The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-09-03
AS TO PROHIBITION.

! that the sentiment against the use OF
strong drink is growing very rapidly
all over the country and the cause OF
real temperance is growing and that
the passage of a Statewide prohibition
law will not help that sentiment to
grow. On the contrary, We believe
that the passage of such law will
retard for the time the spread of this
sentiment against the use of strong
drink. We may be mistaken.
So far as Newberry county is con-
cerned, we have prohibition now just
as we will have it if there should be
a Statewide law on the subject. We
believe also that the State is going to
vote for Statewide prohibition by a
large majority, but that does not
change our opinion on the subject.
Personally we are opposed to prohi-
bition on principle-that the principle
is wrong-and at the same time We
are just as strongly in favor of tenn
perance as any Of the intemperate pro-
hibitionists. We believe there are too
many laws now making an effort to
regulate personal conduct by statu-
tory enactment. The tendency is too
much toward government control of
everything to agree with our old
fashioned ideas of the province of gov
ernment. We are not going to try to
stem the tide, but we will try to drift
along with it. At the same time it
does not in the least prevent us from
expressing our opinion
| We are to certain extent our broth
er's keeper. But the good old doctrine
laid down by one of the sacred writer's
was that if eating meat make my
brother offend l will eat no meat
while the world stands, but there was
no government enactment or statutory
law 10 that effect. Our forbears came
to this country and fought for freedom
and liberty. Now the tendency is to
take away from the individual all of
his personal rights and liberty. To
have the government regulate every
thing. The whole tendency is to go
into the details of your private bust
ness and report to the government
everything regarding your private af-
fairs. And who is the government
b2t the people.
Our idea of democracy and a govern
ment like ours is that so long as do
net interfere with the happiness or the
property or the rights of my neighbor
the government has no business trying
10 regulate my conduct by legislation.
We recognize that that is not the mod
ern idea and that to hold such views
you are considered out of date with
the present day modern ideas. Be that
as it may. These intemperate prohi-
oitionists have no patience with ~one
who holds such views, we know, but
We can't help that. We do not question
! their sincerity and they have, no right
to question ours.
We believe that NewberW county is
going to vote prohibition by a large
majority and, as we have said, that it
will carry in the State, We have been
in the minority before. We will sub
nit gracefully and hope that it will
help the cause of real temperance. But
you can't make saints by undertaking
to remove all evil and all temptation
from the world by statutory enactment.
If you could we would favor the pas
sage of law that would prevent all
men (and women, too,) from speaking
evil of their neighbors, and requiring
all men (and women, too,) to treat
others as they would that others should
treat them No, you can't remove evil
from the world by statutory enactment.
Nor can you remove temptation. The