The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-09-17
STATEWIDE PROHIBITION.
News and Courier, 18th.


News and Courier, 18th.
In the election yesterday the pro-
hibitionists had everything their own
way, as indeed has been the case
from the first. No broad effort was
made to defeat prohibition at any
time, either in the legislature last
winter or in the campaign which pre-
ceded the balloting yesterday. Prac-
tically all of the activity has been on
the part of those who were bent upon
putting stop to the sale OF liquor
legally anywhere in South Carolina,
and they were more active than ever
before, maintaining a very business
like organization, importing speakers
from other states. professional cam
paigners. and having the support of
practically every newspaper in the
upper half OF the state and many In
other parts-something which has
never been the case before.
1t has been fairly won victory
and the achievement is creditable to
the good political sense which the
prohibitionists displayed as well as
to their industry and zeal for their
cause. What they have accomplish
ed is all the more notable in view of
the fact that in the campaign last
summer some of the strongest pro-
hibitionists among the candidates for
governor expressly declared that they
did not regard liquor as an issue.
suggesting that they did not expect
that it would be an issue during the
next two years from that time.
Opinions will probably differ as to
just what may be the explanation Of
the rapidity with which the move
ment gained headway and the
sweepingness with which it spread.
1t was for one thing, or so it seems
to us. a legitimate aftermath of the
political experiences of the preceding
four years the natural swing Of the
pendulum. The reflex influences Of
the war in Europe. with the great
temperance examples which it has
afforded. no doubt had much to do
with it.
campaign which yne prohibition
leaders began last fall, and which
they have conducted with much
ability to it's successful conclusion
n;I Ia,
however, by the fact that those who
lacked sympathy with their views
had nothing to offer in place Of pro-
hibition except the county dispen-
saries. The vote yesterday IS even
more a condemnation of the dispen-
sary than an. appreciation of state
wide prohibition, or at any rate quite
as MUCH so. Even counties which
had accepted it, and where it was
producing a handsome revenue. have
cast majority in favor of wipine
| out the system, root and branch. Ir
a few months the offspring of the
Great Moral Institution will have
gone the way of the old state dispen
sary. the operation of which produc
ed stencil in South Carolina, which
has not yet ceased to give offence.
The vote cast yesterday is light a:
| compared with the vote cast in tn,
democratic primary. perhaps les:
| than half; but it is especially signif
! cant. that since the state was deter
mined to make the experiment il
favor of which its citizens yesterda,
@ave their verdict, all parts of tn,
| state were agreed in the matter A.
| this article is written il cannot b,
stated positively that every county
| except Charleston has voted for pro
hibition, but it looks as if that i!
what has happened. Certainly no
| more than one or two others, if any
rave given a majority against prohi
bition; and the Importance of this
as we have just suggested, is not tc
| be belittled. We hope that il will be
pondered especially by the people OF
this ,ity CharleStonianS do not want