The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-03-05
FEATHERsTONE DISAPPOINTED
But Prohibition Leader Thinks Com
promise is Only Temporary
Setback.
News and Courier.

fact that the Hon. C. c. Featherstone,
Of this city, lras been connected with
the fight for prohibition in South
Carolina for many years, and is still
interested therein, and that he is al
ready an avowed candidate for gov
ernor in 1910 as an advocate Of State
wide prohibition, the News and Cour-
ier correspondent called upon Mr..
Featherstone for an opinion on the
outcome Of the liquor fight in the
general assembly, which was brought
to a close late Saturday night. While
by no means discouraged by the re-
suit, Mr.. Featherstone made no effort
to conceal his disappointment that
the prohibition forces we're compelled
to accept a cmopromise. His opinion
was that while he had hoped for more,
vet this new law would result in the
ACQUISITION Of much more "dry" ter
ritory.
Continuing, Mr.. Featherstone said:
"I must confess that I had hoped
for better things. Ny preference all
along has been for a Statewide Re-
ferenduin Act, referring the whole
question to the people for settlement.
This, in my judgment, would have
been better, by great deal, than the
plan adopted by the general assem-
bly,.
"Our trouble, all along, has been
that there are in the general assem-
bly, a good many men who, at heart,
are prohibitionists, and some of them
from dry counties, who felt that they
we're virtually instructed to stand by
local option. Some Of these would, in
an election, vote for Statewide pro-
hibition. All of them will vote for
prohibition in an election in their own
counties. But they did not feel that
there were at liberty now to vote
that way in the general assem-
bly,. There are others, throughout the
State, who are just as good prohibl-
tionists as amy of us, but who might
be styled "local option prohibition
ists." They vote that way in their
county elections, but they do not De-
lieve that the time mas come for a
Statewide law.
cup to "a year ago, I felt very
much the same way, but a close study
of the question has convinced me otA-
erwise. now think that the whole
question ought to be submitted to the
people and let them settle it tor the
entire State. However, that result
can and Will be brought about later.
There is no use to "cry over spilled
milk" The thing for us to do is to
make the best Of what we have.
II am satisfied that at least two
thirds of thewet counties can devoted
dry next summer if the proper effort
is made. I expect to devote the big
gest part of my time this summer to
assisting the wet counties to vote
whiskey out. I am lin for the VAL
"Another great work that we can
do is to organize for the enforcement
of the law in the counties that are al
ready dry. I have been in the work
too long to be discouraged by fall
ure to accomplish what we had hoped
in the general assembly. Nearly
quarter of a century ago, when first
commenced to work for prohibition,
We eouldn It have gotten a half-dozen
men to espouse our cause there. Now
we have only lost by a marrow mar
gin. In fact. we have not lost at all.
We are only delayed for short
while. The sentiment against whls-
KEY is growing daily, and when the
people do get a lick at it they will
put it out of business. -