Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-06-23
Local Option the Thing.

The Observer has nothing to say
against the plan of those who are try
ing to get up a state prohibition move
ment, except that IL Is unwise just al
this stage 1t looks like butting-in
movement, and 1t is calculated to In
terfere with what we regard as the
true Democratic plan of local option.
The small gathering in Columbia on
Thursday night decided to call state
prohibition convention in the near fu-
ture 1t is a mistake. Not that we
are opposed to prohibition; but now
is not an opportune time for a state
campaign on the liquor question. The
reason Is this:
Two counties in the state have al
ready voted to remove dispensaries
from their borders. Several other
counties are preparing to take a vote
on the question. with bright prospects
I'm most cases. If not In all, OF voting
the dispensary out. This plan of local
option, 1t seems to us, is the best plan
in dealing with the subject-certainly
the best Just at this time. 1t Is doing
well, and good policy is to let well
enough alone To involve the whole
state in a prohibition campaign would
probably injure and set back the
cause.
II the dispensaries are voted out of
strong probability is that the law Will
be enforced. The people will thus show
that they want the law in their own
county, and wherever local sentiment
is for a law it will be enforced.
The county by county campaign is
getting on nicely. Let it alone. Don't
interfere with 1t by butting into 1t
with a state campaign on prohibition.
Let that come later, II 1t must come
at ALL After all the counties that can
vote out the dispensaries within their
borders have done so, then 1t Will be
time enough to take up the question
of state prohibition.
And there Is another matter that we
do not care to discuss-only to mint
at That Is, a state prohibition move
ment is liable to get mixed up with
politics-and we do not want that.-
Newberry Observer.
ALI OF this in the opinion OF THE
ENQUIRER is very sensible and we
agree with it in every particular.
THE ENQUIRER is opposed to the
dispensary machine for the state. and
believes in prohibition for York
county.
We are opposed to the dispensary
machine because we believe that 1t has
already developed a great deal OF cor
ruption and graft, and we believe that
instead of growing better it will neces-
sarily grow worse as 1t grows older
We believe in prohibition for York
county for the simple reason that we
believe that a majority Of the people
are already temperate. and we calcu-
late that If they will devote their eff
forts to the encouragement of the IL
ouor business, removing temptation as
far as possible from all classes, the
harm that otherwise will come from al
coholism will be materially lessened.
There are counties, Charleston and
Richland for instance, for which we
have small hope. A large per cent OF
the inhabitants of these counties espe-
cially in the cities of Charleston and
Columbia, seem to think that the chlef
end of life is to keep themselves soak
ed with alcoholic liquors, and there Is
little probability that they could ever
be persuaded to change their condi-
/
must drink, let them have their liquor
AS the Observer has suggested
where a majority Of the people OF a
county are in favor Of prohibition the
law is likely to be enforced and where
a majority insist on having liquor, they
cannot be prevented from securing IT,
We believe that a majority Of the
counties are now for prohibition, and
we believe that most Of them are cap
able of improving conditions very ma
terially IN so far as their dispensaries
are concerned. This Improvement can
be effected without reference to the
personnel of the people who may hold
the offices, and we are not inclined to
undertake to root for any particular
individual merely because he might be
a little more vociferous than somebody
else in behalf of prohibition.