The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-01-12

! w
come an tissue" in politics and gov
ernment, and naturally does not re-
ceive as much attention; the people
are not so much interested in it, anu
Of course the newspapers are not
either.
! In this great contest that is raging
from sea to sea and from the lakes
to the gulf, every man end every
newspaper must take sides for Or
against the liquor traffic, and it is not
to be expected that one Will drop ont
Of the ranks or turn aside to disSi-
pate his Influence and his strength in
a quiNotic crusade against "spittin@
on siGewalks.'' Side issues receive
due notice. but Will not be permitted
to divert attention from the main is
sue. And, in any view of it, because
one man spits on the sidewalk and an
other sells drugs is no reason why
others should sell liquor.
When a white man was arrested
here and punished for selling cocaine
the Observer reported the facts just
as it reported the facts when Others
have been arrested for selling LIQUOR.
The Observer has no sympathy with
law-b breakers of any kind or degree.
1t does not attempt to punish them
nor to denounce them, but it wants to
see the law enforced strictly and i'm
partially-not in vengeance, but for
the public good and the reform of
4 evil-doerS.
It has no bearing on the question
of prohibition, so far as I can see; but
all the same I heartily endorse the
eulogy pronounced by "Dow, Jr."
upon the t.'troops'' comparatively
boys'-that "South Carolina sent to
the front" in defense of State rights.
But these were not products Of liquor
selling; they we're "loyal, brave and
temperate not because of the liquor
traffic in that day. but because they
were South Carolinians of the Anglo
Saxon race. and sons of a noble. an
ceStry. As loyal. brave and :temper-
ate as they were, they were no more
so than are the boys Of the prohibi-
tion county of Newberry today
who would offer their lives as read
ily and fight as courageonsly, at their
countTy's call, as did their fathers
and grandfathers in the COS. And
it is not anliss to remind ''tDow, Jr.'
if his memory runs back so far-and
If it does nnt he can learn it from
len OF that generaIlon-that scores
Of those brave Young Men who faced
1nfl;ncl:ingly the Northern hordeS on
many a ard-fouellt field, and won
glory for thmeslves and their State.
afterwards, when the cruel Wal was
over, went down in sad and hopeless
defeat before more relentless enc
mv-when "all could buy who wish
ed even "under the very shadow
of the church,
"Dow, Jr." lugs in "Chnky
John' as ''text to preach sermon
on" He must not object then #
assume tire role of qlestioner and ask
him whether "Chinky John'' is q
product Of the older or the newer dis
oensation. And I might 90 further
and ask if he does not think it worth
while to try to "save a boy" from q
f~te that makes "the guardhouse al
good place to put him9'
The Observer has not sought poHu-
lar.:tv in this matter. Why should
it? TIE editor has noEc" sought ~
wanted! office. Il be~:an the f!":t
wien pr, ,:>ioition was rot popular:
;.w'>*n IT,. ,??om;n2nt clement w"> f"'
l:4,,ar selling: with an overwhelming
and ovy:he2rin" n1?jority it held ;&e
offices and directed the nCblic ro!:cE
IF - State.
If had wanted nn3nI?il!E ana OIL
flee I wns!i not have gone into tie
prohibition ''partv' % seek for :.
THAT pro:iib;tinn has become the p'-
nular side in South Caro!;na is dae -
men and women and newspapers who
were not in il for office or popular
itv but who :lad no other end III vie"
than the good of their fellow men and
their State. The Observer CLAIMS no
part of the credit for w!?a: has been
ACCOMPLISHED, but does confess to
feeling Of exult,:tion il finding itself
on the winning side at last-'lnt II:
the sake Of office or anything else to
/ be got out Of politics, but for tie