The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1878-08-29
Illicit Distill,esr,s.

ia teu Luo IHLerHal revenue laws IN the
last five years, whether by the manu.
facture or sale of liquor. It is under
this broad Specification that we ale
to understand the sentiments that
hundreds of illicit distillers have de-
livered themselves up and obtained
the clemency of the Government for
past offences. In the same sense are
the statements that hundreds of 9TH
ors havo their heads turned to Green
vile and are flocking to the United
States Court room to obtain amnesty.
In this way, too, must we understand
the colored statement that kirkland
would ask Governor Hampton to
speak to these lawebreakers at PAGES
Gap, promising an audience of five
hundred illicit distillers. The lightest
of these statements arc exagerations
frauds concocted by fancy to justify
tho severe and illegal conduct of re-
venue officials. They look to the
justification of such acts as the killing
OF Ladd and the abuse and oppression
of unoffending citizens on the ground
of state of general lawlcssness in
the mountains. To accept such ex-
aggec@tions rs true would lead to the
conclusion that all Of upper Oconee,
Pickons, Greenville and Spartanburg
was a cesspool of rebellion and laws
lessness against tho Government. 1t
would be an admission that disregard
and violation of law was the rule in
these sections and obedience to law
tho exception. 1t would lead to tho
conclusion that every creek and spring
branch in the mountains was embel-
lished by still and beer stands closely
guarded by troup of lawloss nouns
| talneers. We do not wonder that the
"Registor" is surprised at such state
of things and can sec in it great JUS
| tifcation for tho sevore measures of
tho Government. Our people will be
moro surprised to learn that our
mountains have suddenly brought
forth an army eff illicit distllers.
1t is unfortunately true that there
have beon in tho upper counties few
persons engaged in illicit distilling,
but with us the number has been truly
few. We have been at Walha}la near.
y ten years, and in that poriod we
doubt if thirty persons havo been
brought before the United States
Commissioners for Illicit distilling. In
the last five years we have been next
door to tho Office of tho Com missioner.
and have represented persons in his
court and We doubt if his record will
show warrants in five years tor twon-
ty persons charged with illicit dstil-
ling, whlo wo will 60 farther and cx>
press an honest doubt whether he has
sent UP to court eight cases for this
offence in four years. We will go
father and express our opinion that
there arc not twenty stills in this
county all told, idle and running, law
ful and unlawful. Our great trouble
with the liquor business has been the
wagon traffic introduced from adioin-
ing States, which led to tho sub ped
ding of few gallons by citizens OF
this county. Even these cases were
infrequent and often consisted of the
sale of quart or q few gallons by
some one tor a little profit. The
prosecution of these petty violations
was open for fvo years from the act,
80 that petty violations through long
period implicated good number of
people who had really abandoned tho
business. When amnesty was offered
to all who would come in and plead
guilty, evory one in any way con-
cerned for five years folt it safest to
confess and get full clearance. This
is what makes tho number appear
large. We know very little of other
counties, but presume tho same state
of things, perhaps on larger scale,
has existed tbore. Wo have heard
some of our best citizens express the
opinion that there are not six stills in
the county. Distllng here is rare in
deed in violation of law, so is anything
Hike regular retail dealino in vioIotion