The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-04-26
Prohibition a Warm Political Is4
sue in Maine and Texas.
TRYING TO DODGE TT.

Divided ON the Efficiency
of Prohibition.
The prohibition question appears to
be cutting curious capers In different
parts ef the country, judging from
the stories told by the statesmen OF
the respective states says dispatch
from Washington. Now, there's good
Maine. With the exception of Rs
preventative Littlefleld, you couldn't
get senator or representative from
J that state to express his views for
publication for love, or money. WhyP
Because the question Is loaded. Then
there's grand old Texas, al the other
end of the country. Her statesmen
In congress avoid the question the
same as they would a mad dog. OF
course 1t is just as bad among the
South Carolina representatives. The
only man from tn; ste who will
talk at all is pitch *" Ben Till
man. He gives voice to his convie-
tions regardless of how they harmon
lie with public opinion.
Ia the recent spring election In
Maine, according to the statements
OF politicians Of that state here, q
number of Republican cities went
Democratic because the DsmocratB
openly opposed prohibition and de-.
nounced it as fake and as producing,
more hypocritical violations Of law
aud evaslons Of truth than anything
ever known. Governor Cobb hlmssle
has come out against prohibition atI
operated in that state, and 1t Is said
to be quite certain that Democrats In
state convention will make the fgat
on the issue Of turning to the license
plan OF selling whiskey. They claim
10 have the sympathy Of the mai jority
Of the cities aud towns, although the
country districts may be against
them. The claim is boldly made that
under the present laws the state Is
d4luged with blind tiger whiskey
from Canada and elsewhere and that
Shere has not been the slightest de-
crease In drunkenness. The people,
it is asserted, pay out large sums OF
money for whiskey and strung drink
brought in by express and freight,
Ehile the light drinks are shut out.
Propositions are pending to put out q
platform showing wide Discrimination
In future laws In favor of beer and
wines and making the tax on the
strictly ardent spirits heavy, the
belief beirg that this will encourage
one class of drink III legitimate way
at the expense OF the other.
Down in Texas the Democrats are
terribly split up over whether tho
question of prohibition for the entire
state Is to be made an issue in the
coming campaign or whether the e1-
isting local option laws shall be allow
ed to stand as they are. A faction OF
Democrats has organized to demand
prohibition in the party Platform,
while others say that this must not he
allo we'd. The antl-prohibitiouists de-
ulare that the teetotalers and the
whisksy interest are working togstfl-
er againt the brewers and wine. pro-
ducers. THE whlskey people," said
a Texas congressman here a day or
two ago, ''are selling about as much
whiskey in the dry counties Of tie
state as they ever did by means of
express and freight, while the men
who make beer and wine find their
products shut out by reason Of the
fact that these drinks are too bulky
20 be handled by the blind tigers.
There is a genuine sentiment spring.
ing up In the state TO change this and
give the light drinks tho advantage
in law over the others, as iJ is con-
tended this would reduce drunken
ness great deal" The prohibition-
lsts declare they have nothing 10 DO
With the attitude Of the Whisksy peo-
pie and that 5ney are satisfied with
Tho way thicgs are going. The whole
;hirg is sucn q delicate one every
Tixas politician Is holding Of a5
.opg as he Can before getting into the
fray on cne side or another.
In South Carolina, as known, Sen.
stor Til!man ia seeking to retain the
state dispsnsary as the best solution
Of the wAiskey problem ara charge
that the liquor people and prohihi-
tlonlsts arc working together to abal-
ish it, the former with the belief
they can bring about prohibition and
the latter believing they can bring
about a retrrn of the license system
or local option. In his recent hot
address to the state, Senator Tlllman
emphasized the heavy foreign ship
ments of whiskey into the dry coun-
ties and declared that drunkenness
was as widespread as ever:
Congress Votes . Million.
On Thursday Congress appropriated
81 ,OO0 900 for the suffering and home
less In San Francisco and and other
California towns, and gave the secre-
tary OF war, the secretaries OF the
treasury, navy and commerce, power
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