The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-07-17
,,,s,lsHRD EVERY WEDNESDAY.
PEOPLE SHOULD THINK.

The Senate Of the State OF
Georgia has passed a Prohlol-
ton bill, and in all probability
the House will concur. Cover
nor Hoke Smith who owns the
hotel IN Atlanta with the ''Sal
in the fountain" will not be so
impolitic as to veto the measure.
In the State Of Georgia there are
a large number of counties, ana
over two-thirds of these are al
ready dry, but in the counties
where the cities Of Savannah,
Atlanta and Augusta are located,
LIQUOR is legally sold: in our
Judgment, as long as the United
States permits liquor to be ship
ped into States that have pro-
hibitory laws, the enactment Of
general State prohibition laws
are farcical in such cities as are
named. It is our belief that pro
hibition is an impossibllity in a
cosmopolitan city, while the
federal government has its pres
ent interstate laws, and unless
Congress can be prevailed upon
to give the States the power to
keep out liquor, then from
practical standpoint local option
is the best method of handling
the liquor question.
There will be an effort made
in the next session Of our Gen
eral Assembly to enact a prohl-
bltion law. and it would not sur
prise US if the effort succeeded:
not that a majority in the legis-
lature believe a prohibition law
can be enforced. but the theory Of
prohibition is popular, and in
rural communities it is good
vote. .getter, then there is an ele
ment in the legislature who will
vote for prohibition that have
been the strongest kind of dis
pensary advocates, as long as
the institution was managed by
the politicians, but just as soon
as these political microbes were
knocked of from the public teat:
and there was no udder to sup.
ply graft, they reformed and
ioine6 with a s:dOg-ln- the
manger- spirit" those who re-
gardless of practical results
are sincerely wanting to elm
mate from our Statute books
the laws which permits the sale
Of liquor in any form. We have
a great respect for these good
people, and if we could feel in
wiping all liquor control laws
from our Statutes it would in any
respectable degree promote the
cause Of temperance, it would be
our delight to join them in advo-
eating the cause, but we try to
look at things in a practical way,
we believe the passage OF a gen
neral prohibition law, federal
laws as they are, would amount
to retarding the cause of tenn
perance, it would bring about
a condition in a number of
counties which exists in the
county of Charleston today. i. E.,
the lack Of respect for the liquor
control law. Why? Because no
liquor law which deprives the
citizen Of the right to engage in
a business that is recognized as
legitimate commerce meets with
approval in a large city, especi-
ally a seaport city where all ma
tions visit, and because such a
law is forced upon them by the
power of might, the sentiment
is resentful and growing stronger
every day; as result Of this
antagonistic sentiment where
the law is to be enforced, it is a
signal failure, and open lawless-
ness is the consequence. 1t will
be the same in the rural counties
that have prohibition forced up
on them against their will.
Those counties which have a
prohibition sentiment sufficiently
strong to enforce the law have
all they want in the present sys-
tenn, and there is no need for
them. nor is it right to resort to
might because of numbers and
drive counties that have not this
sentiment into a chaotic condi-
ton, which would be the case if
county is forced into prohibi-1
ton against the sentiment and
it's environments, and condition
Of it's people.
The element who now support
prohibition that were ardent
supporters of the former system,
while their votes count as much
as that OF a prChlbltlonlSt: is IN
fact a dangerous ally, because,
disappointment and spite is the
motive and when the cause of
the revenge has been gratihed,
he not only will not exert
himself to enforce prohibition
but OF the other hand. he is
more likely to throw obstacles
IN the way in the hope that his
Ola pet, the State dispensary,
with its opportunities for graft
will be brought back.
Governor Anse1 ron,o,.o5