The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-03-04
FEATHEsTONE GIVES VIEWS.
Gives Out Statement in Greenwood
Which Leaves No Doubt as To His
Candidacy for Governor Some.
thing About Prohibition.

|
thing About Prohibition.
Greenwood, Feb. 27.-Mr. c. C..
Featherstone Of Laurens, is in Green.
wood on professional business. He
Is assisting the prosecution in the case
OF the State against c. Wssh Hunter.
indicted Off murder. This case was
transferred from Laurens county to
Greenwood coMnty.
Mr. Featherstone was asked the
question IL he ahd positively made up
his mind to run for Governor this
year. He replied. Eyes. providence
permitting. shall certainly make
the race. Ny friends from all Sec
tons Of the state insist that shall
stump the state In the interest Of
prohibition cause-oclieving that the
time is ripe for the ctate wide prohi.
bition.
As you know. have always been a
prohibittcnist and have been advocat.
ing the cause for over twenty years.
In 1888 stumped the state as a
candidate for Governor on the prohi-
bition ticket We then only lacked
about three or four thousand votes OF
being Victorious change OF fifteen
hundred or two thousand votes
would have changed the result.
Two years later my friends insisted
that should again be their standerd
leader. but I believed that my old
friend-the gallent ex-confedcrats.
soldier Col. Hoyt-could come nearer
winning than I. For that reason de-
clined To- run and advocated the cleo.
ton OF Col. Hoyt-going to Columbia
and taking charge Of his campaign
between the nrst and second prima-
ries. *
The prohibition sentiment. at that
time. was not quite strong enough to
elect even 30 good q man az Col Hcyt.
Since that umo have ben study
ing tho situation with great care.
-Four or five months ago. I gave, at
fsh interview on the subject advocat
thg for the present, tho enactment OF
law making tho entits state dry, but
permitting counties whcle prohibition
ssntiment was weak ID vote IN the
sale Of whiskey. ~ , E
A great majority Of my prohibition
friends in the state fully endorsed my
views ~'
stated on the, interview that. O.
course. what ultimately sought was
iron clad. state wide prohibition: and
further. that in my Judgment the
time was net far off when the state
would be ready for it.; and further
that when there was sufficient pub
lie sentiment behind It to enable us to
enforce it. I would THEN be in favor
Of state wide prohibition. VI, =
Since giving out that interview. I
have been in CLOSE touch with pro-
hibitionists Throughout the, state. en-
deavcring t6 ascertain the present
strength Of the sentiment and making
diligcnt inquiry as to the enforcement
Of the law In the dry counties. I have
also been studying the reports of the
dispensary auditor. and to my amaze
ment. I find that the county dispen-
saries are selling almost as much IL
quor as did the old dispcnsa,y, when
1t was in full blast. They sold in the
last year three million dollars worth
Of liquor. In addition to this, I find
that the dispensary counties are sell
Ing tremendous quantities OF wh,skcy
to the contiguous dry territory. LAu-
rens is selling to Green
wood. Greanville. Spartanburg and
Newberry-thus. to large extent
multiplying and destroying the effect
of prohibition in those couuries-end
like conditions exist elsewhere in the
State.
In this State OF affairs, I have de-
termined to stump the State this year,
advocating straight out State prohibi-
ton. 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 peo-
pie are in favor Of State prohibition,
then. we will give it an honest. fair
trial.
The prohibitionists Of the State arc
not fanatics. but-on the contrary, are
sensible. practical men.
If the practical workings Of q State
prohibition law should demons trate
that it is impossible to enforce it in
certain counties where the sentiment
Is weak-then 1t will be a very easy
matter to tack on a local option fea-