Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1844-08-07

law, to project society, from being owe
wEelmed by the food of evils, which Sc
cial drinking pours upon The land. A Ii
tie research will satisfy you, that you al
not houseless and defenceless. The Stat
has thrown her protecting arm around you
Her Egis is over your head:
In the first place, she has prohibited id
discriminate retailing, by requiring a
persons who desire to sell inIoxicatin
drinks. in quantities less than three gal
Ions, to apply for license TO- certain Of
fcial persons. In the second place, per
SONS taking out a license 20 retail are re
quired to give bond aud security, thai they
will abide by the law and keep. am orderly
house. &c. On these Two poinis, it may
be unnecessary, cite the Acts: We solicit
your attention 10 third provision. which
the Stale has made for yonr security.
You are not only protected from indis
criminaie retailing, and from licensed re.
failing by improper persons. but you have
the privilege OF. dispensing withsuch es.
lablishments altogether. Blythe Act ol
1899, The Commissioners Of Roads were
empowered to determine all applications
for license to retail. and the same is reite-
rated in the Act Of 1905; bul as this priyi.
lege originally belonged to the County
Court, and was merely transferred from
it to the Board Of Commissioners, we
must,re refer to the act of 1885, in orderthat
we may know, what power the Commits
sioners Of Roads possess. The County
Court Act OF. 1885 gave to the Justices of
the County Court the power to hear, in
open Courti all applications for license 10
keep tavernsi or public houses. within
their respective Counties, and 10 reject
such application, or grant such license, for
one year, rs 10 them shall seem meet" You
will perceive, then, lhatyou are not COM
PEELED, against your will, 10 endure all the
evils, which unqueslionably flow from H.
censed dram shops A discretionary power
has been vested in the Commissioners Of
Roads, 10 reject or grant," "as TO them
shall seem meet"
: But The Commissioners are not always
prepared TO exercise this discretion. As
faithful public servants, they aim a, car
ryins out The will Of the people, and will
undoubtedly obey their voice. We know
that they have done it. We believe that
they nil Go ii. We do not know, that
they have, in any instance, been petitioned
to grant licenses we do know that they
have been petilioned to refuse licenses and
they have yielded 10 the popular wilt.
At Henderson C. H.. the Town Council
having been applied TO for licenses, aud
not wishing 10 act in opposition 10 the
community, called meeting Of the citi-
zenst and submitted the question 10 their
decision. With great unanimity, (only one
dissenting voice. this meeting, composed
Of men of all parties, decided against
granting licenses.
At Abbeville C. H., the Town Council
desired to know The wishes ofthe people
thai they inishr act accordingly, petition
against licensing was prepared, and was
signed by great majority of the citizens;
by those who opposed the temperance So
cielies; as well as by those who belonged
10 them. License was refused.
The same can be said of several other
villages. We shall cite single case more.
The Commissioners Of Roads, iu Chester
District, are hostile 10 Temperance Soci-
cites yet, on more than one OCCASION,
when pelitioned by neighborhoods, they
refused 10 grant licenses TO individuals to
retail in those neighborhoods. Be it known,
too, that The authors and sisners Of these
petitions hold themselves in .avowed hos
Ilily 10 Temperance Societies:
Here we see the operation Of the sim.
pie, but beautiful feature in our repubii-
can system, ,o-wil that the maturity shall
rule. And il is a remarkable fact, that,
in the case under consideration, .he oppo-
nenls of Temperance Societies are more
anxious 10 apply il, than The members Of
those Societies. ln th, Disric, of Abbe-
vile. It was said; few days since, by an
influential gentleman, who has been long
engaged IN manufacturing ardent spirits,
and who cannon tolerate Temperance So
cielies, II am in favor Of putling this
question Of license or no license to the peo
ple, and for one, will vote, No License -
Now, fellow citizens, we will not pre-
sumo 10 dictate 10 any of you, or to ad.
wise what course you should pursue. 1t is
enough, that we respectfully ask your at.
tention to The ample provision, which the
State has made for your safely, and show
you how some have employed il in the
exercise of their sovereign and uualienable
rights. And we have cited cases, in which
the proficient actors were opposed tc
Temperance Societies, lest you should in,
fer; from aught that we have said, or may
say, that we have any intention to inter
feie with your right or privileges, in any
way whatsoever. go. !,
We have not yet mentioned all the pro
lection which the State has afforded 10 he'
citizens.
Among other things it is provided, tha
none but tovern keepers, or those who ART
prepared 10 furnish their guests with meat
lodging and provender, as well as drinka
bles, shall have license to retail less thai