The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-08-29
HOW 1T is REGARDED.
Opinions About Judge Simonton's
DecisiOn-HoNv it affects the Dispen-
Sary Act

Opinions About Judge Simonton's
Decision-How 1T affects the Dispen-
sary Act.
Special to the News and Courier.
COLUMBIA, August 22.-The Ad-
minjstration does not seem to think
that there is any harm in Judge ST.
monton's decision or that it is the be-
ginning of the downfall of tho law.
They have all along thought that the
law was impregnable, and even an
opinion from Judge Simonton is thought
of so little Importance that they all
claim that no harm can come out of it,
OF course the decision will be appealed
from, and Attorney General Townsend
says that it will be carried to the
Supreme Court with others which will
perhaps be ready in q short time. One
thing is very curious, and that is how
differently the opinion Is viewed in it's
effects upon the dispensary system.
There are some who regard it as a
very serious blow to the system, and
that it has opened the way for men to
get all of the liquor that is wanted for
personal use and without any interfer-
ence whatever.
Attorney General Townsend, how
ever, takes very different view of the
| effect of the opinion. He says that
UiiO oPihloh 10 ohly upOl UhC IuCoViOli
| of the right of the State to arrest u
| railroad agent under the provisions g,
Section 25 of the law. No other point
! in the law has been decided, and the
! only effect of the decision, If sustained,
! would be to prevent the State from ar
resting agents who handled the ship
ments of liquor. The law he thinks,
provides plenty of other valid ground
upon which the importation of liquor
can be stopped. He thinks that there
is nothing in the opinion that would
prevent the States constables from
seizing shipment of liquor, no matter
for what use it was intended, If 1t did
not bear one of the stamps provided
for in tho law. The package, no
thought, could be seized and confiscat.
ed to the State Immediately upon its
arrival, and the State could in that
way prevent the shipment of liquor in
to the State, except when consigned tt
the commissioner. There was no way
he thought, by which the commissioner
could be compelled to give the stamps
which were required, in his opinion
to pass packages. He insisted thai
the opinion affected no other part o.
the law, excepting the clause which
referred to the arrest of agents.
Commissioner Traxler, however
thinks that the decision might affec
the income of the dispensary, but thai
otherwise it will have no result. Il
has no effect, he thought, upon tht
spirit of the law and the Act would re
strict the sale of liquor as Originally
intended.
! Another State House officer took (
\ very gloomy view of the situation ant
thought that the opinion would have {
most disastrous effect upon the dispen
sary law. If 1t did not already decid,
that there was nothing in the law thai
would prevent the interference will
liquor shipped to an individual, Judg,
Simonton's opinion would, he thought
lead to that result. 1t was but the be
ginning of that phase of the objection
to the law. He thought that If Judg'
Simonton's opinion did not airead.
prevent any interference with liquo
shipped from outside of the State |
was q mere question of time as to @hel
the State would have it's eye complete
ly blackened on that point. He argu
ed that IL the,S State cannot interfer
with shipments under Section 25 an
arrest agents for violation OF Its prOvi
sions 1t could not q $50 at all.