The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-01-09

the writer tnat they did not propose
to pay any attention to 1t, that they
expect to plant all the cotton that they
feel like planting, as they had been
told by lawyers that they could do so
with impunity-that the law was
worthless and unenforcible. This may
be true. but the cOnstitutionality of
the law should FIRST be determined In
the regular manner. before the peo-
pie are advised TO disregard 1t by
wholesale. The same sort of advice
in respect to the State dispensary law.
when 1t was first enacted. resulted in
a wave Of lawlessness that engulfed
the State and led to murder, riot anu
almost a civil war. The only safe way
is to obey the law at all times and
those who advise to the contrary are
no friends to the people.
German sympathizers are making
much OF recent reports by newspaper
correspondents that some of the Ger
man soldiers stationed in Belgium are
dividing their rations with the starving
Belgian women and children. The
German soldiers are not responsible
for conditions in Belgium and the
fact that some Of them are sufficiently
humane to divide their food with
starving children shows that they are
better than their rulers who do moth.
ing to succor the people whose all
they have destroyed. Men who could
see starving children all around them
and not give them mouthful out of
their abundant rations would be fiends.
not human beings.
There will be a fine, large crop of
candidates for all the Of
fices In sight in 1916. If the Statewide
terminates successfully.
Watch the boys who are now getting
In line to claim rewards for valiant
Instead Of petitioning the legisla-
ture to order an election on the Ques-
tion Of Statewide prohibition why
not make the issue now and be done
with It. Let the advocates Of State
wide proAihltlon make a thorough
canvass Of the qualified electors of
the entire State. securing signatures
to petition asking the legislature to
enact Statewide prohibition law at
the approaching session. Those who
favor prohibition will sign the petition
as readily now as they will vote for
In q special election held
next summer. It Is feasible to ascer-
tain the sentiment Of a majority of
the qualified electors by means Of q
petition. and II majority demand the
enactment Of q Statewide law the
legislature Is not likely to ignore the
demand. II this Is done We shall es-
cape the expense and harrassment Of
campaign and an election In an off
year. We believe prohibition will win
II submitted to people either by Pc
tition or by an election and we see no
use of going to the trouble Of a spe-
cial election when the issue can be
decided In q quicker and easier way.
Put the issue squarely up to the leg
islature and let's have done with the
liquor question for a time at least.
The local option method Of dealing
with the liquor question. although the
most democratic. and. apparently the
most reasonable and satisfactory, has
proven to be a failure. insofar as Civ
ing US a rest from the interminable
strife over liquor. for the reason that
the prohibitionists-political and
professional prohibitionists principal
to abide by the local op-
ton decision In favor Of the legaliz-
ed sale Of liquor of certain counties.
We would much prefer Statewide
prohinition In name to the continual
turmoil and strife over the liquor
question from which there is no hope
OF relief until the prohibitionists have
had the opportunity to make the
State sober by act OF the legislature.
The communities that want liquor ,"ill
continue to have it as they do now
under the dispensary law and by
means Of social clubs. and conditions
cannot be worse than at present. 1t
is within the realms Of possibility for
Statewide prohibition to be followed
by an improvement in conditions In
some communities. and on that chance
and In the hope of obtaining a rest
from the liquor agitation we are pre-
m m rnh tn ot