The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-11-29
ErFoRcEMENT OF THE LAW.

:
+ There are many omissions, oversights and
mistakes In the law as It stands, 1t will be
much better 10 omit the enumeration OF these
and Incorporate such changes nj experience
has shown to; be necessary In Blu thanto
amend the law by piecemeal. SnsI o Bill will
changes which es perfenoe has shown TO be
Idesirable. One feature to which J. wish TO d.
rect our atten ton ia that under the present
Law the punlshnlerts are too severe and the
a character that It will be almost impossible
to convict. Grand juries will not bring In
true bills. and petty jnries Will not find YER
diets of guilty for ofense, which most men
consider as not meriting such severe punish
ment as that now provided. It ia best. Ia my
jude ment, to dispense In the administration
of this law, as far as the ofense for selling Is
concerned. with jnrles altogether, II 1t can he
mon special officer-a recorder or judicial
Trial Justice-to be designated In each Coun-
ty, who, when satisfactory proof has been
presented to him that the law mas been 10.
mayor to commit the offender In the chain
gang, or, the Penitentiary for thirty daya, or
fipe him within the limit OF Sl00. It viii be
necessary also, IN case IT shall be found un-
without trial by jury, though / do not see
how that can be, unless oil our municipal
charters are unconstitutional, that provision
be made for change OF venue before true
Chief Constable that almost all the people Of
Charleston are In league against Lhe law and
determined 10 overthrow II. The officers OF
with drawing the jury, and the Trial Justices
are known to be friendly TO ex-saloonkeepers,
who are deflantly continuing The sale OF IL
ouor contrary to law, and the Grand Jury has
just thrown out cases resting on positive evf-
'One hundred and four licenses to sell whis.
kew and ssxty-eight licenses to sell malt H.
ouor have been issued by the Internal Reve.
nue. Collector since July to persons In that
city: and thirty three whiskey and thirty
malt licenses have been issued in other parts
OF the State, showing the determination OF
the whiskey men TO continue the trathc; w.,
+ When the first arrests were matte In Char.
lesgon by the State Constaoles under 1njunc-
tion proceedings. the Constabies were treated
in an outrageous manner by the mob and
one OF the leading business men OF the city OF
Charleston told me to my face that II he were
on the grand jury he would not vote for true
bill against the most notoriouD offender,
Chicco. tits idle tten 70 expect conviction o,
ter how strong the testimony. In addition.
the newspapers have heaped every possible
abuse on the Constables. calling the EN- "spies."
"sneaks." and other opprobrio,ls eplthels;
tiiscrediting their evidence. although have
used due precaution and exerted myself to Sc
lect as constables only men OF good charac,
n 1bas t5sS a"n H~n s,aena
Desperate diseases require heroic remedies,
and the General Assembly may az well nn. .
terstand that the enforcement OF this law IN
Churleston, Columbia, Greenville, Spartan
burg. Beaufort aud sumter, Will require some
special legislation. II Is against the munich
pal ordinances to cell whskey without IL
cepse in every town IN tho Stale. but the
police in the cities as rule stand Idly by and
see the ordinances broken every day; are
porsiceps c,tmints Ia the offence, or
ACTIVE AIT eRs AND ABErrERs
OF the men who break 1t. AS socn as Con-
stable arrives In town he is spotted ~ tnem
looms.
one half Of the revenue OF the local Dlspena-
ries over and above the expenses goes INTO Inc
treasury OF the municipality where they are
located. Gee no remedy for the condition OF
affairs existing In Charleston and Columbia
except TO provide for system OF metroPoll.
Inn police divorcing the control OF the police
force absolutely from politics and placing II
In the hands OF q commission, who shall ap-
point, direct and remove such members OF
the force as vii not enforce Inc law, heke hd
conference, to have the police aid me IN re-.
pressing and uprooting the Illicit sale Of
vyhiskey, but be declined on the ground that
that duty had been imposed on the State Con-
or lhe sl2,OOO which have been spent for
Conseahles during the four months since the
law went into effect. about one-half has gone
to pay Constables who have been In Charles"
ton making arrests and trying TO suppress the
illicit sale Of whiskey; With the two o. main mali,
forea of police in sym pathy with the law. or
Whistler in sympathy or not, afraid to lose
their places If they fail TO do their duty,
the expense of Constables would be re-
duced at least ona-ha,f and the backbone
of opposition would be brokca. In the
other places I have mentioned, and In
fact throughout the State, If the power Is CIV
en- the Governor To require the police OF the
various municipalities 10 enforce the law.
with power TO remove and replace them i
they iail TO enturce 1t. there would he still
further reduction in the expense Of Consta.
bles. Either this should be done or II oe left
with the State Board OF Control TO designate
such cities and towns as shall have none OF
the Income from the sale of liquors at the
Dispensary. and let the revenue which ~ now
goes TO the town pay for the expense M .dn. oi en-,
insist On encouraging disobedience to the law,