The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1892-11-30

taxeS. In an a0SOiutS IQCQaTcDy IL Is very
simple process, and used in the past to great
y oppress the people; and, therefore, in n
constitutional government there Is an al
tenn pit 10 balance the prerogative Of the s. YER
eign and the right OF the taxpayer. The.
board OF eoualization and assessment direct.
~ represent the individual taxpayer; the Of
ticers elected by the people represent the
State. When the assessment OF property is
This Is the safeguard OF the taxpayer In
section 239 the correiattVe right is given the
State to increase when The assessment Is too
low, and this not upon the personai know
ledge or subject to the whim Of the auditor.
but upon sworn testimony. The tax acts
must be construed as whole and as forming
a system desigoed 10 secure uniformity and
equality and 2 fordfng equal protection TO
sovereign and subject. You cannot, without
disarranging its nicely balanced machinery,
grant the taxpayer remedy when the asses
ment is too high and deny the correlsuye5 rr-
lief TO the State when IL is too low. I Ell this
Is exactly what the decision of the supreme
Court has done. -
Very few men. however, believe that any
private citizen would have received the con
sideration given the banks; and though 4
stand ready 10 accord all corporations equaii-
" before the Law, cannot remain silent
while the laws are etrampied under: foot and
see them accorded privileges which a private
citizen feels he cannot obtain.
PROHIBITION.
E
agitation on the subject. of prohibition, and
there have have been contests at the polls In
municipalities and counties to decide wheth.
er or not liquor should be sold therein. At
prohibition bill passed the House, but failed
IN the Senate. AT the recent Democratic pri-
mary the question was submitted TO the peo-1
pie as an abstract proposition, without any
ceived majority Of the votes cast on that
subject, although not majority OF the Total
vote cast. This would indicate wish on the
part OF a large number OF. our people that
10 regard to the liquor traffic. This question
did Tot enter into the issues Of the campaign:
II was not discussed by the candidates, ana
the decision at the polls cauuot be considered
knowing, however, t5at some LEGISLATION is
likely 10 be ha0, feel called on 10 point out
some of the obstacles and difficulties In the
way OF enforcing law OF this character; and
the probable cost OF a prohibition bill as iudf-
eating necessity for increased taxation on
other lines; rather, as matter Of inforrna-
tion than as showing any anragonistic views
One OF the most common among modern
sayings Is that prohibition does not prohi-
bit, and experience az well as observation
teaches Us that certainly most OF the p-ohfbi-
tory LEGISLATION has resulted ~ partial or
sought, namely. the absolute prevention Of
the selling and drinking OF IiQour. Town az
ter town IN the State has tried It, and, finding
the adverse sentiment so strong and the eva
>ion OF the law SO common, they returned
In d1sguest TO the license system. And It
may as well be understood that no law which
may be passed on this subject will enforce IL
self, or be~alIowed to be carried into effect,
without strenuous opposition and many cum
ming devices being brought1nto play 10 eyade
it. Tee trouble Is, that.when public opinion
does not generally sustain law, its enforce
ment becomes almost impossible, and what is
a business. nnhGdvsSg
Men dislike TO play the spy on their neigh
-bors and incur the odium OF lodging iniortna-
ZION or taking out warrant. When indict-
ments are brought, juries are divided, convic-
tons are difficult or Impossible 10 obtain, and
society, divided against Itself, finds such re.
strictive legislation very difficult OF enforce
rnent.
All classes, aen and women alike, feel. as
times, the need OF sttmuIants, and many who
are never guilty OF excess IN their, use resent
any law infringing upon- personal liberty.
Then, many who rarely indulge in tnfoxicat
uary legislation. Every thinking and do5serv-
ant person sees and Acknowledges the evil,
and. 10 some underlined way, wishes TO see It's,
abatement. II is we'll understood and &C.
that liquor drinking is the cause,
directly or indirectly, OF most Of the crimes
committed in our country. It also produces
much or the poverty and misery among Ger.
tain classes but the human Iauily cannot
be iegislated into morality any more than il
i've enactment can readily conceive and
believe that with strict law, rightly enfofc-
ed, great good would follow. can just as
readily see that Il Will require Stern head.
with many eyes and lar reaching hands, TO
carry it into effect
AS an example OF the difficulty Of con-
trolling the selling and drinking or LIQUOR, T
would call attention 10 the fmpunity with
whicn existing laws are disregardeds We
have statute which forbids under a penalty
the putting up OF screens In barroo7nS and the
selling OF whiskey 70 minors, and there is
hardly barroom IN the State which obeys IL.
officers ofthe law. SEE and know these things,
and yet they do nothing, The trouble arises,
think. from the fact that there are officers Of
the State and county, while liquor under ex-
by municipal corporations. The police con-
nive at and are blind to these infifngemenfS
OF the law by the bar-keepers. under icstruc-
tions, doubtless, from the authorities, and the
people generally become educated and accpS-
toned TO seeing tho law despised
Another thing: The proo!lltion sentiment,
as opposed by the wisn TO license the sale OF
LIQUOR, is found largely in the Countryside
money selling the liquor; the towns make
money; the country SUITES; the country
pays for it; the country has increased taxes
for IT.; hence the d..:isinl. But with mslor-
ing whlskey, the prohibitfonists in the coua-
try Will find themselves handicapped aud
their efforts rendered nugstory IN attem pt1ns
10 control the nuisance. The people OF this
State are already sadly divided along this
very line OF town against country aud the
wisdom OF frrther division is questionable,
Granting the possibility Of doius something
towards abating the nuisance OF barroonls, I
would call your attention 10 the law now In
force at Athens, Co., by which dispensary
for the sale OF liquor is provided, and which,
after trial, is pronounced a success by The
prohibilionists themselves, who. In despair at
the failure of the prohibitory laws, had IT en-.
acted by the Georgia Legislature. would
further direct your atten tion the following Ia
bic, showing the uutnber Of harrooras in this
State, the revenue derived from them by the
counties, and the revenue for the towns:
Number Amount Amount
OF Paid by Paid by
Counties. Bar-r'ms. Rar.f'ms Bar-rns
to County. TO Towns
Abbeville 5 $40 $3.50
Aiken l8 LOGO so
Anderson U0 ~
Barnwe!l y Z.aU "JTo5U
Beaufort IS SUU 100
Berkeley ~ Il.iW S.4U
Charleston 2Sl $3.50 lsy50
Chester oOJ 4GU
Chesterfield 30 sOu
Clarendon AU 1,sn
Colieton 81 6rN Ivy
Darlington 10 l:o0 5'SS9