The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-23

O"ioi' Aihuiy grant me space in
your columns to correct a statement
made in your correspondence from
Carney. dated the 14th.
Therein II Is reported that I am q
county dtspensary advocate, and am
rounding up the dispensary forces for
a legislative contest against the Pro-
hioltionists. / am not dispensa.y
man. In an article published last
month In the Annals Of the American
Academy Of Political and Social
Science Of Philadelphia. / wrote. "The
State did not succeed as barkeeper.
VIII the counties do better? That is
question South Carolina is solving.
t Is too early yet to say what the out-
come OF this decentralization will be.
Decentralization has killed the lioness
and her dwarf CUBS aFe comparative,
y easy to handle. However, they are
1"t lambs. Whether the present xys-
tem will long remain clean as a hard
natter for conjecture. In putting
.hto the hands Of public officials the
power to purchase liquor the door for
graft Is known wide open, and through
at any moment may enter corrup-
Ion that will render the system as
vii as the worst"
Those are hardly the expressions OF
IN advocate Of the county dispenxary.
In an interview published in The
News and Courier and other dailies
mo weeklies few days ago I stated
hat am local option prohibition
st. I take the liberty Of again tres
ptssing upon the attention of your
'eaders. not for personal reasons, but
n this discussion between the State.
vide Prohibitionists or anti-optionists
ind the local optionists.
They would establish prohibition in
lon-prohibition counties by decree OF
the legislature. We would educate
the non-prohibition counties to the
r"int where each would for itself de-
cree prohibition. Between these TWO
ways to common end is a great diff
'ercnce. all the difference, we local op-
t''nists maintain. between ultimate
;r'.cess and failure.
Says Senator Otis, for whom I have
espect and liking: 1.-THE way to stop
he liquor evil Is to stop and not to
temporise or compromise with It," He
wishes to carry the citidel by one grand
picturesque assault We point to the
experience OF generations that proves
'apping and mining to be more ef-
fective against this particular enemy.
II the State prohibition law is passed
It will be a hollow victory In many Of
the present dispensary counties.
On the other hand. wherever a
county adopts prohibition the gain IL
real. genuine and lasting. We local
option prohibitinists advocate the same
course Of action Senator Otis and his
friends have been following up to
this time. They are branching Off.
hand In hand. with old State dispen-
sary leaders, as anti-optionists. We
want to be allowed to travel the same
road. his county of Cherokee took in
getting prohibition that prohibits.
He says that kind Of prohibition is
fine. Then why does he insist in fore
ing another kind on other counties?
tell him. and nine out Of every ten
thinking. sober men in this lower sec
ton of the State will tell him, that a
State prohibition law cannot be en-
forced here with any success at this
time. 1t is folly for Senator Otis to
assert, as he does, that "two or three
determined men can enforce the law
IN any county" There are many
more than the number of men in this
county who would do all they can to
enforce prohibition here II it becomes
law. and we know before hand that
our efforts will be futile.
wv NCh0iliOlS. CONC QOWn here
and help us educate our people as you
did In Laurens and we will do for our
selves what you cannot force us into.
Senator Otis says again: "I have
seen the results Of prohibition, I have
seen the law enforced, 1 have helped
TO enforce it," He refers to his coun-
fxy
!aw' and was then allowed to enact it.
He would have had different expert
ences In an anti-prohibition county
upon which prohibition had been en-
forced. 1t is characteristic Of certain
Prohibitionists to charge all who NAV
differ with them as being allies of the
liquor interests. Senator Otis refers
TO the local option arguments as "this
a