The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-10-13
Bob White And The Referendum.

Dear EdltOr:-lt is my purpose to
write several articles giving my views
on matters of interest, which l will be
glad for you to give space in your paper
My first article Is:
PROHIBITION.
At the last session OF the legislature
referendum act was passed, giving
the people of the state the right to vote
on the whiskey question, as to the man
ufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors
(prohi oitionj for or against.
That same legislative body also
passed an act putting this state under
the operation of the National Web Act,
which governs the shipment of whiskey
into dry territory, and incorporated in
it the right 10 order one gallon of
whiskey each month. This act then
at stated date governed the counties
which had previously voted out the
dispensaries under the local option law
and will govern all the dispensary
counties after December 1st.
The question submitted to the peo.
pie on Septem Der 18th. then was not
truly question OF prohibition, but a
question of voting out the dispensarieS
in the counties which refused 10 vote
them out under the local option law
and put the whole state under the gal
lon-a-moath government.
Now when the voters OF this state
declared for prohibition did they not
Go so only under the provision that
they would still order gallon month?
This referendum was not we'll under
stood. Some thought that to vote the
prohibition ticket meant, to knock out
the gallon month, ''prohibition'' and
they called it voting dry. Yes some
OF the best educated people wore
badges on which was printed, Vote
Dry" Well then did those who voted
for the gallon-a-month (Which under
existing conditions is the out come of
the prohibition vote) understand what
their vote meant? And that they
would not have voted the prohibition
ticket unless they were TO have the
right to order the gallon-a month? Or
did they vote the prohibition ticket
not for the gallon-a-moath consioera-
ton. but because IL was the nearest
thing they could get toward ''dry.n
Now here is the question. If the
people of the state want all whiskey
kept out of the state then it is the
simple duty OF the legislature at the
coming session TO knock out the gallon.
a-month, thereby giving the people
what they have said they wanted.
Are not the Legislators representatives
of the people?
Well then, if the people have said
they wanted the gallon-a-month knock
ed out, the legislators are TO knock 1t
out, but if the people meant TO show
by their vote that they wanted the
gallon-a- month, what Can the lesls!a.
tors do but see to it that the gallon-a
month is not knocked out Where are
we at? What was the purpose OF the
referendum? Was it TO secure the
wishIof the people on the whiskey
question, giving them the opportunity
TO say by their ballot what they wanted
And was it not proclaimed that the
referendum was wanted in an oil year
so that II would not get mixed up IN
politics? Now, following this idea out
fully would we not say that The wish OF
the people has been obtained and that
without political influence Or intention,
and the legislature at its next session
will carry out the wish Of the people
as it appears and we will have prohi-
bition pure and simple. But if the
referendum was gotten up just for
political purposes it very naturally
would be the intention of the promo
ters 10 confuse the issue so that the
people might not vote intelligeptly, for
if il was plainly shown that the people
of the state wanted the whiskey cut
out completely the legislature would
be bound to carry out their wishes. II
there is confusion 10 the outcome Of
the election and the legislature does
rot BY It's acts at the neXts session
satisfy the people, then next summer
won't the promoters appeal 10 the
preachers and other influential people
to support il the primary Il prohibition
ticket 10 the eNteu5 OF advising the peo
pie 10 vote only fOr those who say they
are for prohibition and vii! vote for
none but prohibitlonlsts.
What does prohibition mean:
SOme years back it meant Stale dis
penSary.
Du il mean 4 gallOn-a-month on
September lIth, 1915?
viii it mean political horse next
summer un which to ride into office:
Very resp't,
BOB WHITE.
: ApY woman with sufficient inte!ll-
gence 20 thread anG run sewing