The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-09-20
HELP VOLUNTEERED.
Mayor Jennings Call for Assistance
In Enforcing the Law Will Have
Prompt Response.

have read with great pleasure the
article by Mayor Jennings In your
issue of 18th, and the only fault find
Is. that he should have taken this
stand when he was elected mayor by
majority Of those citizens. who are
opposed to liquor drinking and liquor
selling and who had right t. eX-
pect HIM to take this stand when no
accepted office at their hands. Every
body knows that the city of Sumter
has always voted agai nst liquor. and,
knowing the people of this county and
city as 1 do. l don't hesitate to say,
he can get all the help he needs to
put down this evil that has sprung
up in our midst. Since the bar rooms
were voted out of the ground floor
and have now taken refuge in the
upper rooms with locked doors and
only those having the countersign
can enter. would say to Mayor Jen-
nings: Go to the officers of these
clubs and say to them that he nor
any other good citizen has any objec-
ton to their club rooms being used
for social purposes. but respectfully
ask them for the good name of our
city and for the future usefulness and
happiness of the young men who may
join these clubs to forbid any liquor
OF any kind being kept or drunk on
these premises. The men of standing
In these clubs owe 1t to themselves to
purge them of this stencil that is GO
Ing all over the State and county
when the name of club Is mentioned.
How does 1t work? Mr.. A and Mr.. b
have their liquor taken up to the club
rooms In the skyscraper which 1 am
informed has been already done. Is
1t for their personal use? See how
1t works. Mr.. A opens his locker,
takes out his bottle and glass, pours
out his liquor and with q smile on the
other members Of the club, drinks it
down. They all look at him and say
We'll that fellow Is a hog. to drink
his liquor and offer none to his fell
low members" Does this ever hap
pen? No. 1t don't. One OF the great
| est faults with drinking men Is that
they want and will do all they can to
get everybody else to drink. One of
the greatest evils when the bar rooms
were voted out was the habit OF
leading young men to drink by treat
ing each other. am sure from many
signs l see that the people of this
| county are in no mood to be trified
with. That they are not going to
stand by and see men who can't ever
go to q club without having q Jug
| OF liquor tied to their coat tails, and
use It's contents to lead their boys
astray under the pretense of a social
club. when IL reliable reports are true
II Is simply bar room up stairs and
hidden from the public eye. Let the
clubs open their doors and show to
the people of Sumter county that 1t
Is a safe place for the young man Alb
saiom and not a place to lead him
to ruin. To my mind 1t Is a sorry
sight to see men OF standing going
into club room in the broad day
light when the women and children
are on streets, banks and stores all
open. II" sign of robbers or anything
to make afraid and yet they must
take out their key and going in lock
the door behind them, and whv :
let them answer.
In conclusion / tell Mayor Jen-
! nings IL after using soft words, he
fails to rid our city Of this stencil
and wants men to back him to any
extent. all he has to do Is to say
so. Make his call and will guar
antee the men are ready to answer
ID. James Winn.