The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-10-25

whiskey laws was not severe enough.
It ought to be, in every case, term
on the cnaingang and not fine.
People pay very little attention to
fines.
"Second. The greatest difficulty
though with which rrohibitionists
have always had to contend under To-
cal option laws is that the burden Of
securing prohibition in the counties is
on them. Wniskey is in and they
must get it out. Wlhiskey is en-
trenched behind strong breastworks-
it is in possession, with ali Of its
money and organized power, and up
on US is the burden Of routing it. We
must get up the petitions, run the
gauntlet of having them passed on by
officials who are frequently anita
gonistie. All Of the machinery is in
the hands Of the whiskey crowd, and
talthough the majority Of the people
in some Of the counties are In favor
Of voting it out, every obstacle is
thrown i'm their way, and it not in
frequently happens that they are not
able to surmount them. Il:
Shift the Burden.*
''In my candid Judgment the next
move that the prohibitionists ought to
make is for the passage of a law that
will shift this burden. I mean a law
under which whiskey will be put out
Of the entire state. Get the general
assembly to, declare that the policy of
the state is opposed to its sale: =
''Next, for the present, allow coun-
ties, under very rigid restrictions, to
vote it in, if majority of the quail
fled electors desire it's sale in any
county.
"On the contrary, do not believe
that it would be wise, at this time, to
prevent the sale Of whiskey from be-
ing majority for prohibition in the
people Of any community are opposed
to prohibition. A prohibition law in
such a community would be DANGER
Gus to the cause at large by reason of
it's non-enforcement until the time
comes when we nave an everwhelm-
ing mapority for prohibition In the
entire state.
F. "In a prohibition conference in CO.
lumbia~ several years ago I suggested
and outlined such a law as I have
above suggested and my recollection
is that it met with almost unanimous
approval on the part Of those pres
emit. The idea is in line of that
advocated by Senator Otis Of Chero-
kee few weeks ago.
"Such a law will, in my judgment,
give Us practical prohibition in al
most the entire state and will, at the
same time, guard against the great
dangers that may come from the nom
enforcement of a prohibition law. in
those counties where public sentiment
is, at present, overwhelming in fa-
vor of whiskey. .
"I have reached this conclusion af-
ter the most careful study Of the sit
uation in South Carolina and in other
states.
''Loeal option laws led up to and
made possible general prohibition in
our sister state Of Georgia. Such laws
are fast leading up to the same con-
dition in Tennessee, North Carolina,
Kentucky and other states. ..
"The Briee law, however, was, in
my judgment, a great prohibition
law. It was the entering wedge. Un-
der it, county after county voted
whiskey out, and the practical demon
stration as to the enforcement Of the
law in t. hose counties was the strong
est argument in favor Of prohibition
that could possibly be made-worth
more than all the theories that could
have been advanced.
Hundreds of honest men in the
state who doubted the practicabiiity
of q prohibition law were converted
Farmers all over the state found that
labor was more easily handled. Few
er fines were paid for their negroes;
they saw the decrease Of crime in
those counties. Merchants saw that
the negroes and good many whites,
too, had more money and business was
better, and in scores Of other ways the