The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-04-22
G. G. FEATH ESTONE
DROPS OUT OF RACE
Announces That He Will Not be a Can.
didate For Governor and
Assigns Reason.

MI. ". ". edIneTSIOle announces MS
withdrawal from the race for governor
His entrance into the contest several
weeks ago was after earnest s~olicita-
ton from his many friends and adj
mirers and from the prohibition forces
throughout the State; the step was
taken before the exact platform of
Gov. Ansel was known. 1t was sup
posed that Mr.. Ansel would run on the
anne platform upon which he was
elected two years ago, but in a letter
to Mr.. Featherstone a few days ago,
part of which is below quoted, it will
be seer that Mr.. ADsel now occupies
the same position that Mr.. Feather
stone announced last fall, namely, a re-
verse local option law, under which the
counties will all be dry until the dispen.
sary is voted in, thus throwing the bur-
den on the people who desire the dis
pcnsary; further, the number of dis
pcnsaries in a countySwill be limited.
Mr.. Featherstone has had the matter
Of withdrawing under advisement for
omc time, and throughout his DELHI
Grafton he has been in close touch and
communication with prominent prohibit
t~ionists in the State, and his decision
today was after a careful review of the
situation; he deems his withdrawal for
the best interests of the prohibition
cause in South Carolina.
In announcing his withdrawal Mr..
Fcatherstone SAYS:
MIR. FEATHERsToNE'S STATEMENT. d.
Several weeks ago | announced my
candidacy for governor of South Caro-
lima upon a State prohibition platform.
81 believed then, and l still believe,
that the people are tired of the liquor
traffic, and that they are ready to take
a great forward step and sweep the
localized traffic out of the State.
"The announcement of my candidacy
was made at the suggestion of some of
u leading prohibitionists-men who
have been with me in the fight since
the campaign of 1898. They believed
that there ought to be in the campaign
a candidate who would make an ag-
SlCSSINc lSll anu "SlS hliIu SilObSh W
suggest that | ought to lead the move
mant.
"As | have already stated, personally
it did not suit me to go INTO the fight at
this time, but | yielded to what | o
ceived to be the call of duty.
81 did not hesitate to say that it
would be a source of qualification to me
t. be governor of the State, but the
desire to crafty my personal ambition
alone would not have been sufficient to
time.
Shortly after the announcement of
my candidacy it was publicly suggested
by Gov. Ansel's friends that he was
also in favor of prohibition and that he
would offer for reelection on that plat
form.
at seemed to me that the cause of
prohibition might be weakened by hav-
ing two candidates in the field, and that
if he would espouse that cause it would
be the part of wisdom for me to with
draw.
Acting upon this idea and with the
approval of my prohibition friends
wrote Gov. Ansel ION Feb. 29th) that if
he expected to make the race on that
platform / would not oppose him.
81 am in receipt Of a letter from the
governor informing me that he expects
to advocate the reverse of u present
local ODtiOn plan. He saws:
GOV. ANsEL's POSITION.
my position on the liquor question
is what | call restricted local option
that is, local option as between county
prohibition and county dispensary.
Those counties voting TO sell liquor
shall be restricted to one ~dispensary jr
the county and that one at the county
seat, except in those counties wherein
there is a city of more than rs, 600 pop.
uIation, in which counties more thar
one ~dispensary may be established
This is in accordance with my recon-
m%endations to the general assembly as
set forth in my annual message of 1908
is in the interest of temperance ant
will minimize the sale of liquor.
"'With the experience that | have
had in the past two years in the pro
posed elections that were desired il
some counties on the liquor question,
am of the opinion that it will be betteI
to enact a law by which a county car
vote on the question of voting inthe sail
of liquor as above restricted, instead o.
voting it out, as now provided that is
make all the counties dry untila major
ity Of the qualified voters of a county
vote to sell liquor in that particular
county, and, If a majority of the quail