The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-08-23


barroom system in its essence, blind
tigers who want free liquor for the
money they can make out of it, and
yet with this army in motley led by
men with all manner Of opinions, and
marshaling it's forces for my destruc-
ton, you, my dear doctor, tell me
that I must remain quiet, continue
the same ''calm, judicial, sane atti-
tude assumed in the Higgins letter.
and not let the people know what is
going on.
I stated in that letter if the legisla-
ture did not apply the remedy for
the existing evils III the dispensary
management that I would help kill
the dispensary. More mature
thought and a better understanding
of the purpose of the anti-dispensary
leaders led me to give notice that it
that legislature did not apply the
remedy I would appeal to the people
to elect legislature that would.
Is there anything wrong in that?
Anything immoral or unstatesman-
like? If I had remained steadfast in
that position would not all the infiu-
ences that are possible be brought
to bear to keep the legislature from
doing anything, especially doing
things I suggest. If the legislature
now in Office could be thus inlu-
enced, cajoled, coerced to resist re-
formation under the specious plea
that il was my dictation, that I had
quietly fallen in ranks to help kill
the dispensary without first appeal
ing from the legislature to the peo-
pie, do you not see that would have
tied my own hands and surrendered
at discretion to my worst enemies?
I had to deal with one 'driftwood
legislature once and I appealed to
the people to reform it, which they
did most effectually by retiring most
of those who had proven false to
their professions and pledges to pri-
vate life The present legislature
was not elected on the d1spensary
issue and is a very conservative body
Of men and with so much political
electricity in the atmosphere and 80
much laundering against the dispen-
sary it may well pause ere it takes
any action. The disclosures at Spar
tanburg will undoubtedly cause it to
do something, but whether it will do
anything effectual or not remains to
be seen.
I wish to say here and now, as
though in parenthesis, the result of
this fight as far as I am personally
concerned gives me no uneasiness
whatever. The Office Of senator does
not belong to me, but it belongs to
the people and they will have the
right next year to choose my sue
cessor and I will bow to their will.
whatever it may be, without muir
mur. I do not believe that the fall
of the dispensary necessarily means
my fall. I do not see what associa-
ton there is or could possibly be be-
tween the dispensary question and
the position which have taken upon
it and my fitness for the high Of
fee whcih I hold. If my health con-
tinues good I shall ask the people to
continue me in the place, not be-
cause I am the father Of the dispen-
sary, but because Of my service in
Washington. I am not uneasy in the
least. So much for that branch of
your letter.
Now let us come to the dispensary
question and your treatment Of it.
You quote with great JUNCTION from
the decision Of our supreme court:
'"That liquor in its nature is danger
Gus to the morals, good order, health.
and safety Of the people, and is not
to be placed on the same footing
with the ordinary commodities Of life
such as corn, wheat cotton, tobacco,
potatoes, etc." I wish had that
decision before me SO that I could
give it's essence in brief form rather
than take an isolated sentence. You
are too good a lawyer not to know
that the State could have nothing to
do with the liquor traffic were it not
for the exercise Of the police power
which rests upon the right Of the
State government to control or for
bid any and everything which con-
Germs the morals and health of the
people; and right here is where we
part company in dealing with this
question. The prohibitionists in gen.
eral and Won bv dear doctor as one