Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-07-01
AE1ER The MooNsHINERs.

The president or the AS6OClatlOn
having been suddenly called away by
an unforeseen business engagement,
has asked me to act in his place this
afternoon and the meeting will please
come to order"
This was the explanation with which
Mr.. w. T. Slaughter opened the adver-
tised meeting of tile Broad River
Township Community Improvement
association in the school house at
Hickory Grov, last Friday afternoon.
In the call for the meeting, Magistrate
r. L. A, Smith, the president had des-
ignated his Office as the place Of gath
erirg, provided the attendance could
be accommodated there, and other
wise the people were requested to go
to the school house, located nearly a
quarter Of mile out.
Up to within few minutes of the
Appointed hour, it looked that the
magistrates Office with a seating ca
pacity Of fifteen or twenty would be
ample, but seemingly all at once the
crowd began to swell to larger propor-
tions and Notwithstanding threatening
drops Of rain from the black clouds
overhead, the people on the initiative
Of two or three leaders began moving
toward the school house, some in we'll
filled automobiles and others coming
along on foot,
There were about forty men In the
building when Mr.. Slaughter called
the meeting to order and this number
was subsequently increased to about
sixty. They included citizens Of Hick-
ory Grove and the country immediate
ly surrounding and about half a dozen
leading citizens of the sister town Of
Sharon In the south eastern corner Of
the township about five miles away.
II can tell you something now that
l did not deem 1t wise to say anything
about before" Mr.. Slaughter went on
after Rev. E. B. Hunter Of Sharon, had
by request, opened the meeting with
prayer. "Mr. Smith was at his office
up to a few minutes before the time
for opening the meeting and he was
fully expecting to preside as usual;
but word came Of distillery in oper-
alton at place few miles away and
he and Secretary Wilkerson and two
or three others have gone out to see
what could be DONE"
Although stated in a matter Of fact
way without any suggestion Of the
dramatic, the effect Of Mr.. SlaughteTs
simple announcement was electrical.
There was @ spontaneous outburst Of
applause that lasted for good part
Of minute and which seemed to be
charged with appreciative admiration
Of Magistrate Smith. The pattering Of
tho rain on the roof with its usual ac-
compartment Of flashes Of lightning
and crashes Of thunder, though entire
ly separate from the proceedings
seemed to add solemn emphasis to
the occasion.
THE old man is not going to be able
to get anywhere in storm like this"
remarked little boy who was sitting
near the representative Of The En-
quirer and several older men who
heard the remark seemed equally con-
cerned for the comfort and success OF
the magistrate and his party.
The noise Of the storm outside sub
siding somewhat, Mr.. Slaughter intro
duced as the first speaker Hon. ]. 5.
Brice, who made a plain practical talk
on the seriousness Of the situation and
how to deal with it. Mr.. Brice recalled
how in his last political speech In
Hickory Grove while candidate Tor
the senate without opposition he had
spoken favorably Of the state dispen-
sary system and how Mr.. w. 5. Wh-
kerson end the Methodist minister at
with him. Long before he retired from
the senate he realized that he was
wrong about the dispensary and did
what he could to make amends. He
commended unqualifiedly tho stand
the good people Of Hickory Grove are
now taking on the liquor question and
said that it was the only thing to be
done under the circumstances to pro-
tect the peace, property and Weii De
ing of the community for while liquor
drinking is not the source Of all crime,
it is the source Of so much or II tnat
with liquor drinking eliminated there
Is but little crime left. AS to how sue
cessful the people would be IN thelr
efforts depends upon public sentiment.
The people must refrain from liquor
drinking themselves ana they must
oppose liquor doubly because OF the
harm II does. They must not be inf1u-
enced by spite or malice and they must
be absolutely impartial in prosecutions
regardless Of who may be the ofrend-
ers. The failure of prosecution, Mr..
Brice said is attributable to the fact
that there are too many liquor drink
ers on the juries. Where the jurors
are friendly to liquor they will not
convict. He advised that under any
and all circumstances the law must be
upheld and prosecutions conolcteo
purely by orderly processes. Mr Brlce
was heard with close attention and
unqualified approval. -,
Before I say anything further,
commenced Mr.. John R. Hart, II want
to remark the striking circumstance
that was presented to us all at the
opening of this meeting in connection
with the absence of your worthy pres
ident, Magistrate R. L. A. Smith. Mr..
Smith as we see here is not the man
to say to you "go and get 1t boys"
but he leaves some one else to tell us
he's gone after it. That is what l call
the right spirit-the spirit that wins.
That is the kind Of man to follow.
And let me say right here that so far
as my knowledge goes and l have rea-
son to be pretty well informed on the
subject. Mr. Smith is the best and
most efficient magistrate in the whole
state of South Carolina cloud az
plause.) Mr.. Hart agreed with N
Brice in commencing the people u
Hickory Grove and community IN the
stand they are taking as to enforce