Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-18

which seem to suggest serious doubts
as to whether it would be right to pur-
sue the policy suggested "if we could"
The Enquirer was not among the
papers that sought to emphasize prohi"
bition in the late campaign. On the
contrary it recognized from the begin
ming that the personal characters and
records of the respective candidates was
the all important question, and it tried
to convince the News and Courier and
the Columbia State of this fact at the
very outset, but they would not have
it so. They persisted In talking as If
local option were a real issue, and they
failed to see, even after The Enquirer
had told them virtually in so many
words that if Mr.. Featherstone was
not the next governor of South Caro-
lima, then it would be Mr.. Blease. If
these newspapers had recognized this
fact from the beginning and had bent
their efforts to impressing upon the
people what they themselves felt of
Mr.. Featherstone's personal fitness, in
stead of trying to make it aDpear that
in the event of the election Of Mr..
Featherstone, somebody's unborn
grandchild would some day die Of collie,
because Mr. Featherstone would not
permit it to have a few drops of
whisky to dissolve asafetida In, Mr..
Featherstone would have been elected.
We have more than once cited evil
dence to prove that Mr.. Featherstone
is more of a patriot and a statesman
than he is a politician. We believe 1t
was only because Mr.. Featherstone
had the patriotism to step aside In
1908, and let Ansel have the right of
way that the overthrow of the old
state dispensary became possible. Mr..
Featherstone could not have been
elected; but had he been small, mar
row man such as many Of the Mcleod
ties and Richardites as voted against
him profess to fear he is, he would
have stood in the way and let every
thing go to ruin.
The greatest issue this state has
known since 1876 was that involving
the overthrow Of the old state dispen-
sary and surely the News and Courier
is not going to ask people who worked
so hard in that fight to get behind men
like Mcleod, Richards, or even Man
ming, who stood by the dispensary to
Al loc In
and betray a man like Featherstone
who was one of the original leaders in
the fight and who continued to the
end.
In considering the whole question,
especially from the standpoint Of the
News and Courier, we are again re-
minded Of the old story Of the Indian
and the white man when they under
took to divide their game on returning
from a hunt. The white man said to
the Indian, You take the buZzard and
I'll take the turkey, or I'll take the tur-
key and you take the buzzard." AS
the Indian said to the white man, so
say we to our anti-Blease liquor
friends: You never said turkey to us
nary time"
No doubt the refusal Of Prohibition
lists to join with the anti-Blease liquor
men in the election of a liquor COVER
nor other than Mr.. Blease is very
pleasing to Mr. Blease; but we have an
idea that it is no less pleasing to Mr..
Blease that his enemies are unwilling
to join with the Prohibitionists. In
fact the situation vividly reminds us
of what Mr.. Blease said to the people
of Columbia from the Capitol steps in
August last. 1t was this: Il tell you
that either Cole L. Blease will be gov
ernor of South Carolina or a Prohibi-
zionist will be-"
AS to whether Mr.. Featherstone
has the slightest idea of ever being a
candidate again, we do not know; but
we beg leave to assure the News and
Courier that Mr.. Featherstone is con-
siderably more than a mere Prohibi-
ZIONIST. He is an honest, earnest, able
patriot, and if elected governor Of
South Carolina will reflect much credit
upon the state. If the anti-Blease To-
cal option people will go to him and
assure him of their support even as he
and those who think as he does as
sured their support to Ansel in 1908,
maybe he could be induced to take the
field again. If not, possibly Charles A.
Smith would be willing to carry the
flag. If both of these decline. then the
field will be found to be growing very
narrow, because in view Of all that has
taken place up to this time, most whis-
ky men look alike to the Prohibition
lists, just as all Prohibtionists seem to
look alike to the whisky men.
Columbia, August 16: Commission
er Watson has issued statement
showing the bad condition Of imported