The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1914-07-07

1t would appear thai the Baptist
Courier has come out for Chas. A.
Smith for governor. The following
editorial appeared this week:
The Baptist Courier has no candi-
date for governor and takes no part
In the party. personal or factional pol
itics Of tho state. Ours is another
task. But we have q very profound
concern for one of the issues in the
present campaign in which the moral
welfare Of the state is involved and
/ which Is in danger of being ,quitciy
s:tde-tIacked. We refer to statewide
prohibition.
| The effort just now is to put CON-
pulsory education In the cente of the
ttagc and relcgatc poh!bition to side
room, behind the curtain. That which
makes the situation the more alarm
ing is the seeming acquiescence in
this arrangement on the part OF the
temperance forces.
| The Anti-Saloon League. the official
guardian Of the prohibition interests
of the state, has not spoken and SO far
as we know. Ia taking not part in this
campaign. 1t would. we know, be
improper and unwise for this organi-
cation to give its influence TO any one
candidate. But we believe that 1t is
not only proper and wise, but the
bounden duty Of the Anti-Saloon
League to bring the issue of state
least to see to 1t that it is not ignored.
What we are saying may not be need
| ed by this organization. Let this be
known we are not criticising the An
ti-SaiDon ..easl, ,ts course Of e.
lence at this time is perhaps the
| course 1t ,eeIas tn Ee the wisest Tor
prohibition. Or. perhaps 1t sees no
danger in the present situation to the
cauce 1t represents. We certainly
have the highest regard for the men
who guide the Iengue in this ctate.
But VIC believe that they and all
temperance workers need to be arous-
ed. Statewide prohibition is at
crisis. II Its friends do not crowd
1t to the front no one else will render
this service. II It is to reach it's
destination in South Carolina 1t will
not do 30 sitting on 'side.track. We
feel that we must speak.
There are three main issues before
tho people In this campaign, law en-
forcement, compulsory education and
statewide prohibition.
There is no possible antagonism
between law enforcement and state
wide prohibition. We feel that II
can be demonstrated that thosa who
want the one cannot afford to be
against the c,ter.
1t might also be thought that COM
pulcory education and statewide pro-
hibitiDn are reforms that can go to-
gether, and that there can be no am
tagonicm between them. We suppose
fhQf ~ fo trtf fhnf fdotn
who favor compulsory education
would not oppose statewide proh.bi-
ton. We do not question their mo-
tives. But what we do affirm Is
that theco two reforms cannot come
together In South Carolina unless
statewide prohibition Isl placed first
land settled fret. II the present et-
fort to force compulsory education
to the front succeeds It will postpone
Etatc-wide prohibition for years to
come and will certainly tend to In
crease our wet territory. !
Our. reason for saying this sjs not
/ because there Is any essential antag-
onism between compulsory education
and statewide prohibition. On the
contrary whatever helps. our educa-
tive work WILL ultimately redown to
the lfurtherance OF temperance. The
trouble is to be found in the fact that
! our present diEpcnsary laws turn the
profits of whiskey selling In South
Carolina rery largely to the swelling
Of the school fund. -
Compulsory education. wiintvoF else
It may or may not do, will certainly
do these two thinge,4s (1) 1t will in
crease our present school tax and (2)
e will enlarge 1 the burden :ur the
| white man is now bearing for the
education of the children OF negroes.
We are not saying thatseither or both
/ OF these things ought not to be done.
This paper does not fight negro edu-
cation. But we ask that these facts
be- dulty considered in their relation
| to statewide prohibition.
Almost every, county In South Car
oiina where she: dispensary s exists
went wet by the use OF two sarEu-
mente, which were, (1y i"We NEED the
school money which tina rdisponkaries
fnrlich, and, t2). ,::.Pr4ctically the
only way we can get any money from
the negroes for public purposes is
through the dIspensaries: they pat
fonize them and the profits 60 to pay
ing for their schools. p sE.S
II We have no sympathy witt these
arguments. Eut every temperance
worker In the state knows what tre-
3mendous s use waa made OF them.
|, Now. what we ask prohibit itionists to
do Is to conside what the effect will
be IL the school tax iss greatly I'm
creased and th4 burden tor negro edu.
/ cation is senlar In her words
we ask what VIII bb the effect tof com-
lpH1sory education, which Z wiIlrs cere
3taiply do theee TWO things on state