The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-03-31
A POOR DEPENDENCE

The man who votes for prohibition
will be morally bound TO make good
his profession OF faith by personally
prosecuting any and every person
whom he knows. OF his own knowledge
to be engaged in the illegal sale OF
LIQUOR. NIr. Liquor Drinking Prohibit
zionist Go YOU expect 10 swear out war
rants against the men who sell you
iiQuor:,'
The above is an observation of
the Sumter Item of the 10Th,
instant, and knowing the editor
as we do, we cannot see how he
arrives at such a conclusion.
When >Nr.Llquor Drinking Pro
hibitionist, enlists in the cause
of prohibition, he does not take
al obligation to taste not, touch
not, handle not that which
s;biteth like a serpent and sting
eth like an adder" he is only to
wage war on the legal sale Of
that article. s:Mr. Liquor Drink
ing Prohibitionist," joins the
forces of total abstainers to
square himself with popular
idea, with the hope Ct driving
away suspicion, on the principal
of taking a Glove ';to kill the
scent
When the fight was on in Clar-
eno0n We were foolish enough to
think as the Item thinks now.
''The man who votes for prohi-
bition will be morally bound to
make good his profession Of faith
by personally prosecuting any
and every person whom he
knows, of his own knowledge,
to be engaged in the illegal sale
of liQnor." but we have long
since found that idea a dream.
Those who vote for prohibi-
ton are lighting for principle,
and it is the principle alone they
seem to be concerned in. The
enforcement of the law is left to
the officers almost entirely, be-
cause man who is so moral that
he wishes to force morality on
others, is usually man who re
CARDS spying" and detective
work beneath his dignity, and
will not engage in it. Then too,
if he is a liquor drinking prohib,
he may also be a liquor selling
prohio, and in either case they
are a breed who do not want the
law against selling liquor en-
forced.
But Notwithstanding the Items
observations and we presume its
opposition, the prohibition wave
viii overwhelm Sumter county
in August; we hope so at least.
not because we are convinced
that prohibition will be success
fully enforced, but because this
great political question has been
endorsed by the churches ;2d
the various organizations Of
of women-a force when com,
bined, its invincible, especially is
it so, when those who differ from
them, for fear of losing personal
popularity, political. commercial
and professional. will offer no
opposition. and permit the wave
to engulf them.
We hope Sumter and Williams
burg both will get into the dry
column, aad We are candid en-
ough to admit our interest to be
selfish. If Sumter goes dry,
thousands of dollars now going
from this county to trade will
remain in this county where it
naturally belongs, and for the
same reason we are anxious for
Williamsburg to close up its dis
pensary that a large portion Of
Clarendon now going to Kings,
tree and Lake City to buy liquor,
and trade. Will do their business
in this county, the better to
enable our own people to pay
the increased taxation resulting
from the loss of revenue and
business.
Sumter and Williamsburg as a
mater of courtesy should vote
dry since Clarendon has made
herself desert, the Sahara
should surely extend to our sis
ter counties that all may. from
actual experience, have a prac-
tical knowledge of the efficacy
Of prohibition But if the grand
results Of prohibition, so tear
fully and eloquently pictured by
the Prohioltionists, depends up
on :Mr. Liquor Drinking Prohi-
b;tion," or upon the good women
who give up home and children,
for the privilege of raising their
voices to stop the drink evil, we
are afraid there will be disap
pointment. because these forces
will not be force to make pro-
hibitIon laws effective.