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


ion of the Constitution is manda'
tory upon Congress.
This over-representation which
the South has held for more than
generation it owes to the North
ern Democrats who have protected
the Southern States from a punish
ment which Democrats in general
have deemed gross infringement
upon the sovereign right of every
State to regulate it's own life and
it's own affairs. But the Southern
States are now preparing to acqui-
esce in such infringement and to
nullify the principle of local self
government to which the Democra-
tic party has tenaciously adhered
since the time of jefferson. Their
Senators and Representatives in
Congress have already. voted, for
such notification in the resolution
submitting to the Legislatures of
the several States the prohibition
amendments to the Constitution of
the United States, and practically
all of the Southern Legislatures are
expected to ratify it.
Without the votes of the Southern
Senators and Representatives this
resolution could not have been, sub
mitted without the voters of the
Southern Legislatures the amend
ment cannot be adopted. Nation
wide prohibition, if it comes, will be
imposed by States which have turn
ed their backs as squarely upon
their ancient principles of govern
ment as the Russian Bolsheviki have
turned their backs upon the obliga-
tions of democracy.
When that day arrives the South
can expect no more help from
Northern Democrats in resisting the
enforcement of the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendments. The cry,
"No Force Bill! No Negro Domino
tionp will fall upon deaf ears. If
the South is determined to have a
centralized Government that regu-
lates the personal habits of the Am
erican people, it must accept a GEN.
tralized Government that regulates
negro franchise and all that per-
tains thereto.
Before many years have passed
the inevitable swing Of the political
pendulum will bring about Repub-
lican Congress- Congress that is
Republican both in the House and
the Senate. When that Congress
convenes it is certain that another
attempt will be made to reduce the
representation in the South. South
ern domination of the present Con-
gress has not been agreeable to
anybody in the North, Democrat or
Republican. Men like Claude Kit
chin have been treating the rest of
the country like conquered prov
ince, imposing outrageous burdens
of taxation and giving as little as
possible in return. The price Of
wheat for the Northern farmer is
fixed by due process of law, but the
Southern farmer is allowed to
charge for his cotton all that the
traffic will bear and is demanding
more. AL Those chickens will come
home to roost some day.
Nobody can object to the South
ern States imposing the most dras-
tic prohibitory laws upon themsel-
yes, but when they undertake to
rule New York and Pennsylvania
and Massachusetts, and say what the
people of those States may eat and
drink, then the Southern Democrats
have again cut themselves off from
the body of Northern Democrats as
effectually as they did in 1850 when
they demanded that the Northern
Democracy must abjectly surrender
to their views of the institution of
human slavery. Northern Demo-
Gratis will no sooner think of sur
rendering on the issue of personal
liberty than on the issue of slavery.
If the South is determined to 60
ahead with this insensate policy
if this new sectionalism of prohibi-
ton is to be imposed upon Northern