The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-09-15
ANSWERING MIR. BRENNAN.
PrOhibitiOnist Replies to Questions of
Local Option Leagues Mouthpicce.
Editor The Daily Item:

With your kind permission, | will
reply through your columns to GER
tain advertisements and hand-bills is
sued by Mr.. E. j. Bremen, secretary
of that mysterious organization. The
Local Option League of South Caro-
lima" Let us consider Mr.. Brennen's
questions:
l.. why is the Flying Squadron in
South Carolina" The Flying Squad
ron is national organization, whose
members are not afraid to be known,
and who are fighting fearlessly for
prohibition wherever their services
are needed in the United States. 1t
is an honor to any State to welcome
such men and women as these.
| 2. why are paid speakers of the
| Anti-Saloon League from Indiana and
Ohio imported into this State for the
| purpose of trying to dictate their
ideas of the best form of government
| for South Carolina and South Caro-
! linians?' Simply to arouse our peu
pie in this great fight against liquor.
They are not trying to dictate their
ideas to anyone. That is unnecessary,
! as anyone of average intelligence can
appreciate the truth of their argu-
ments. May 1 ask how Mr.. Bremen
can consistently object to expressions
ifrom outsiders, especially Ohioans,
while large portion of his articles
the booklet entitled 1.-The Anti-Pro-
hibition Manual" which is issued
from Cincinnati, Ohio, by the Nation
{al Wholesale Liquor Dealers Associa-
ton? Recently, during the fight
lagainst prohibition in one of the
western States, there was formed a
tso-called league, or association, whose
tactics were the same as those Of THE
Local Option League of South Caro-
ilina." On investigation this organiza-
ton was found to consist of about two
members, one of whom, the secretary,
received his ammunition, and also his
salary, from this same Wholesale
Dealers Association. You, Mr.. Bren-
men, are using this same ammunition,
and we are left to guess where your
salary comes from.
8. why are ex-governors and re-
puted leaders of Indiana and Ohio
attempting to thrust upon our State a
1system of government which they have
never been able to pass in their own
commonwealths? ?" AS your fourth
fifth. and sixth questions are practi-
cally repetitions of number three, one
janswer will serve for them all. These
"eX-governors and reputed leaders
have spent long years fighting for pro-
hibition in their own States, and indi-
cations are that their dreams will
Isoon be realized. One of these States
is to hold an election on prohibition
in November. These speakers have
preached, and will continue to preach,
in their own States the same doctrine
that they preach in South Carolina.
7. Did Indiana or Ohio speakers
ever come to our assistance during
the dark days of 1868, or were we
left during that most critical period
to work out our own salvation ?" Now,
where on earth is the connection be-
tween the conditions in our State dur
ing that period and the present agita-
tiOn for prohibition? Yes, you GER
tainly ought to severely criticise these
very same speakers for not rushing to
Jour rescue during those strenuous
days, especially when we consider the
fact that they had at that time reach
ed the mature age of perhaps or 10
Years!
] Another Of your articles is headed,
I"President Wilson Unequivocally In
Favor of Local OPTION" and to prove
this you use only part Of the presi-
ldents letter to Mr.. V. B. Haldeman.
Now, Mr.. Bremen, why did you leave
Iout the most important part Of this
letter? l shall quote it here and leave
the reader to decide why you omit
ted this part of the communications:
What intended to say to Mr.. Grogan
and think that l said with sufficient
Iclearness was that while the position
had taken in the Shannon letter ex-
pressed my fixed conviction in the mat
ter, / was not self-cOnfident and self
opinionated enough to say what the
IprOper course Of action was either in
Texas, or in any other State where |
was not personally in touch with the
conditions obtaining | felt that ii
would be arrogant on my part to state
that there were in my opinion no cir