The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-08-14
s1l1E.uIlf PllIlDIlIlI I
WHAT WILL THE NEXT LEaIs1.A.
TURE DO?
People WIN Voice General Sentiment
OF The State August i7th.-A Few
Cumparisons-Pcoplc Have Not
Quilt Drinking.

CoIumpia, August S.-What the
next legislature will do In reference
70 the whiskey question is a matter
that is being generally discussed in
this State just now. There II hardly
any doubt that q statewide prohibit
uon bill will be introduced. Prohibi-
don leaders have recently been quo
ted A. saying that the bin viii pass
q the next session by . good ma
5erity. +
There 10 no doubt. also. that the
bill will pass II the Representatives
from dry territory vote to thrust up-
on the wet counties what they them
selves have. The representative from
dry territory viii without any doubt
outnumber those from wet territory
\ when the I.sgisiature convenes in s1o.
The sole question win be: "win all
fths Representatives. or q great maj
orfty, OF them. vote az the people of
their rspective counties voted upon
the whiskey matter?". II IL a well
known fact that there were stroas
local optionists In the lists OF repre-
ssntatives from dry territory at the
Hast session Of the Legislature. II these
representatives and those from the
territory which may become dry by
ths approaching election hold out the
psssi~s Of a Statewide prohibition
sneasure will not be 30 very easy.
some Of the men from now wet terri
tiry have gone 90 far an to say that
u their counties vote out the dis
psnsariss they will feel Il their duty.
to vote for the Statewide prohibit.
tion bill.
\ Have the prohibitionists kept faith
with the local optionists? Recall
that nght In the Legislature last win
ter. In the House there was q grand
old nlibuster resulting finally in the
passags OF the prohibition bin. The
eompromiss was scented that finally
A came out Of the Senate. The local
option men could have held out In
the House longer. But they didn't
snd the bill passed. Then In the Sem
e<s. Here was where there was
doubt a. to the comparative strength
q the two sides. In fact, Il Is rather
doubtful how the vote would have
bssn upon the straight prohibition
BIN. Again there was a flibuster, and
he chances are that this nlibuster
could have been successfully main
eAined II net for the compromise that
was effected. The local optionist.
cave pp . great deal when they per-
! mktsd the passage Of the bill that is
a, attack upon the wet territory. But
the bill 10 now law and the people
VII DO the talking on August n.
Let the people say whether or
not they want the dispensary sys-
tenn" was the cry of the prohibition
fists in the Senate last year.
"Remove the whiskey business
from politics. Let's get rid of Its dis
cusss'n here in the Legislature for
all time" Now has this been done
No. The prohibitionists are going to
Introduce Statewide prohibition
, bill most probably at the next ses.
sion. After eliminating as many as
possible Of the dispensaries In the
now wet territory they will make vet
another attack. This prospective
move does not look exactly right TO
the local DIPLOMATS. 1t is not In keep
!, Ing with the implied understandings
I'm the compromise passed BY agree
ment In the Senate. The counties
having ssid what they want. let
them have II. was the general under
standing Of the situation. 1t is true
also that this was the drift of the Ca
rey-Cothran act. Of which prohibi-
uonists speak as "a means to an
end" But 1t now appears. that in
the event a prohibition measure Is
passed. the counties will not have
49, w s"o'"' Wnen the state
dispensary was abolished the whole
trend Of legislation then enacted was
20 allow the counties to speak out
upon the whiskey question. Are the
legislators going to carry the whls-
key question back to the State as a
unit? II begins to look that way. II
the prohibitionists expect to do what
they have been saying recently.
There Is back Of all attempted pro-
hibitive legislation a matter that
should engage the serious thought OF
the members of the Legislature who
favor local option. II is generally
expected that some OF the counties
VIII go dry In the approaching cleo