The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-12-08

numerous since the saloons were closed, and
rice beer" especially, which has entered
INTO consumption on the claim of being non
Intoxicating, have become the screen or
'loak behind which liquors Of oil kinds are
beingsold.
Now as to the enforcement of the law.
rheresare many omissions, oversighis and
MISTAKES in tho law as il stands. It will be
much better to omit the enumeration Of
tnese 6d incorporate such changes as expe-
rieno has shown to be necessary in q Bill
tAsn snend the law by piecemeal. Such
o Bin hi be presented to you, covering in
effect 1.-The changes which experience has
showp3t6 be desirable. One feature to
which wish to direct your attention is that
under The present law the punishments are
too seyfre and the methods Of securing pun
ishment are Of such a character that it will
be almbst impossible to convict.- Grand
juries will not bring in true hills, aud petty
juries will not find verdicts of guilty for
ofeDsesl which most men consider as not
meriting such severe punishment as that
now provided. 1t is best in my judgment.
to dispense, in the administration Of this
law, as far rs the offense for selling is con-
cerned, with juries altogether, If it can be
done, and impose the duty of trying offen-
ders upon special officer-a Recorder or
Judicial Trial Justice-to be designated in
each county, who when satisfactory proof
has been presented to him that the law has
been infringed, shall have the power the
same as o mayor to commit the offerder 10
the chain gang, or the yPenitentiary for
thirty days, or fine him within the limit of
500. ltlVill be necessary also, in case il
shall be fsund unconstitutional to punish by
imprlsonnfpt without trial by jury, though
l do not s4e how that can be, unless all our
nsr A12 - sS,.Ntn
that proviSon be made for q change Of venue
before trSe bill is found. l judge from
the reportslof the Chief Constable that al
most all tt{e people of Charleston arc iu
league agafnst the law aud determined to
overthrow Il. The officers of the Conrt, the
Sheriff and others, charged with drawing
the jury, and the Trial justices are known to
be friendlyto ex-saloon keepers, who are
defiantly continuing the sale of liquor con-
trary to law>and the Grand Jury has just
thrown out cases resting on positive evil
dence. u,
One hundred and four licenses to sell
whiskey and sixty-eight licenses to sell
malt liquor nave been issued by the Iuter-
nal Reyen9e Collector since July to persons
in that citySl aud thirty three whiskey and
,hirty malt licenses have been issued in
other parts Of the State, showing the de-
termination pf the whiskey men to continue
the traffic. T.
When IND frst-arrests were made in
Charleston BY the State Constables under
| injunction sprSceedings, the Constables were
treated insa outrageous manner by the
mob; aud on{of the leading business men
of the city ofFAarleston told me to my face
that if hs we kQR the grand jury he would
not vote fop56 9e:bill against the most no.
torious ofe1 chicco. II IL idle then to
expeht cons on in that city, or true bills
! to be founds matter how strong the testi-
| mony. In adSition, the newspapers have
heaped every hssibie abuse on the Consta
bles, calling thkm "spies," "sneaks," and
other opprobriSus epithets with view OF
poisoning the Iubic mihd and discredting
their evidenceS although I have used due
precaution andexerted myself to select as
Consables onlymen of good character, who,
in their own q Smmunities, haye the respect
of their fellow 1pitixens.
Desperate diseases require heroic rene
dies, and the J6&neral Assembly may as well
understand thu the enforcement of this law
in some parts OF the State, and especially in
Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Spartan,
burg. Beaufort and Sumter, will require
some special legislation. Ii is against the
municipal ordinances to sell whiskey with.
out license in every town in the State, but
sRs pssp pass IN ss fs rs se esnss ss ,sa s fs
aders and abettars Of the meu who break it.
AS soon as Con able arrives in town he is
spotted by them and reported to those who
run the Illicit saloons.
Under the provision Of the Dispensary
Act, one-half of }the revenue of the local
Dispenseries over and above the expenses
goes into the iIoasury OF the municipality
where they are located. I see no remedy
for the condition Of affairs existing in
Charleston and Columbia except to provide
for system Of
METRofoLiTAS POLICE,
divorcing the contral Of the police force ab
soluiely from pol tics and placing it In the
hands Of Commission, who shall appoint, di-
rect and remove such members of the force
rs will not enforce the law. asked the
Mayor of Charlestep, with whom l had q
conference. TO hayA tbo police aid me- in re-
pressing aud up@oting the illicit sale of
whiskey. but he dtelined on the ground that
that duty had betn imposed on the State
Constables. ~
or the $4,000 which have been spent for
Consiables during lhe four months since the
law went into effect, about oue-half has gone
to pay C.nstablks who have been ia
Charleston making arrests and trying to
suspress the illicit sale of whiskey. With
the two main cities Of the State officered by
On efficient force ofpolice in sympathy with
the law, or, whether in sympathy or not,
afr.id to lose theirf Office il they fail TO do
their duty, the expense of Coustables would
be.reduced at least onehalf and the back. bone
Of opposition would be broken. In the
other places 1 have mentioned, and in fact
throughout the state, if the power is given
the Governor 10 require the police of the
various municipalities tU enforce the law,
and 10 remove and replace them if they fail
to enforce it, there would be still further
reduction in the expense of Constables.
Either this should be done or it be 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 Dis.
pensaries. and let the revenues which now
goes to the town to pay for the expense of
enforcing the law.
These are drastic measures, but the law
should be enforced or it should be repealed:
and in so far rs in me lies shall continue.
as | have hitherto done, to exert my whole