The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-01-27
LOCAL RTIlH / MEANS.
1GR rEATHERsroNE OUTLINES
VIEWS OF ERoHIBITION.
He Believes That Local Option Has
E1ayed Its Part as the Entering
Wedge In the Fight Against
Nshi>kcy, and that Majority of
the People are Now I'm Favor of an
Iron-Clad Prohibition Law.

~ hAurens. Jan. 20.--Just at this tim,
uh'sn the question of Statewide pro.
h1b Ition IL so forcibly before the peo,
p1e Of the State and especially tn.
GENERAL Assembly. the position OF the
<'or. c. c. Featherstone. who has al.
pe1 been recognized as the leader OF
Ane prohibitionists. even when the ad.
vouacy Of such doctrine was a heresy
IN DO Of interest. There are those
- the State who are inquiring the
~pinion Of Mr.. Featherstone on the ad.
visAbility OF introducing an iron clad
prohibition bill In the General Assem-.
~ and his attitude towa.i such 9
soqn As all south Carolina knows
~. Fsasherstone's public efforts have
a11 been toward one end: Securing q
euu,plstc abolition Of the whiskey
buainess in the state: he IL heartily In
accord with all .sndeayor in that al.
section.
Htr. Featherstone has Just returned
trotn Columbia. where he met with
= iumber of those interested In the
mt apd the News and Courier COR
resi'ondsnt called on him this morn
ng 20 set an opinion on the situation
oRd the prospects of securing prohl
nlhltion. Mr.. Featherstone said:
Local opinion has been encouraged
~ prohibitionists as ameans to an
-. not because It was the ultimate
eotsct sought for. That II has
srs nsthened the cause OF prohibition
cannot be denied. BY Il county after
epunty. In south Carolina. has gotten
ssd % the lesaiized sale of whlskey,
and tho practical workings Of the law
have powerfully built up prohibition
eooliment, In the dry counties. az
Wezi ~ In other counties of the state.
- . means to an end. as an entering
ve4ss, 70 something that is better
40 more farreachins In It's effects.
opcsl option issa success. Not only
ves Il accepted by the prohibitionists
eoeause they believed that by IT pro-
41bttion sentiment would be built up
epd strsngthenec. but for another rea-
sonson. I. O.. because It was the best
eAey could get at that time. and they
were not foolish enough to discard a
1Alf loaf because they could not get
= whole one. o.
- II. r
LOCAL option should not. howevef.
- satisfactory to the prohibitionists.
1be ~ indennite length Of time. They
sAouId move on and on until they get
~hat they ultimately seek. viz: State
-wide prohibition We have been
nammerins blow after blow. upon the
enterins wedge. untii II has been driven
into. and through. one-half of the
sounties Of the state. When shall the
&RY blow be struck? That IL the
practical question. The most reliable
enfermatIon reveals the fact that, ut
oeast. three-fourths OF the counties in
shs state are In favor Of prohibition.
f my information, Is correct. there
are not more than six or eight coun-
oes In the State that. today. would
gfvs a majority in favor OF whiskey.
With such facts staring us in the face.
'oeght We not to go forward and put
ne whole State In the dry column?
The principle OF local self govern
nsnt 10 very strongly interenched in
the minds Of great many people.
and. when properly applied 1t is no
ooubt q sound Democratic principle.
But. like all other good rules, II has
No exceptions and limitations. 1t can
not or ought not. In government af-
airs. to be applied except within cer-
tain fixed limitations. 1t cannot. with
sfety; be applied TO the legaizIns Of
: business that Ii inherently deneerous
90 the safety. health and morals. no,
only OF particular community. brt
which Is dangerous. which 10 a
menace to the whole state. 1t is per-
fectly legitimate. u Is entirely within
me proper bounds OF governmental
function to permit each community to
settle for itself, to define its own po-
ucys with regard to such matters as
are harmless In themselvG-which
do rot endanger the sefety. health
and morals Of the people but when
. business Is inherently wrong-when
aai OF Its tendencies are vicious and
bsd--when. as our own Supreme
Court says. In state vs Aiken 45. s. c..
I'm speaking OF the whiskey business:
'dt is In It's nature. dangerous to the
morl,ls. good order. health and safety
(. of the people," then IA to It no gov
ernnient has the moral right to sane