The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-01-04
DEMOCRACY BETRAYED(?)

+. In its issue of December 23rd
published elsewhere, The New York
. World wakes wroth against the
South. Calling attention to the pro-
visions of Section 2, Article XIV of
the Constitution of the United
States, providing that when the
right to vote is denied to any of the
male. inhabitants of any state, or
when the right is in anyway aorldg-
/, ed, except for participation IN
rebellion or other crime, the basis
of representation shall be reduced
in the proportion which the number
Of such male citizens bear to the
whole number of male citizens IN
such state of voting age, the World
threatens us with reduction IN the
number of the members of Cong
ress now allotted to US and with
other dire consequences. Charging
that the South has betrayed the de-
mocratic party and that the North
aern democrats have protected the
4 Southern states in violating the pro-
|visions of the section of the Con-
4 3stitution above referred to- we are
varned that the Northern demo-
lerats will no longer assist the South
dm violating the law; that the polit-
afcaI pendulum is about to swing to
athe republican party and that the
aNorthern democracy will sit quietly
i by, and acquiesce in the enactment
A Of a "Force Bill" and of negro
! domination of the South.
y And all of this is because South
4 ern members of Congress have Vot-
II ed to submit to the Legislatures OF
j the several states, the question OF
4 adopting an amendment to the Con
] stitution giving US national proh'-
bition.
Can it be that the democrats IN
4 the North, have all of these years.
nrevented an enactment Of the
i "Force Bill" and a return to negro
domination of the Southern coun-
try. and have winked at the viola
tion of the Constitution of the Unit
4 ed States for the sole purpose OF
] protecting the liquor traffic OF the
Northern states?
Is the liquor business of the
North of such magnitude and OF
such Importance that the Northern
democrats are willing to split with
the Southern democrats and to turn
them over to their ancient enemies,
the Republican Party, and to ac'
ou;escc in the enactment Of humiil-
ating laws for the South, simply be,
cause the South elects to vote its
own conscience on the liquor ques-
ton?
The assertion of the World that
the South is undertaking to regu,
late the domestic affairs of the
North in advocating nationwide
p, prohibition is so absurd that no
person of any degree of intelligence
will entertain the proposition for
a moment. Before the enactment
of the law restricting the transpor,
tation of intoxicating liquors in in
,- terstate commerce, nobody knows
better than the editor of the World
that the domestic affairs of South
Carolina were not dominated by the
people of South Carolina, but by
the liquor manufacturers, and Ii
ouor houses of Jacksonville, Chat
tanooga, Richmond, Baltimore, and
perhaps New York. Just as those
counties which voted out the dis
pensaries in dispensary days in
South Carolina were flooded with
liquor from adjoining counties hav.
ing dispensaries, so those states
which voted prohibition were del
uged with liquor, from other states
recognizing the liquor traffic be,
fore the enactment of the laws re.
ferred to. And it Is easy to repeal
the laws in regard to the transpor.
tation of liquors in interstate COM
Inerce, bringing back the old con-
ditions. Indeed, as we read in the
newspapers every day : liquors are
being transported into this state
from Florida and other points upon
every train in suit cases, trunks