Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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» c' t •* '). WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1915. THE PRESS AND STAND ART. PAGE THREI j: T PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON IN FAVOR OF LOCAL OPTION < « r. “I am in favor of local option. I am a tho rough believer in local self-government, and be lieve that every self-governing community vvhich constitutes a social unit should have the right to control the matter of the regulation or of the withholding of licenses.”—May 1, 1911, Wood- row Wilson, then Governor of New Jersey, in a signed statement to the Rev. Thomas Shannon, Secretary of the Anti-Saloon League of New Jer sey. “My so-called ‘Shannon letter’ precisely de fines my position with regard to the liquor issue, not only as it was when I wrote the letter, and the letter to Mr. Grogan is, or was, at any rate, intend*- ed to be entirely consistent with it.”—May 14rl915 Written from the White House at Washington by Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States, in defining his unalterable conviction and unchanged position regarding his absolute belief in the democratic principles of self-government. : 1 - / f X President Hfilson’s “Shannon” Utter * w. , • o , ’ ' • ■ • May 1, toil. President Wilson, the Governor of New Jersey, wrote, the following * • / * % ** letter to the Rev.vThomas Shannon, Secretary of the Anti-Saloon League o# New * ... . ' ' ■ Jersey: / ' • •* ' “1 am in favor of local option. I am a thorough believer in local self-government, and believe that every self-governing community which constitutes a social unit should . have the right to control the matter of the regulation or of the withholding of.licenses. , ‘‘But the questions involved are social and moral, and are not susceptible to being made parts of a party programme. Whenever they have been made the subject matter * of party contests they have cut the lines of party organization and party action ath- wart, to the utter confusion of political action in every other field. General Haldeman’s Utter to Presideiit •/ Wilson -/ “The Louisville Times, W. R. Haldemart, Editor, Louisville, Ky., May 5, 1915. My ► Dear Mr. President: Statewide prohibition has been made an issue by two of the can didates for the Democrat^ gubernatorial nomination in Kentucky, and in that connec- lion the so-called Grogan letter is being used to imply that you approve of this principle in certain circumstances which are declared to fit the present Kentucky political situ- 'V * , ation. On the ot'her hand, the so-called Shannon letter is being used in an attempt to prove that you stand for loi**d self-government as a principle for Democrats to observe. ‘‘They have, thrown every other question, however important, into the background * "a • and have made conservative party action impossible for long years together. So far ^ as I am concerned, therefore, I never can consent to have the question of local option ^ , • . * ^ made an issue between political parties in this State. ‘ ~ ■■, v , *• „ . . ^ V D “My judgment is clear in this matter. I do not believe that party programmes of the highest consetiuence to the political life of the State and of the nation ought to be thrust to one side and hoplessly embarrassed for long periods by making a political issue of a great qeustion which -is essentiaiy non-political, non-partisan, moral and so cial in its nature.” “If you feel that the situation warrants, I should be pleased to have a statement of present date from you as to your general attitude toward the questions presented by _ AJ theseTetters. Such a statement would do much to clarify our local ^situation and do much to emphasize what you obviously intended by the Shannon letter. 4 “Your obedient servant, , "W. B. IIALDEMAN * * “The President, “The White House. Washington.” 4 • v Sr '' I M This is President Wilsons Firm and Unalterable Opinion Which He Has — Held For Years. What Do You Think! -X Is not Statewide prohibition unalterably op posed to every principle of democracy and good government? Does prohibition really prohibit? Does it not mean sacrificing large revenues for dispensary counties preferring this method, to gether with strict regulation and proper control? -\ Dispensaries pay hundreds of thousands of .. , S • / ' '' dollars toward the reduction of taxes, the school •. .. . ... / x ' p» fund, good roads and general improvements. What does prohibition pay? t.-? E. j. BRENNEN, Secretary The LOCAL OPTION LEAGUE of SOUTH CAROLINA —, * O *4- ♦ ' \ ■ . ' * p § “To the American soldiers who, on the field of Cowpens, January 17th, 1781, FOUGHT VICTO RIOUSLY FOR THE RIGHTS OF SELF-GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL LIBERTY. We enjoy the result of their toil and sacrifice. Let us emulate their fortitude apd virtue.”--Inscription on the monument at Spartan burg to Morgan and the manySouth Carolina patriot; made their epoch-marking sacrifices more than a hundreds years ago. Times have changed since then. Have principles? ■ ■ / r _ V. X L/ C (f, -» t\ 8 ■f« • <• x . j< 3