The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-10
DRY RALLY AT LEXINGTON.
Cromer, Featherstone and Smith
Speak on Prohibition.

ive hundred gathered here to-day %
hear the prohibition speakers, the
Hon. Geo. B. Cromer. the Hon. c. {.
FeatherStone and the Hon. Mendel
L. Smith. Of this number several
were ladies. The meeting was presid-
ed over by the Hon. E. c. Ridgell.
Solicitor Geo. Bell Zimmerman intro
duced Mr.. Smith. the first speaker,
paying a high tribute to his ability
and to his worth. Mr.. Smith discussed
the liquor question from three stand
points: First, personal duty, which
is purely moral duty; second, rel
ative duty, and third, political
duty. Mr.. Smith reviewed the condi-
ton which brought about the estab-
lishment Of the State dispensary and
followed it up through all the years
until its final overthrow. He declared
that the State dispensary was the
strongest political machine ever es-
tablished in South Carolina. He
touched Gil the scandals which we're
brought out by the investigating COM
mittee and stated that in his opinion
in less than five years the county dis
pensaries would become just as cor
rupt as the State dispensary, their
father, was. He cited figures to show
that drunkenness and crime have de-
creased in all the prohibition terri
tory. He said that the liquor question
is the greatest problem with which
the farmer has to deal and urged
the farmers to vote out whiskey and
improve the negro labor. He said
that immigrants would never take the
place Of the negro on the farm. lie
closed with beautiful and touching
appeal to the audience to vote for
prohibition on the 18th Of August.
DR.. George B. Cromer was the sec
ond speaker. He was introduced by
Prof. S. J. Derrick, Of Newberry Col
lege, who is spending the summer with
relatives in this county Of his birth.
Perhaps no higher tribute has ever
been paid any man in so few words
as was paid DR.. Cromer by Prof.
Derrick, who declared that Of all the
men with whom he had ever come IN
contact there was none whom he ad-
mired more than the man whom he
was about to introduce. He declared
that DIR. Cromer never discussed any
question without first solving it, and
he never spoke anything but the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth as God gave him the
light to see the truth. DR.. Cromer de-
clared that it was a question that de-
manded the best thought and the best
talent Of the best people. He said ne
had been working for prohibition for
more than thirty years. He said he
was not working for money, he was
not working for political gain because
he never had offered for public office
and never expected to enter the po-
ltical arena, but he is working for
the education of the boys for the be-
terment of society and for higher
standard of citizenship. DR.. Crome: 5
address throughout was a masterGnl
one, couched in the choicest language
and he was well received.
The next and last speaker was Mr..
Featherstone, who was introduced by
r. ". Frick, of Chaplin, a graduate
of Newberry College. Mr.. Feather
stone stated that as the other speak
ers had covered great deal Of the
ground he would discuss the matter
from the standpoint of the church
-, members duty. Mr. Feathefs:one
made telling speech and at the
conclusion Of his address, one per
son was heard to say: "that Mr.
Featherstone should have been a
preacher instead Of a lawyer. Mr..
Featherstone declared that he was not
going to give up the fight until the
whole Of America was won for pro-
hibition. All of the speeches were
conducted upon a high plane and all
received a generous round OF ap-
plause. By a rising vote the thanks
of the house were extended the speak
ers for the coming to Lexington, and
their able presentation Of the prohl-
bition subject. All in all, it was the
greatest meeting ever held here.
There was absolutely no SIGN Of WhlS-