The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1894-12-13
TContinued. I

| MATTERS.
Continued.
/ have mentioned the dispen sary
law as one Of the measures which
will signalize the Reform Admin
istration. 1 speak advisedly whom
I say that no new and untried ex-
pertinent III legislation has ever
gained 80 many friends in so short
q time and taken such deep root
in the popular heart. The law
has como to stay, and it will de-
pond on it's enforcement and ad-
ministration whether it shall
spread to other States or not. It
is the one question of greatest pub
lie interest at this time, and l
shall necessarily devote much space
to it.
The liquor dealers have resisted
it's enforcement and tried to evade
it by every device that cunning
and greed can suggest; and thoy
have had as active sympathizers a
large proportion of the people and
police of nearly all tho cities and
towns in the State. There have
been somo notable and praisewor-
thy exceptions, and l take pleas
ure in mentioning Abbevillo, Ches-
ter, Edgefeld and Orangeburg as
atfording no aid or comfort to the
illicit sellers of liquor, except dur
the time whsn the law was suspend
ed by the action Of the Supreme
Court.
| The statute, rs amended by the
last Legislature, has proven very
satisfactory as means Of stop.
ping the illicit traffic, but thor
arc some defect, which l shall
point out later on, and recommend
changes to correct them.
| AS soon as tho General Assem-.
bly, adjourned ana the new Dispen.
sary Act went into effect I sci
about actively to enforce it to the
letter. Detectives were employed
to obtain evidence, tho constabu.
larry was increased by adding pick,
ed men to the force, and vigor'
ous crusade begun to drive the
"blind tigers" from the State. II
it had not been for the animositief
engenered by politics, and the do
termination of political partisnt
to sustain the liquor dealers in
every way possible, it is not likely
that the tragedy which followed
would have ever occurred. Some
of the newspapers began early in
January to educate tho public
mind to resistance to tho search.
ing of private dwellings,; and mon
wero taught to believe that this
was an invasion of their liberties
to which they should not submit.
1t is needless to show the fallacy
Eof this con tention, because it is
readily soon that if q man may
turn his private dwelling into q
| den from which he can sell liquor,
or depot from which to supply
! it, without the right to search and
seize it under warrant, the law
would be nullity.
There ls every evidence going to
show that there was preconcertod
arrangement or conspiracy, with
ramifications in many counties
to procipitate conflict with tho
constables and by butchering them
intlmidate others from CARVING
out the law. The purpose of those
directing tho conspiracy was to
inflamo the public mind to such
an extent that the militia
could not be be- relied upon to as.
sist the civil authorities and thus
bring the law and State Govern
ment into contenpt.
The place selected to precipi'
tate the conflict was Darlington
One Of the constnblos stationed al
this point reported the bold ant
open violation of the law ahd ask
ed for assistance. Three picket
men were sent him the last weel
in March. When these four at
tempted to execute search wa1