every County that, when elected, will
give the people what the Democrats
promised to give them in 1892, and
have not kept their pledge-prohibi-
ton.
Yours very truly,
A. G.. JONES.