Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-01-06
STATEWIDE PROHIBITION.
Letter From Rev. J. L. Harley
State Superintendent of
Anti.SaloonLeague

State superintendent Oh
Anti-Saloon League.
AS was to be expected when the
prohibitionists of South, Carolina
met and declared for state-w ide pro-
hibition, we began to hear criticism
pro and con in every direction.
Some of our so-called prohibitionists
saws the Florence Tines have
actually taken a trip to Savannah,
Georgia, to learn that prohibition is
farce. We do not know who
these gentlemen are, but if the ed
itor of the Florence Times will
kindly publish their names the cit
izens of South Carolina would be
better able to Judge of the worth of
t4reiiif statement. The cry is raised
on every hand, that if we have state
wide prohibition conditions will be
worse in Charleston than they are
now. We are peremptorily told
that the law cannot be enforced in
the lower couties, and that we must
wait until the people are educa-
up to higher standard of citizen
ship and morality. 1t is the purpose
of this paper to bring some things
to the attention of the people Of the
state. First of all, l wish to ask
Can conditions be any worse in
Charleston than they are now?
With IA dispensaries running full
blast from sun to. .sun-more than
800 licensed blind-tigers selling Ii
quor night and day-hundreds of
other blind tigers selling without
any license at all, and the people of
Charleston ordering one hundred
thousand dollars worth of liquor a
year. I ask again, Can conditions
be any worse? After all, without
any intention of rejecting on the
good people of Charleston, what is
Charleston, that the whole state
should be called on to bow to her
will in an important matter like
this? Charleston represents about
four per cent of the population of
South Carolina and every one knows
that more than one half of her pop
ulation is made up of the colored
race. If Charleston does not wish
toenforce thelaw let her do as she
bis doing now Tt cannot be worse.
EIsns IN Heaven s name do not ask ask
ST lee ySl lI5ie ts at Da ia,ies-
ton Again some of eur people
seem to think they viii force prohi-
bition upon some cor nunities be
fore they are ready and, thereby
bring reproach on our cause. Thanks
for consideration. Here let us call
attention to the following fact: We
have now 81 counties in this state
without the legalized sale of intox-
icuating liquors. In these 81 coun-
ties live large majority of the pop
ulation of the entire state. This
majority is made up principally of
white people. In other words, a
safe estimate would be that three
fourths of the white people in the
state now live in prohibition terrific
ry. We are democratic and we claim
that the white people are in author
ity-that we can rule, must rule, and
will rule. And yet, this large ma,
jority of the whole state, are now
being told by q small minority OF
white people, Wait for us and the
negroes Of the loTSSr counties until
we get ready for prohibition y
And the plea they make is, that
they are afraid of worse conditions.
Worse conditions indeed! With
blind-tigers plying their trade, es.
peciaiiy in dispensary counties, all
over the lower part of the state,
buying liquor from the dispensaries
for that purpose, and in some instaE,
ces municipal authorities making nc
attempt whatever to enforce the law.
| raise the question, can the good
people of the lower part of the state.
and large majority of the white
people of the state wait any longer
for an improvement in conditions?
We believe it is the duty of every
good citizen to throw the weight Of
his influence against such conditions
and thereby help to change them
as speedily as possible. Our pro
hibition convention did not adopt
my plan in trying to get statewide
prohibition. / wanted prohibition
bill passed with proviso that it be
submitted to the people in state
election for their confirmation. But
if our legislature at,the next session
shall pass prohibition law for the
whole state, and will provide fol
assistants to the attorney general
making financial provision for the
enforcement of such law, believe
shall succeed in South Carolina as
well as they are succeeding in Other
| ,u,11 los sh;,,roC