Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Subscription Price is $1.00 per Year Payable in Advance. S. IJ?NKY, Editor. PUBLISHED BY ADVEUTISKH PIUXTlNti COMPANY LAUHKN8, S.C. Hat Ks ion advertising, ? Ordinary advertisements, per square, one inser tion, $1.00; each subsequent insertion, BO cents, Liberal reduction made for largo udvortisetnonts. Obituaries: All over GO words, ono cont a word. Notes of thanks: Five cents the line. Entcrod at the postoilico at Laurcns, S. C. as second class mail mat .er. LAURENS, s. C, april ii. 1909. i' v^ Til KM, or < 01 hsi:. In last Friday's Issue of The News ami Courier appears an article un der tho bend "The Morality of Liquor Hi res." which to our mind is the most remarkable in its tone of any utter ances by that usually fair ami just newspaper. Remarkable we say. in that it Is apparently without funda tlon or reason, which most certainly does not characterize the policy of our staid contemporary. The article i> hero reproduced in full, that our read ers mtiy have a Complete basis for judgment at:! that we may not be accused of only partially qm ting. It is as follows: "!f alcoholic beverie.ti s are a nui sance, if their sab* us well as consump tion is detrimental lb the Welfare of the State and against public policy tthUt is the claim sol ap by the Pro hibitionists,) plight a liebt Contracted in th" purchase of liquor bo colloct Iblo by lav., whether t ie purchaser be a State or a poi'sou? I i,tier the Coceht decision of the Culled states Supremo Court, lite dispensary com mission is the agent of the State of .South Carolina, ir is the State? and suits on liquor contracts cannot be maintained against it. "From our unregouerato point of view the contrails entered into by South Ca roll tui for the purchase of intoxicants, when thev bavo not been tainted with fraud, ought to h" carri ed out. bin we would like to hear Ktotno of our Prohibitionists discuss r!ie i roposilion. "A gambling dein cannot he collect tad by law because gambling is against "?public policy." Presuming that the State cannot bo compelled to pay its liquor debts, \*i!l the Prohibitionists allow them, or any part of them, without protest, to be paid by the 'winding-up" ('em miss ion "h seems thai from the Prohibi tionist point of view the enforcement ot liquor contracts would bo Immoral. Mo? would our astute prohibition leaders differentiate a liquor debt from ?i gambling debt? Would not repudi ation of obligations Incurred by the late Sthlo Dispensary he in their Opinion righteous, salutary and beno flclul to society ia general nnd would bbt the payment o' them bo vicious and Injurious lo tin- peace and happi ness of mankind.' "Tito publication of their views on this subject .vould bo interesting and Instruct Ivo." 'Im other words, The N'ows and Cou j'ier >uy>: no.w, white Wo believe those liquor debts should be paid. \. imag ine you prohibitionists are erratic imough to think they should not be; ,vv. impute such an attitude; now. we will catch you if we can, What can bo the motive behind such expres sions? The Advertiser, its a prohibition newspaper, speaks for Itself only, in answerim? tins question or challenge by The New.-, and Courier .regard lens of what attitude the other patters if like views may assume To our Avny of thinking, the question is not debatable; the-.' u no ground what ever on which may be based an ar gument that these liquor dobta should not be paid. The News and Courier s 'junregenornto point of view" is emi nently COrroi t - there is no other point ? :jf \*m? . bo far as wo are concerned. In It* attempt to bait e . the Char. 11 e?tOft pane: I |*los to draw an analogy between tfrosa debts an) debts con tracted ii gambling. There Is no .analogy, and wo ai'o surprised at the feeble attempt to mnk" one. The state of South Carolina made it law mi for the State to p in base ami gell liquor; the State of South Carolina made i: unlawful ??> gamble, Debts contracted by legalized agency, are legal; debts Incurred in an unlawful engagement, Buch rta gambling, are Illegal, and hence collection cannot bo enforced. Whether right or Wrong, the Stat t made it a law that the purchase of liquor was lawful, about which there !< no question, Wo t.fiH t< the attention of our contem porary an old adage which may help a little: "Oftfl Wrong dOOH not. justify another Now, the recen4 ruling of the Cnited rstates Supreme court, which no doubt suggested the utternm 08 undo:' dls cu6sloiii really has no bearing what* over on tho question as between the State and her creditors. Of course, according to 111? - decision, tho State cannot bo sued, but that is wholly Irrelevant i<> tie- subject of '*tho mor allty ot lb|uor dobts." .Moral obli gations are often in such form us to render suns for recovery Impossible, hut tluit does hoi affect the obligation Iron a moral standpoint. What If those whlski y hous< a cannot recovor 1? law suit, their claims? Does that affect the dobt? We tbbik not. With Tho News and Courier wo do pl?ro tho fact thai the State is thus humiliated in ihii! she la a common purchaser from the liquor dealers, v. spite of tin- fa< ' that tho highes? court of tin- laud nib s thai she cannot he sued. Further^ wo bell >ve that the .\cis which made liquor debts legal wer? wrong, both morally and con stitutionally. But i:t nowise does that affect the "morality" of the debts incurred under these Acts, llOWOVOr wrong. OT course, the liquor debts are moral (if not now legal) debts, and they should be paid; but we are still puzzled to know why The Xews and Courier thus challenges' the prohibi tionists with tho question. IHK COURT HOUSE SQUARE. Time and time again The Adver tiser has called attention to the fact that our court house Square i? a very lhat bond.- for " ? bridges destrc ? - . ? ? . .. tn deed we b- K : - . \ : 0V( ry cent i : .? - - this needed woik a ?. ? i; bo unwise to mak - .. outlay on the work of . - tying some particuiai sj * .. .. Idea is that the Clvh leug - the city, with a little assistance -.: : very effectively accomplish this task. We have suggested this on a number ot' occasion.-, b it h.r.tailed to hear any response, or to see any evidence of the Civic league's exist ence. The city of LaureilS paid just about $100.00 for the drawing of plans tot that square. The frame work for the carrying out of those plaits has already been done; the remainder is by no means an elephantine task, and its accomplishment will mean so much to the appearance of the square. Spring is here now?the time for planting. The improvement has been delayed a long time! why not do something now? DOMESTIC I Jl PR 0*1 KM EN VS. It i.^ iiot in fee provlnc ? ot" a news paper to invade the private hOttlCs of the city and Instruct ;.:?> management thereof, nor is it becoming in one to criticise the methods ot household ers. But through the channel of "ptiblic improvement.-;'" a newspaper may safely make suggestions that will result finally in "domestic Iruprovo inents." The forogolng explanation is to pave the way for a suggestion b.V Which tile city may be able to sell more of its electric power. As we understand the contract, 'he city has bought a certain amount ot power from the Reedy River Power Co.. which is there to dispose of. and must be paid for. Whether used or lot stand; further, that the city is not now selling quite all the power contracted for. Hence our sugges tion. Which is that a campaign be mode to install electric lights in every residence in the city; and not lights alone, but power to run sewing machines, fans, for smoothing irons and such like. The city has become an agent for electric power, and like all live, up.to-dare agents ought to get out and hustle. It Is didlcutt to sell a Commodity by waiting for the customers to come in ami buy; agents have to solicit business. This is a day of a Ivnnc >ment in all line.;; for civic improvement and the adoption of modern conveniences. Rlectrlclty is being utilized in almost every lino of labor, and is fust sup planting the oldor and more crude methods. It is needless for us to dWOll on the conveniences of Its use; everybody knows already. Why not Investigate the matter at once? Let the city solicit business: it will prove a source of revenue. * ? ? THE STATE ?ins As Indicated by the news article on the subject last week, the State of South Carolina has uoti a great vic tory In the legal fight for possession of the assets realized from the old State dispensary. The whiskey men .?lint the grafters carried the nght to the courl of ia.si resort, or rather, fore od the continuance of tho light tu that extreme, und the State Wins, There ure ninny stgnltlcaut facts growing out of the decision, . one- of which prove a source of pride t<> us ail. But. it. tin midst of our tri umph, tae fact that a sovei tlgn State must wage legal battle tor the poa session o!" profits made in the whiskey buslm is, ihust causo us no little ?..ham... And >*et, we ai'o gratified that justice has\prevailed, that State's rights have bee:: vindicated, that the up-hill light o;' Attorney-gen tral Lyon litis he< ii t rowned with success, and that the governor and legislature fortified themselves by wise t r i ju dicious proceedings despite op position of a persistent minority. Attorney-general Lyon s hands are now freed; the obstacles have neu ( removed. I* is up to him to make good by putting stripes er. the graft ers. Concerning the L'alted State's Su preme court's decision. The State has the following comment: "A great fact Is that. up to the very door.- of the world s greatest 11't? buna! of justice, the whiskey dealers who were fighting, not for property hut to smother ex;o>ure o:* their transaction.- with member.- of the corrupt dispensary rir.g in South Carolina, were victorious: but no** face final d'-i'-?:. A crest fact :> that the interference by .Juice Prttch ? F ! ? - I latUite. He ha- been criticised and ( - ? bands 1 <??: his friends were S tied. "There i- no p?rp?? ?. we are sure, to make hard terms tor any creditors a who have dealt fairly with the State, or who are not Involved In the scan- ( dal. Those that are .-o Involved may expect exposure. 'Bullying, coercion, threat.-,, and the machinery of law capable of man ipulation, have failed to secure immu nity for the grafters. Justice will now have an Inning.*' "THE BAHh COK-NEIL*1 Washington, D. c April 10.?-The second edition of Zacii McGhoo's nov el ??Tue Dnt'k ( .truer." Is announced by the publishers, the Grafton Press, New York, the iirst edition; by tho way. having been completely exhaus ted, The book Is somewhat larger, mere nearly the regular novel size,, with a better und more substantial binding, Tho author's name ap pears i:i gilt on the front covor, 10 gother with an attractive design in gilt, <>:i the wrapper the publishers give a loscrlptlOn of tlio book, which did not appear on the Hist edition, as follows; "Something wholly new in Ameri can Action a tale of present day life In the rural South, With scenes and characters which, while unlquee and picturesque, are yet real?by one who wiis horn ami reared among them. In vivid, fascinating style we arc shown a hitherto neglected phase of backwoods life, being In troduced to the pompous 'perfesser,' the hollering preacher, the grandilo quent county 'statesman,' and the simple but sterling folk whom these Impose on?all 'in the original:' while we are told a story of loye. romance and 'uplift' which. In the language of one critic, will make any reading it sit still until It is finishes." ] I'pon the wrapper are printed also a number of press comments. One of these w hi' :i Is rather out of the ordinary is that of the New York livening Post, paper which very rarely praises the work of any au thor. The Post due.* not follow Its usual plan, howovor, in itt treatment Of Mr. McOheo's novel. It points out several features Which it criticises, and then proceeds in each Instance to more than make up for its adverse Opinions by praising the booh. It says: "They (the contents) are limited and often Oflldo, but there Is a reali ty, a Blncerlty that imparts positive quality. Its naivete Is overtopped by tho actual BUbS'ance. The bur lesque humor Is forgotten in the real, The tasteless Is forgiven for tho sake of the genuinely aspiring. With many r.iwi, ssos and rough nesses it is in seme inscrutable way a very likable ;:;;ie story." year, t! Copyright iv^) *5 Hart Schaffner Marx Now is the time of vear for you to "blossom out"' in a new Suit. Hat and Oxfords. Clothes are not commonly bought new every sea j son, when you do buy you ought to have the latest and best style. As soon as you're ready to take up the question of Spring Cloth ing, you'll tiud us ready with a great line ot new and up-to-date goods. REMEMBER that aJ? we make our store the home of Hart ScaafTner and Marx, the clothing that is always pleasing to the eye. Yes we are very proud of these good clothes ot ours and want you to know us and get our prices before buying. The price-, that we have put on our clothing have made them great sellers for us and a great saving H> for you. Men's Suits front $5'0b to ?25.00 Boy's kr.ee Pants from 5 c to $6.00 For Shoe comfort and style we have them ^ in the Edwin C'apj Regal and Ralston. W Nothing better made fi : comfort, style and wear. We can fit you in a pair of shoes or (Ixfords fr< >m Si.25 to S6.5o. V O a S We are showing some of the swellest and newest shapes, colors and styles i :?. J. Idlo* John H. Stetson hats, for Panama, and other straw hats, we have from the cheapest to the best. $ FurnisKings! No use telling you that everything in this department is now and right square up to the minute in style and quality. Always look for the new Clothing Stote tor quality, Style, and Low Prices. g Tribble Clothing Co The one Price Clothiers. Spot Cash Does the Work. The Laurens Wholesa > Is prepared to serve the people at the Lowest Pos ^ sible Prices; all its purchases are made in car load > lots, and that is why IT SELLS FOR LESS. It's Up to You to Buy Now! Flour has gone to $7.10 in car lots We are selling; for $6.35; having purchased a big lot before the rapid rise in price. Buy it now, it is still going up. Sugar for $5.10 per 100 lbs Peas for $1.50 per bushel Oats for 72 cts per bushel Corn for 03 cts per bushel We do both wholesale and retail business, and save money for our customers on every purchase. LAURENS WHOLESALE GROCERY COMPANY R. COKE GRAY, Manager Long Distance Phone 288 Coal a Specialty.