Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-11-18
THE TEMPERANCE MovEMENT.
z fSuperintendent Harley Tells that the
Work So Far is Encouraging.

Keowee Courier Please allow me
through your columns to make some
report on the temperance work In
South Carolina. For six months we
have been on the firing line, and in
that time We have seen things new,
and old, and have learned, as we
never before knew, what it means to
contend for civic righteousness.
AS we look back over the field, we
are constrained to say, thank God
something has been achieved in our
beloved State. Any one who will
take the pains to look over the per-
sonnel of our State Senate will note
quite change in that body. Seve-
9Aral gentlemen Of the old Senate, who
Sptood for the dispensary system, did
mot make the race for reelection,
and gentlemen of different views on
the liquor question will take their
places in the new body. In other
counties where former dispensary
Senator'S stood for reelection, they
were defeated by gentlemen of pro-
htbition proclivities. In fact, we
lost only two prohibition Senators In
the whole State 1t is encouraging
also to note that a large majority of
the men in the House Of Representa-
tives stand for Statewide prohibit
J tion.
But the liquor question in South
Carolina is not settled yet. The old
dispensary faction Is dying hard. At
the next session Of our Legislature
all sorts of moves will doubtless be
made to thwart the prohibitionists
in their plans. Some Of the gentle
men elected to the State Senate, and
also to the House, are In favor Of.
Statewide prohibition, while others
favor referring the matter to the peo-
pie, as was done in North Carolina
last spring. AS we see the matter
from our viewpoint, the latter Is
better plan for more than one rea-
"son. If we can have State election,
+ with all personal features eliminated,
and let the sovereign votes of the
State cast their ballots for or against
the dispensary system, our victory
will be so signal that it will make
an impression upon the entire coun-
try. Moreover, If such an election
is planned, the people in every coun-
ty in the State will be educated in
the cause Of temperance through the
meetings which would be held, and
thereby create sentiment, which
would go far toward enforcing the
law after 1T is passed. We have had
some indication of what can be done,
and how the people feel, by the victo-
ries won in Laurens, Union, Claren-
don and Chester in the past few days.
A few speakers went into each of
these counties and held public mass
meetings in the interest of temper
ance a few days previous to the cleo
ton, and while these counties night
have gone prohibition anyway, it is
safe to say that three to one vote
would not have been polled.
We have now 20 counties, with
seven hundred thousand popula zion
in South Carolina, where no liquor is
sold legally. Twenty counties yet
hold on to the dispensary system,
but some Of them only have one dis
pensary. Hence, it is plain that the
legalized sale of liquor in South
Carolina Is being greatly curtailed.
We have arranged for DR.. p. A.
Baker, the National Superintendent
of the Anti-Saloon League, to be with
us at Laurens and speak on Sunday
before the South Carolina Annual
Conference, the 10th instant. We
sincerely hope that the people in the
surrounding country will make an
effort to hear this noted temperance
advocate at that time. DR.. Baker
will also speak in the First Baptist
church, Spartanburg, Wednesday
night, December I'd. Our plans have
been perfected for great State Con-
vention, to be held in the hall Of the
House Of Representatives, Columbia,
Thursday, December Sd. We hope
that every member Of the State Exc
cutive Committee Of the Anti-Saloon
League Of South Carolina, and every
other officer Of the organization, will
be able to meet with us in the Sen
ate Chamber at Columbia, Wednes-
day afternoon at o'clock, December
Sd. Every minister of the gospel in
this State, every State Senator, every
Legislatureman, and other gentlemen
will be especially invited to attend
this meeting. Please, brethren, make
your arrangements now, and be sure
to go. We have written DR.. Ander-
son, our National Legislative Super
intendent, and hope to secure his
services for the State Baptist Con-
vention, to be held in Union on De-
cember Sth to 18th. Many things are
transpiring throughout the whole
country to encourage us, and to urge
us on to victory. More than nine
thousand bar-rooms have been closed
D In the United States since January
1st.
According to the report Of the
Commissioner Of Internal Revenue
there has been a decrease, because of
Ihc SiSdI ploIlDlIlOI wave CnlS year,
Of SIG, S,094.74. We have now
nine whole States in the prohibition
columns. Only five States in the
Union are regarded as purely liquor
States, while many others, because OF
their local option laws, are sweep
ing everything before them. From
Maine to California, and from North
Dakota to Southern Texas, the same
cry, "The rum saloon must CO." is