The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-04-01
MIR. FeatherstOne interviewed

Greenwood, March 25.-Hon. C. C.
through yesterday, and while here was
questioned as to his attitude on the
matter of prohibition in the coming
campaign. Mr.. Featherstone stated
that he was for prohibition without any
provisos or conditions to it. In n
ton, he stated that he had made his
position clear about a month ago, when
he stated that he was for straight-out
prohibition.
Mr.. Featherstone stated that four or
five months ago he gave an interview
on the subject, advocating for the pres
ent the enactment Of a law making the
entire State dry, but permitting coun-
ties where prohibition sentiment was
weak to vote on the sale of whisky.
Continuing, he said: "a great majority
of my prohibition friends in the State
endorsed my views.
81 stated in that interview that, of
course, what we ultimately, sought was
ironclad, Statewide prohibitions; and,
further, that in my Judgment the time
was not far off when the State would
be ready for it.; and. further, that
when there was sufficient public senti-
ment behind it, l would then be in ia
vor of Statewide prohibition.
"Since giving out hat interview |
have been in close touch with prohibi-
tionists throughout the State, endeavor-
ing to ascertain the present strength
of the sentiment and making diligent
inquiry as to the enforcement of the
law in dry counties. | have also been
studying the reports Of the dispensary
auditor, and to my amazement | find
that the county d~ispensaries are selling
almost as much liquor as did the old
State ~dispensary when it was in full
blast. They sold in the last year three
million dollars worth of liquor. In adj
dition to this, / find that the dispensary
counties are selling tremendous quaint
ties OF whisky to contiguous dry terri
tory.
Gin this state of affairs I have deter
mined to stump the State this year, ad-
vocating straight-out prohibition. The
only way to find out the strength of
the prohibition sentiment is to submit
the question squarely to the people. If
a majority of the people are in favor of
State prohibition then we will give it
an honest, fair trial.
"The prohibitionists of the State are
not fanatics: but, on the contrary, are
sensible, practical men.
eff the practical workings of a State
prohibition law should demonstrate that
it was impossible to enforce it in GER
tain counties where the sentiment is
weak then it will be a very easy mat
ter to tack on a local option feature
permitting those counties, under the
most rigid restrictions, to vote in the
sale of whisky. Sufficient unto the
day is the evil thereof
Featherstone, lis to give a general
prohibition law an honest, fair trial"
Mr.. Featherstone said in regard to
the present law: eve have a substi-
tute for the old dispensary law that is
nothing but a reproduction of the old
system on a smaller scale" In time
he thinks this substitute will develop
all the bad features of the old law.
He also said that SO far as he was
personally concerned he5would prefer
not to run this year; but his prohibi-
ton friends insist that the time is ripe,
that he agrees with them as to c0ndi-
tions, and that he feels he must re-
spond to what he regards as a great
moral obligation.
He stated that he hoped the ques-
tion of prohibition or no prohibition
would be submitted to the people in
the primary, and he hoped the State
Democratic Executive Committee
would have this done. '"The people,
he said,'' "have a right to vote upon
this question and settle it at the bal
lot box, and there is NJ other practical
way of presenting the cause to the peo-
pie other than from the stump during
the campaign"
81 am for straight-out prohibition, -
said Mr.. Featherstone, in conclusion.
there are many tonics in the land,
AS by the papers you can see;
But none of them can equal
HOLSTERS Rocky Mountain Tea.
Palmetto Drug Co.