The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-10-25
4 CARD FROM mr.. BRUASON.
Laments the Fact That "The Bap-
tist Press" C0unsels Com
promise.
Tc the Editor of the State.

~ UHIlSO'
To the Editor of the State.
I have been "hands off" so far as
the press is concerned, in our pohibi-
tion work for several weeks, bat that
editorial copied from Tie Baptist
Press in your issue of 18th instant,
calls for a fair discussion of the mat
ter therein presented and you will
kindly give me space in your paper for
the following article:
The chief reason fortaking up the
matter is because of the wide inhu-
ence of The Press; it is one of the
leading religious papers of the Bap-
tisJs Of the State; is editors are Jmen
of ability and stand well with the de-
nomination. For all that, is the
editorial in question consistent, it
ethically sound, IS it in harmony
with the teaching Of the Baptists OF
the State, and does it make for the
betterment of our people?
The editorial is inconsistent when
it says, he VINO fears aud honors God
should see to it that just and right
eous laws are enacted and enforced. F"
x as regarded whiskey sell
ing, a Cbrisian should stand only on
prohi ibiSion platform. x * * He
should be probibitonist Now up
en- the other hand: Prohibition is
impossible nowhere; it seems i'm
practical in some localities. Recog-
nizing this fact, we must take it into
consideration. In community where
public sentiment is not sufficiently
strong to elect prohibition officers who
will enforce prohibitory law, such
law would be hagrantly violated anu
would be practically imperative. The
fact must not be ignored. THEREFORE,
we say, let us advocate a prohibition
law which shall cover the entire
State, but with a provision that the
county which is willing to assume the
moral responsibilit and the odium of
selling whiskey and the legal respon-
sibility of enforcing the law.-that
snch county my vote upon the ques-
tion and show where it stands. II
such county should decide to sell
whiskey, then let the legislture pre-
scribe the manner in which it may be
done and throw around it's sale all the
safeguards and restrictions possible "
I say inconsistent because man can
not be a probibitiouist and sta I'D
only on prohibition platform" and
advocate the granting Of permit by
the legislature to any and every
county that votes to sell liquor.
The editorial is ethically unsound.
1neamuch as it admits that the sale
of liquors in a community is q tempta-
tion to the weak and, ofi.. course.
destructive Of their happiness, it is
cowerdly to offer to grant county,
because majority ask it, license to
destroy the best interests of the weker
members Of society. 10 say the least
90 evil t:2et coed nay conie' "a e!ar-
der according tc Pau.
Il ;s rot in harmony witt tee Bay
fists OF this State At the iasE session
OF the Baptist State convention 5ei6
n Chester tie following, alter dis
cusson, was unanimously adopted:
Nothing less than prohibition of
liquor traffic. whether conducted by
individuals or by the State, will
satisfy the rising Christia- sentiment
of our people. -
l do not believe that the plan offer
ed would better the condition of our
people: quite the reverse. Should
it be consummated, we would have
prohibition for awhile in some coun-
ties, in some counties license, and
in others the dispeEsary the vigorous
efforts Of the liquor sellers would
push their whiskies upon The probi-
tion counties Until thc whole thing
would become the farce" the editor
so much breads In the dispensary
law the State has thrown around the
sale of liquor all the ''safcguards''
and restrictions that the inventive
mind of Mr.. Tiilmap could devise,
and our present condition is worse
than it has ever been. What would it
be With the mixture proposed By the
Press?
We must not lose sight of the fact
that the voting out of dispepsary
is but partial victory and that the
real struggle must come in the next
primary where the vote will he twice
as large as that cast in the dispensary
election. Perso, al influence and
effort will enter the indi1i i6ual can
didates. Should be the probitionists
fail with clean hands theJ will be
ready for the next conflict should
they make the proposed compromise
they would ultimately lose even
though they elected the compromise
ticket.
It pains me exceedigly to know
that we have lost the help of The
Baptist Press as an advocate Of prohi
bition in the coming stuggle: and it
does you great credit Mr. Editor,
to point to the probability that your
able paper has won its EDITORS to our
side of the question. The State, The
Baptist Press and Mr.. Ansel stand
upon the same platform. Can they
carry South Carolina for local option?
joel E. Brunson.