The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-02-01
FEATHERSTONE'S RETREAT.
The Letter In Which He Declares
Himself to Be In Position which
May BE Acceptable 10 the Saloon


To the Editor of The Stale:
Will you please allow ME to explain my
position on the whlskey question What
the reporter put me down as saying does moi
do me justice. In fact, what said was moi
Intended for publication at all.
To start with, let me state that have nc
desire or authority TO speak for the prohibi
tionists Of the State. Any needs that may
express are mine. as an Individual, and the
prohi bitionists are not responsible Tor thefn
in any shape, form or fashion.
At the same time, would not knowingly
take any position that might be calculated
10 ipjure the cause of the prohiblt1onlsts, foi
I am as staunch q believer in prohibition
for It's sake as any man In the State. My
friends, or some OF them. may differ with me
as to the means Of accomplishing our ends
but they will not question my motives.
What is the situation that confronts us
We have the dispensary system, Under the
constitution OF '95 we cannot 60 back to the
old barroom system. II we let matters re-
main In their present shape, what nave we
accomplished The dispensary system can
never lead to prohibition: It has fought US
heretofore at every step. It has done more to
make the whiskey traffic appear respectable
than any system that we have ever had. The
longer the system stands the more power II
will acquire and the more influence will II
exercise In political circles. The tremendous
power 1t already has can only be known fully
by those who have come In contact with 1ts
practical workings In q campaign. How
eagerly are the positions upon the board Of
because they realize the power OF the dlspen'
sary in elections, and they want Its influence
exerted in their behalf. Ifallowed TO stand
will its influence along these lines be de.
the pronibitionists to gain by allowing the
present system 10 stand? Absolutely moth.
ing. If 1t stands, they have gained nothing
and their fight of last year counts for moth
Ing.
On the other hand, what would the repeal
OF the dispensary system mean TO us? Win
IL repealed, and with no other law enacted
we would have prohibition IN every county
in the State. The tacking on OF local op-
ton feature would mean what? That In
those counties where public sentiment Is not
sufficiently strong TO give up prohibition the
license the
systems we would have all OF the good fea.
lures of the present dispensary-for under
the constitution they must remain. II pro.
hibition were forced upon said counties ~
could not be enforced, for 1t is not supported
by public sentiment. The non.en forcemeni
of = prohibition law in those counties would
do our cause harm, because we would be held
responsible for It's non enforcement. True,
we might have whlekey rings TO fight In those
particular counties In the future, but what
would they be as compared TO the great State
whiskey ring now In exIstence7
believe that at least three-fourths OF the
counties in the State would remain under the
operation Of the prohibition law. Would
that not give US three-fourths OF VIZ Dry.
which is better than no victor ell ?
Again, those counties would giI ire.
The only sound objection that can be urged
against the view that I present is that the
present administration Is hostile to prohibi.
tion, and that, therefore, the law might be
killed by q weakkneed enforcement thereof
There is some force In such an argument, but,
in my judgement, that objection will be
more thau offset by the benefits that will &C.
crue. Remember, we get rid OF the tremen.
dous influence of the dispensary In politics.
With the dlspensary out OF our way ana Wild
our back, surely we will be In better posi-.
tion to push on TO complete victory.
The plan which I advocate, In q nutshell
means to make the most OF our present op-
portunities-to take three-fourths Of q loal
rather than no loaf at all Ito take and occu.
py the position from which we can make the
best fight in the future. 1t does not mean q
sacrifice OF principle. It means that, as prac.
tical men, we are TO seize what Is best for ns
when the opportunity offers; 1t means that
in our judgment 1t Is better not. TO have
whiskey legally sold in three fourths Of the
counties than to have II sold In all.
To urge that by doing as advocate we be,
come allied with the .wniskey men is all
On the other hand, II we are offered prohi
billion in three-fourths Of the counties In the
State and fail TO take It, where does the re
10 take 1t, where does the responsibility lie
For my part. am willing to take all that We
can get and then keep on fighting until We
get It all.
pie involved. 1t is a question Of expediency
which N lust be settled in practical way.
@. G. Featherstone.