Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-08-25
THE rRIUMrHs OF PROHIBITION
Some Interesting Facts and Figures
from Last Weeks Elections.
(News and courier. 1sth.l }

the manufacture and sale of all spir-
ituous liquors in South Carolina, pro-
Viding, however, that in those coun-
ties in which the sale of such liquors
was then conducted by the dispen-
sary system, the qualified voters
should have the opportunity of vot-
Ing for the continuance OF such sale.
In accordance with the terms of this
act an election was held yesterday
in the twenty-one so-called wet"
coua;ies of the State, and the returns
of these elections are published to-
| day. Prohibitionists made an active
fight in all the counties directly in
terested in the subject and gained
a great deal of new territory The
| opposition was without organization
and conducted still campaign so
far as they conducted an campaign.
A number of speakers were brought
into the State, and some of the most
eloquent of our own speakers ad-
dressed public assemblies at sundry
times and places, and evidently with
much effect, as the election returns
show. The result OF the elections
may be summed up as follows:
For Prohibit n-Abbeville, Bam-
berg, Barnwell, Berkeley, Calhoun
| Colleton, Dorchester, Fairfield, Hamp-
ton, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Or.
angeburg, Sumter and williamsburg.
For the Dispensary-Aiken, Beau
fort, Charleston, Florence (doubtfuD,
Georgetown and Richland.
Fifteen of the wet" counties went
dry yesterday, and six of the wet
counties stayed "wet." The majori-
ties for prohibition ranged from IA
in the new county of Calhoun to 9S2
in the county of Orangeburg. TIL
smallest majority for the dispensary
was that of about 40 in the county
of Florence (and this may be changed
by the official count,) and the largest
majority for the dispensary was that
OF about 1,525 in the county of
Charleston. The figures given to-day
may be affected by later returns from
several of the counties, but the re-
ports show that the phohibitionists
have gained most substantial victo-
ries, and that South Carolina is now
in effect a prohibition State.
1t is not to be expected that the
Prohibitionists will rest here. and the
rumor is persistent that they will
make an effort at the next session of
the<Legislature to pass a more strin-
gent law that will cover the whole
State, with or without regard for the
wishes or the interests of the people
of the respective counties. Against
that contingency there Is only one
thing that the few remaining dispen-
sary counties can do-they must
make the enforcement of the dispen-
sary law so effective in the suppress
sion Of the Illicit traffic and so tight
In the restrictions that are placed
on the lawful sale of the stuff that
this method of dealing with the
liquor question will be accepted by
the people of the State as the best
method Of regulating a business that
has been outlawed in so many of the
States of the Union. This, can only
be done by the sternest and most
active work on the part of the au-
thorities. There must be no further
palteiing with Illicit dealers, no more
dodging Of the law and its provisions.
The people Of the several counties
in which the elections were held yes
terday have chosen for themselves.
and their wishes at the polls should
be regarded by the Lawmakers and
by those who are charged with the
enforcement Of the law. The method
Of arriving at the will Of the people
was wholly Democratic, and the peo-
pie who have spoken for prohibition
should now make 1T a part of their
patriotic business to aid in the en-
forcement of the law. 1t Is to be
expected that there will be many
violations Of the law, that the active
Illicit traffic in liquor will be under
taken, and this traffic should be put
down by strong arm. AS the first
step towards the enforcement Of the
law there must be a carefully culti-
waited sentiment among the people
for the suppression of the blind tiger
element in every community, an ele-
ment which Is responsible in large
degree for the drastic measure re-
sorted to by the Legislature. We
should set the pace in Charleston In