The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-12-05

The ner dienaofgdts members should be not
more than two d1alars per day and oneraif-
road mileage ftos and from Columbia. 81 the
sDecpleSareswise.st they will select, for the diff
ouIfaaa dslicate task Of framing new con-
sStitHtf6n, ,Xhe very wisest. purest and best men
sswe have, and pay them only enough to defray
actual expenses. In the very nature OF things,
the constitution to be fromed will be largely
the work of a few leaders, and the main bus1-
ness Of the great majority Of the delegates
will he to discuss, aud reject or adopt, the sug-
gestions thus presented. This VILE be Work
ct considerable length, but it viii be done
much sooner and better, end the work Will be
pressed to conclusion at much less cost to the
taxpayers, if every delegate is made to con-
tribute his time free OF cost to the state. Any
man who is not willing to attend to this patri-
otic work at actual cost to himself is unworthy
to sit in the body.
H this suggestion is followed. there will be
no temptation to prclong the session. Every
one will work to get through as soon as posi-
BILE.
3tsis not desirable ,tha.t the work should be
ThMTaedsbut Il issaltDgether necessaryto have
sitscost IS little asspossEble.
s The eDfspensary Law.
i 7 iaIe Is menaoned the eispensary law as one
of tile meaSures3aw will signalze the re-
say that no new and uctired experiment. IN
legislation has ever go ned so many friends In
SO short time and taken such deep root in the
DoHnlar heart. The Law has come to stay, and
.iSNm depend on its enforcement and ADMIN
fsffation whether it shall spread 10 the other
states or not. It is the one question OF great.
est public interest at this time, and snail
necessarily devote much space to it.
The liquor dealers have resisted its enforce
ment and tried to evade it by every device that
cunning and greed can suggest; and they nave
had as active SympathiZerS large proportion
OF the people and police OF nearly all the cities
and towns in the state. There have been some
notable and praiseworthy exceptions, and
take pleasure in mentioning Abbevl1e. CheS-
ter, Edgefeld and Orangeburg as at;ording no
aid or comfort to the Illicit sellers OF liquor,
except during the time when the law vas SuS-
pended by the action Of the supreme court:
The statute, as amended by the last leg1Sla-
trre has proven very satisfactory as means
of stopping the Illicit traffic, but there are some
defects which shall point out later on, and
recommend changes to correct them.
As soon as the general assembly adjourned
and the new diSpenSary act went into enect, 1
set about actively to enforce it 10 the letter
Detectives were employed to obtain evidence,
the ccrStabulary was increased by adding
picked men to the force. and vigorous crusade
begun to drive the blind tigers. from the
state. II it had not been for tle animoslt1es en-.
gendered by politics, and the determination OF
political partisans to sustain the liquor dealers
In every way possible is not likely that the
tragedy which followed would have ever oc-
Cured. Some Of the newspapers began early IN
January to educate the public mind TO resist
snce TO the searching Of private dwellings; and
men were taught to believe that this was an In,