The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-03-06
L Shall Vote for Prohibition.

'oi vi Inc Daily Item:
In last evenings issue OF your paper
you invite those who have views ON
the prohibition question to exnress
'hem and you open the discussion by
admitting the evils resulting form the
iiquor traffic so frankly that further
arguments as to the evils are scarca-
~ necessary to people who are can
able or thinking for themselves. Your
position In this matter will be unbeld
py many of our best citizens who ara
as desirous of casting their votes for
the welfare of our county as any who
vote for prohibition; but many men
OF many minds are not always agread
as to what is best for the community
and consequently good men differ. IT
is not my purpose here nor at auv
time to challenge the right OF anv
man to vote as he desires upon any
subJect without being censured. The
motive is known only to him and wa
often seek results by different meth
DDS.
In your admission of the evils of
the liquor traffic you voice the sentt-
ment of both factions of the Demo-
cratic party, if factions they be. for
IN our country you can scarcely find a
man with any love for his fellow man
in his breast who will not echo vour
expression, ''if 1 could cast the single
and deciding vote that would give us
absolute prohibition in place of the
legalized sale of liquor that vote
would L cast for prohibition most
gladly" Many an honest Christian
man will cast his vote against prohibf-
ton for the reason that ne thinks
that the time has not come when pro-
hibition can be enforced on account
of public sentiment being opposed to
prohibition. And yet il you single
them out and ask the question il they
| could cast the single and deciding
vote would they cast that vote against
the sale of liquor, and he will answer
yes. When 1 come face to face with
problem like the one we are now
called upon to solve, 1 believe ii INV
duty to cast my vote for what I be-
lieve to be right and best for our
country's good, regardless of whether
1 am with the majority or minority.
Our elections are for the purpose of
deciding which is the majority and
which is the minority. and if the vot-
4 ers of Sumter County vote without re-
gard to winning but as they desire.
even Sumter County will be prohibi-
ton when the votes are counted.
Scarcely day passes that we do
not read in the papers of some hor-
rible crime committed as a result Of
whiskey. That whiskey is sold By
our government and we who vote for
it to be sold are responsible for the
| crime resulting. An inferior race
| lives amongst us, who, when sober,
are aiding in the prosperity and prog
ress we are making; they are looking
to us for a government in which they
have no voice. that will protect them
and their persons. We take their
money and give in it's place g. poison
that makes brutes of them ard when
drunk they commit crimes, their lives
are forfeited as a penalty for pat
ronizing business we hold up as le-
gal and respectable. OF all people.
we of the South should be most anxi-
Gus to further the cause of prohibi-
ton that is being agitated throughout
the country and if every man votes
as his conscience dictates, regardless
of consequences, We will have nation
al prohibition ten years hence. Count
me as one doing with my might in
season and out of season what 1 can
to bring about a favorable sentiment
and making the time ripe for the en-
forcement of prohibition which time
will never come unless we do our
part.
CHAS. l.. CUTTINO.
March 4, 1909.