The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-31
FIELD AS SEEN BY
MR.. FEATHERSTONE
HE PREFERS THREE-FOUKTIIs OF A
VICTORY TO NOTHING.
he Says Let the People Decidc-Nllling for
Local Option In the Several Counties
and Olives Forcible Rea.
sons why.
10 the Editor Of The State:

=
Will you please allow mo to OK
PLAIN my position on tho whiskey
question? What the reporter put
mo down rs saying does not do me
justice. In fact, what | said was
not intended for publication ut all.
TO start with, lot me state that
have no desire Or authority to speak
for the prohibitionists of the State.
Any needs that I may express are
mino, as an individual, and tho pro-
hlbltlohists arc not responsible for
them i'll any shape, form or fashion.
At the same time, 1 would not
knowingly tako any position that
might be calculated to injure the
cause Of the prohibitionists, for am
as stauuch believer in prohibition,
upon principle, as ever, and will do
as much for it's sake as any man in
the State. My friends, or ,mo of
'hHhi, may tiHcf Will IIc us 10 THO
means of accomplishing our ends,
but they will not question my mo.
tives
What is the situation that con-
fronts us? We have the dispensary
system. Undor the constitution of
10 we cannot go back to the old
barroom system. If wo let matters
remain in their present shapn, what
have we accomplished? Tie lis
pensary system can never lend to
prohibition. 1t has fought us here
tofole at every step. 1t has done
more to make the whiskoy traffic ap-
pear respectable than any system
that we have ever had. The longer
the system stands the more power
will 1T acquire and the more influence
will 1t exercise in political circles
Ih" tremendous power it already
has can only be known fully by those
who have come in contact with its
practical workings in Il campaign.
How eagerly are the positions upon
the board Of control sought after.
Why2 Partly, at least, because
they realize the power Of the dis
pensary in elections, and they want
its influence exerted in their behalf
If allowed to stand, will it's influence
along these lines be decreased? |
repeat the question, what have tho
prohb'tionists to gain by allowing
the present system to stand? Abso.
lutely nothing. If it stands, they
gained nothing, and their fight of
last year counts for nothing,
On the other hand, what would
the repeal Of the dispensary mean to
us? With il repealed, and with no
other law enacted, we would have
prohibition in every county in the
State. The tacking on of local
option feature would mean what?
That in those counties where public
sentiment is not sufficiently strong
to give up prohibition the license
system, or the county dispensary
system, would be in force. Under
either Of these systems wo would
have all Of the good features Of the
present dispensary-for undor the
constitution they must remain. If
prohibition were forced upon SAID
counties it could not be enforced, for
it is nonsouse TO talk about enforcing
any law which ls not supported by
public sentiment. The non enforce.
ment Of prohibition law in those
counties would do our cause harm,
b cause wo would be held RESPONSE
bic for its non -enforcement True,
we might have whiskey rings to fight
lii those particular counties in the
future, but what would they be as
compared to tho great State whiskey
ring now in existence?
| believe that at least three fourths
of the counties in the State would
remain undor the option Of the pro-
hibition law. Would that lot give
US three fourths Of victory, which
is better than no victory at. all?
tigain, those counties would give us
tremendous leverage in our future
ghts.