The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, August 14, 1909, Image 2
VIIOIIlfltTION. I'ltl) AND CON.
Qcrgrman Writes That It I? Real
OeeiarJe to Reform.
Rev William A. Watson In Pearsoob
IfagasJne for August. *%
Prohibitionists have simplified the
liquor problem at the expense ~?t
truth, reason and common experi?
ence Instead of suiting the remedy
to the disease, thsy have tried to
make the disease conform to their
pre determined remedy.
The tJquor problem Is one of the
most complex of all social problems.
!tt does net stand out alone, simple,
distinct and Isolated, as prohibition?
ists would have us believe. R Is tit
i?noe s moral, and economic, a physio?
logical, a asychchologlcal. and In Its
final analysis, a purely personsl prob
Ism. It contains many elements and
Involve* -many perplexing difficulties
*Wh*n wt look before the surface and
scad* this problem In Its deeper as?
pects we And that Its roots are inex?
tricably Intertwined with those of
ether social problems. 80 that gen?
uine and thorough tempersnce re?
form must he conducted along many
different lines.
Liquor legislation must necessarily
ffoflew sae ef two great policies. It
-may alts at the abolition of the liquor
'trans? er st the regulation of the trsf
Ac. These two policies are extreme
opposite* et every point end In every
feature. The object of one Is to kill,
that of the other Is to cure. Tt Is on
this broad question of general policy
that the people are divided today.
No legislative system has ever been
more esteaslrely nor fairly tested
than that sf prohibition. During the
last to rears It has been tried on the
state-wide scale In many different
section* ?f tho country and under the
most divers'? social and political con?
ditions, the period of trial ranging
JCrom three rears In Nebraska to RS
.'lease Is Vermont. By Its record, by
? what it has done and by what It has
? liot done, prohibition must be judged.
Od everr page of that record, from
beginning te end are Written the
words sf (allure, folly, farce. Nowhere
raft no time la all Its history has prohl
?btcion accomplished a single one of
'Its avowed objects. Nowhere has It
^presented the consumption of liquor
tnor lessened the evil of intemperance.
rSssRher as a state-wide system nor
under local option has prohibition
aver made the slightest contribution
toward the solution of the liquor
problem. The one solitary service that
tt has rendered to society Is that of
furnishing a warning example of the
supreme folly of attempting to legis?
late virtue into men's lives.
There could be no stronger evi?
dence sf the failure of prohibition
than the fact that seven of the sight
States thst adopted the system 60 years]
Ago have since abandoned It and gone 1
bask to tho policy of license and reg?
ulation. The people of these states ad?
opted prohibition In good r tlth.
If prohibition reslly prohibited, the
fact ought to be reflected In the fig?
ures of the United states revenue de?
partment. But. according to the gov?
ernment reports, tht use of alcoholic
liquors actually Increase with the j
spread of prohibition. In 189S, the
*year the Anti-Saloon League was or?
ganised, the p-?r capita consumption
of malt and spirituous liquors In the
whole country*was 16.6 snd 1.46 gal
lon?. respectively. In 189*. when
only 4.000,000 persons were living un?
der prohibitory-laws, the figures were
11.1 snd 1 11 In-1907. when ap?
proximately 35.000.000 persons were
living in "dry" territory, the figures
bad risen to the high water mark
22 and 1.11. The report of 1908
rhnws a decrease of about 10 per
sent in spfritous liquors ss com?
pared with '907. while the consump?
tion of malt liquors was about the
same for both years. Thus we are
confronted with the remarkable fact
that, in 1908, when the prohibition
wave had reached enormous propor?
tions and was wiping out saloons at
tho rste of 11,000 a year, the Amer?
ican people consumed more liquor
per capita than they did In any pre?
vious year since 1893. the year 1907
ak>ne ?irepted
Here Is the testimony of two of
the prohibition leaders themselves
Rev. I>r. Hold Thy of Atlanta, an ar?
dent prohibitionist, said last Winter.
"The lesjtslAtUf* Is ufrald to stund by
the try law which It enacted twelve
months ago. Atlanta has become a
laiiKhing stock and a stench In the
nostrils of the Almighty." This SOSV
ffasplcn most hive been humiliating
to IAC nod p irson. n he had !>? en
te' ; .pb- rUht along that he
Anew It-to be a lm < dial the A:
mixb'v a * on tb" of prohibition.
Assistant Auperlah ndsnl Richards of
th' ' ' I'M! I ,r:mi|H utters this
wskl lleei is sold right and left, and
I aaou K Ton < in gal whiskey, too;
for whi? i.e. it nv 'n when l'T c:ir
louds <f beer und wb'skey are ship?
ped heref" Wen. Brother Richards.
It rnrans. In the Aral p|a40, that th i
ar< a good many thirsty people in \t
lanta. sad m I he second place thai
fssjf prohibit Ion law Is 1 humbug.
Other leading prohlbttlOASltl speak In
the same strain as the two Just ttUO*
Asd eadttlons In Mlants are ? sain
pie of those that obtain all over the
si It
Prohibitionists not only refuse to
support, hut actively and bitterly
fight against every plan of excise re?
form that does not go to their ex?
treme. It must be abolition or noth?
ing; their motto la rule or ruin. In
their blind zeal they actually rejoice
In iniquity. The dissgfeitable saloon
Is far more to their liking than the de?
cent saloon, for the more disreputable
the saloon the more ammunition for
the campaign. If aall saloons were made
decent and orderly, the bottom would
soon drop out of the prohibition move?
ment. Tell a prohibitionist that such
and such a saloon is certainly a res?
pectable place and you arouse his fier?
cest anger. He would rather hear that
a murder had been committed in one
of the "hell holes." In his estimation
the respectable saloon is the very
worst kind as it deceives and beguiles
the unwary youth to destruction.
Ex-President Eliot of Harvard
sums up the whole case against pro?
hibition In its effects on the aoclal and
political life. He says: "The efforts to
enforce It (prohibition) during 40
years past have had some unlooked
for effects on public respect for courts'
judicial procedure oaths and laws,
legislatures and public servants. The
public has seen law defied, a whole
generation of habitual lawbreakers
schooled In evasion and shameless'
ness, courts Ineffective throngn fluct?
uations of policy, delays, perjuries,
negligences and other miscarriages
of justice, officers of the law double
faced and mercenary, legislators timid
and insincere." Such is the character
snd ths record of prohibition.
RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE GOD.
A Solemn Warning to Voters Lest
They Vote Damnation to Them*
selves.
Editor The Item:
I have read with great interest the
article of Mr. D. James Wlnn and
feel that every word of it Is true.
One point it seems to me ought to be
stressed, and that Is the personal re?
sponsibility of each voter. Every
Christian man knows that he will rt
lest stand before the God of Heaven
to be Judged, but perhaps some man
has lost sight of the fact that he will
stand alone. There will be no el?
bow touch to strengthen him for the
ordeal. He will answer personally,
face to face, for the way he votes
next Tuesday, and the God he will
answer to will be a just Ood?no
shifting of responsibility. Consider
this thing before you say by your
vote that you are willing to debauch
your fellow-man for the sake of a
few cents saved In taxes.
One other point: Dispensary ad?
vocates love to tell of the great help I
that the whiskey profits are to our
schools. As a school trustee, I want
to say that ths dispensary pays about
?0 cents a scholar per year?that la
all. a mere drop in the bucket?and
so far as School District No. 1 Is
concerned, we can do without It, run
the schools nine months and pay
same salaries as at present.
E. P. Miller.
NO "WEI'S" FOR Y. M. C. A.
Bristol Association Directors Re?
quest Resignation of President Who
Advocates Saloons.
Bristol, Va., Aug. 10.?Because of
hla attitude In the local option elec?
tion held here July 8, the board of dl
rectors of the Bristol Young Men'?
Christian association tonight asked
for the resignation of President Hen?
ry Roberta, who la a prominent law?
yer of Bristol.
Roberts does not deny that he
vo'ed for the return of the shloons,
and after the wet victory signed tho
notice of application for liquor li?
cense filed by a local social oluh. He
will submit his resignation Wednes?
day.
MARSHALL DEFEATS MAHON.
Receives In Second Primary a Majori?
ty of 302 Votes?Anthony and
Web Elected Aldermen.
Greenville. Aug. 10.?After serving
three two-year terms as mayor of
Greenville. G. Heyward Mahon was
today defeated in the second primary
by John B. Marshall, the vote being
III against 560. giving Mr. Marshall
I majority of 302.
For aldermen In Ward P>. W. B.
Anthony won over <5. K. Willis, the
rot? being 174 agalnat, fit. For ai
dermsn Ir Ward I, there Ii a dlftsr
snet of nine votes la favor of c. s.
|?eb% against W. T. Hull.
The total vote In the first primary
two weens aw:<? sjai 1,418 and today's
total 1,411. showing only ? alight fa'i
Ing off in the polling Strength. In ih<
llrnt primary Mr. Mat)on polled f?44
i m.i in the ? eond M0, mi I Ini i gain
of if, in the tirst primary Mr. Mar?
? ill polled .Mis and in t he second
In the lirst rfl It 1 ('. Mllford
polled I7i, and it appears from that
Mr. Marshall drew pr utlcnlly the
- ntlre ?trength ol Mr, Mllford In the
Oral primary.
CHOP CONDITIONS.
GOVERNMENT REPORT SHOWS
BETTER AVERAGE.
Cotton, Tol>aoco, Rice, Buckwheat and
Apple* Below and Grain Crops
Above the Average.
Washington. Aug. 10.?Crop condi?
tions in the United States on August1
1, 1909, were, in the aggregate,
slightly higher than on August 1,
1908, and moderately higher than a
10-year average condition of all crops
on August 1. In addition to the high?
er condition, the acreage of culti?
vated crops is about 1.6 per cent,
greater than last year. So says a gen
eral review of crop conditions Issued
today. Winter wheat, spring wheat,
corn, oats, rye, flax and grapes were
better than last year and the 10
year average; barley and potatoes
were better than the condition on
August 1 last year, but slightly be?
low the average condition. Tobacco
and sweet potatoes were better than
the average and lower than last year.
Important crops which were below
last year on an average condition are
cotton, rice, tobacco, buckwheat and
apples. Conditions vary, however, in
different sections of the United States.
Summarized the relative condition
of crops, in the aggregate, in the dif?
ferent sections of the United States
on August 1 was:
North Atlantic States, Including
New York and Pennsylvania, 79.7 or
7.5 per cent, below the 10-year av?
erage on August 1; South Atlantic
States 80.1, or 38 per cent, below the
average; and South Central 72.2, or
10 per cent, below.
Other sections showed an Improve?
ment over the 10-year average.
GOVERNMENT CROP REPORT.
Acreage In Winter Wheat Slightly Un?
der Last Year?Corn Condition Bet?
ter Than In 1908.
Washington, Aug. 9.?An indicated
winter wheat total yield of 432,920,
000 bushels, compared with 437,908,
00 bushels, Anally estimated last
year; an average condition of winter
wheat 90.3, against 90.1 a year ago;
corn 84.4, against 815.5; spring wheat
91.6, against 80.7, and oats 85.5,
against 76.8. This summarizes to?
day's crop report of the department
of agriculture.
The comparative figures for corn
Include 89.3 last month and 82.6 as
the average on August 1 for the past
ten years. The preliminary returns
for the winter wheat j yield indicate
about 15.5 bushels per acre, compar?
ed with 14.4 as finally estimated lagt
year. The condition of spring wheat I
is compared with 92.7 last month and j
81.1, the ten-year average on August
1. For comparison the oat crop aver- '
aged 88.3 last month and 83.1 for ten
ten years on August 1. The average
conditions of other crops on August
1, as compared with a year ago, and
the ten-year average respectively fol?
low:
Bailey 85.4 and S3.1 and 86.1
Rye 89.1 and 88.3 and 91.7.
Buckwheat 86.3 and 82.9 and 86.7.
Tobacco 83.4 and 85.8 and 92.3.
Conditions on August 1 in impor?
tant tobacco States was: Kentucky
84, North Carolina 75, Virginia 86,
Tennessee 85, South Carolina 85, Ohio
91, Wisconsin 77, Pennsylvania 83,
Connecticut 90, Florrda 87.
Flax 92.7 and 86.1 and 87.7 for six
years.
Hay 86.8 and 92.1 and 87.
The acreage of buckwheat It esti?
mated at about O.t less than that of
last year, or about 2,000 acres less
than that of last year.
The preliminary estimate of the
acreage of hay estimated 46,581,000
acres. This is 1.9 per cent., or 905,
000 acres less than that last year.
Corn condition on Augwst 1, 1909,
and ten year average, respectively: In
Georgia 90 and 86, Kentucky 87 and
84, Tennesee 78 and 82, Aliabama 76
and 82, North Carolina 78 and 87, Ar?
kansas 76 and 81, Mississippi 69 and
78, Louisiana 88 and 80, S*?uth Caro?
lina 84 and 81, and Virginia 77 and
88.
TOBACCO REPORT GOOD.
Statistics Filed With Commissioners
are Encouraging-.
Columbia, Aug. 9.?Reports receiv?
ed front the tobacco belt of the State
made In accordance with the act of
the last legislature, indicate that the
crop win be very good. All of the
tobacco warehouse-men have filed
their first monthly report* in Com?
missioner Watson's office. The re?
ports show that the sales for the
month were about $100,6*00. A state?
ment will be issued within a few days
from the commissioner's office, giv?
ing the statistics of the tobacco sales
for the past month.
? The revival of the tobacco growing
in South Carolina came during the
year 1907. The farmers for the great?
er part of the lower section produced
that year 20,070,000 pounds on 23,
300 acres. The largest crop on rec?
ord was In 1908 when 29,000 acres
wer9 planted, the crop, according to
the figures of the government,
amounting to 115,085,000. It is ex?
pected that this year's crop will be
even larger. The crop went on the
market at an average price of 10
cents per pound, making the total
value $508,500.
The American Tobacco company
And the Imperial company buy about
75 per cent, of the South Carolina
tobacco crop. The former's grades
consist of cigarette and granulators
for smoking and wrappers for Amer?
ican trade. There is a very small per
cent of twist and plug tobaccos grown
In this State. About a 20 per cent.
crop of semi-bright strips are ship?
ped to European markets, mainly to
England, by independent buyers. The
remaining 5 per cent, of the crop
consists of scrap tobaccos that are
manufactured by the American trade
into smoking tobaccos.
PRECIPITATION' IX SOUTHWEST
DEPRESSES COTTON PRICES.
New York, Aug. 9.?Rains in th(
Southwest gave the bears additional
courage in the cotton market today
and prices were depressed to the
lowest point they have reached since
the publication of the August bureau
report, with January 11.79, or 91
pofnts below the high level on last
Monday. The market closed steady
at a net decline of 15 to 19 points.
The opening was easy at a decline
of Ii to 19 points in response to the
weak cables and the reports of rain
in Texas over Sunday. The Initial
decline caught some large stop loss
orders, but the bear leaders appear?
ed to be taking profits on part of
their lines, and fluctuations during
the ear?)' session were irregular. The
ofnciaf details of Texas weather con?
firming, the earlier reports; of rain
from private sources, and the west?
ern belt forecast for partly cloudy
to unsettled weather encouraged bear
pressure later, however, ai?d at the
low po?nt the market showed a net
loss of 20 to 24 points. Covering
caused a rally of 4 to 5 points toward
the close, but the undertone con?
tinued very nervous and unsettled.
Local authorities did not consider
that the rains reported so far in
Texas would be of any matterlal bene?
fit to the crop, unless followed by
further showers and lower tempera?
tures, but the rains discouraged re?
cent buyers. According to private
cables the Liverpool market was in?
fluenced by the rain reports and fa?
vorable crop accounts from other
sections of the belt, but was sus?
tained at the decline by continual
buying.
Receipts at the ports today 1.200
bales against 1,599 last week and 3,
963 bales ast^year. For the week
12,000 bales against 9,058 bales last
week and 24,038 last year. Today's
receipts at Xew Orleans 14 bales
against 491 last year, and at Hous?
ton 238 bales against 2,402 last year.
Spot cotton closed quiet, 20 points
lower; middling uplands 12.40; mid?
dling gulf 12.65; sales 4,100 bales.
Futures opened easy and closed
steady.
Texas Cotton Crop Improving.
Waco, Texas. Aug. 9.?The situa?
tion regarding cotton has changed
materially, because of rains through?
out the State. It Is now believed the
yield will be considerably larger than
had been expected. Cotton had about
ceased growing, and the outlook was
the most discouraging In many years.
COTTON MARKET STRONGER.
Roars' Attacks Became lies* AjrurOjs
"ive?Cloned at Good Advance?
Last PiSoes Showed Net <;aiu of
23 to 27 Points.
New York, Aug. 10.?The cotton
rnarktt was firmer today with bear
leaders less aggressive and with rath?
er a better scattering demand on re?
ports of sales from the local stock
and the failure of recent tradiag to
have indicated any uneasiness on the
part of prospective new crop holders
in the South. The market closed
firm at a net advance of 23 to 27
points.
The opening was steady at an ad?
vance of 10 to 11 points on better
cables tinea due, and the market aoon
sold 17 to 19 points above the closing
figures of yesterday on covering awl
foreign buying. Some authorities aaid
the foreign demand was for the pur?
pose of covering old hedges or put?
ting out straddles between here and
Liverpool, while others claimed that
it presented a hedge against future
requirements. In any event, the buy?
ing fror i this source slackened after
the close oi Liverpool and prices here
eased off about 10 points following:
the detailed weather report from Tex?
as showing further rains. But the
weather in the Southwest did not seem
to be brijtging out much long cotton,
while this local bears were much less
active than of late, and the market
?
rallied a sain in the jgtOf trading on
an active demand of the South, the
West an-i Wall street sources. Last
prices were within a point or two of
the top. The steady reduction tn the
local stock suggests that there is no
pressure of old crop cotton asainst
the market at present prices, while
Southern receipts show very little
new crop moving as yet, with wires
from the Southwest claiming that
farmers may hold for higher prices.
Southern spot markets, official y re?
ported early, were unchanged to 1-4
lower.
Receipts at the ports today 1,200
bales against 1,090 last week and !>,
663 last year. For the week 12,0 00
bales against 9,058 last week and 2-1,
038 last year. Today's receipts at
New Orleans 393 bales against 39
bales last year.
Spot cotton closed quiet; middling
uplands 12.60; middling gulf 12.85;
sales 5,185 bales. Futures opened
steady and closed firm.
One More Chance.
One day the office boy wert to the
editor of the Soaring Eagle and said:
"There's a tramp at the door and
he says he has had nothing to eat for
six days."
"Fetch him in," said the editor. *Tf
we can find out how he does it we can
run this paper for another week."?
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