The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-03-10
The Liquor Evil.

assembly In a tangle for nearly
month and half, was brought to a
close last Saturday with a victory for
the local optionists, and we believe,
some gain for genuine prohibition.
While it is possible that we may be
as we see it. the principal
issue in this fight was factional as
tendency. rather than moral principle.
OF course, we should not pretend to
say that none Of the participants
were governed in their efforts by
moral principles; but that the gen
eral casus belli was more a matter of
POLITICAL supremacy. And we think
the people of the State have cause to
themselves on the
healthy condition of public sentiment
that seems to have been evident in
the outcome
The Enquirer believes in prohibit
tion as the best way of dealing with
the liquor traffic--not mere nominal
prohibition; but actual prohibition as
far as 1t can be accomplished. We
do not believe that prohibition laws
can be enforced unless they are back
ed by an approving public sentiment.
While the law in York county, for in
stance is not enforced as perfectly as
we would like to see it, it is enforced
better than it has ever been before.
and that Is because public sentiment
the more strongly approves it's en-
forcement. In county where the
sentiment is overwhelmingly the
other way, the same laws would be
nulTity.
The people who brought about the
condition whereby each county may
deal with the liquor question as it
sees proper. did more for prohibition
and more for the establishment of
law and order than has ever been
done In this State before. We say
this for the reason that experience
has gone to show that where ma
jority of the people have expressed
themselves In the making Of a law,
that same majority may be depend
ed upon to see that that law is obey
ed
However 1t may be in the future,
we know that there are many coun-
ties In the State where the sentiment
In favor of the free and unrestricted
liquor traffic is overwhelming. We
are sorry that this Is true; but that
Is not the point The point is that
where there Is an overwhelming SEN
timent in favor of liquor. the traffic
cannot be suppressed. In such a
county State law against the sale of
liquor would be farce. The people
of each county have entire charge of
the enforcement of the law within
their respective limits and they are
not going to enforce laws that do not
meet their approval.
Under present conditions more than
half the State Is prohibition by choice
Of majority Of the voters of the
respective counties. The law is not
enforced perfectly in any of these
counties; but 1t is better enforced in
most of them than it has ever been
before. and in many Of them 1t as we'll
enforced as are the laws against MUIR
der arson, larceny etc.
According to our view, had the
Statewide prohibition become a law,
only very few Of those counties now
engaged In the liquor business would
have paid any attention to it. The
disregard of the law would have been
so general that it would have been
impossible to have COM
PEELED its observance. and the result
would be free and unrestricted liquor.
The arrangement whereby prohibi-
tion is to go into effect in all the IL
quor counties on the first Tuesday in
August and continue or not accord
Ing to the result of the elections to be
held on the third Tuesday in August,
looks to JUS to be fair enough. 1t is
quite possible that the majoriti.s in
some of these counties are ready to
run out the dispensaries. It Is to be
hoped that such is the case. If they
are. then the cause Of prohibition is
bright In those counties. If they are
not ready to vote out liquor of their
own accord, prohibition forced on
them by the general assembly, would
do the cause more harm than good.
The greatest danger to prohibition
as We see 1t, Is lukewarmness in those
counties where prohibition now OBJ
tnipS The onnotita for x,,L;~t.o..