Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-02-28
The Sin of Newspapers.
jreenrille Mountainecr, (Anti.)

of public affairs is an alarming
evil of our times. The disposition
seems to be growing that the most
unfavorable light is to be thrown
upon any and every thing with
which we do not agree. This is an
era of extravagant assumption and
reckless statement concerning the
opposition, whether political or
otherwise, but it is especially true
in our politics that needless and
hurtful assertions arc made with
out regard to the boundaries of
truth. Perhaps the dlspensary law
and it's administration has borne
the brlnt of more needless distor-
tions in this way than anything of
recent times. At any rate it will do
for an illustration of the evil to
which we have called attention,
and we will cite few facts to sus-
tain the position.
The assertion is constantly
made thata dispensary constable
has the right to enter private dwell
lings and search for liquors even
in the most private apartments
without warrant. A great deal
of righteous indignation has been
turned loose against this alleged
provision of the law, when the fact
is that there is no such authority
given to the constablea under the
law and the instructions issued by
the State board of control expressly
states the law to the contrary, as
follows 1.-The right to search with
out a warrant applies only to
places of business and public
places-and in all cases where
liquor is believed to be in private
residences and is being sold, search
warrants must be issued" 1t has
been denied time and again that
constables are clothed with the au-
thority to enter private dwellings,
and yet scarcely week passes
that we do not come across the most
bittor denu ciatlcn Of the law be-
cause private residences are open
to search without a warrant being
issued.
The State board of control has
ordered that raids shall be made
upon places where liquor is stored
away in quantities greater than five
gallons, unless the owners shall
secure certificates from the liquor
commissioner emitting them to
hold the liquor in their possession.
This order is at once construed to
mean that private residences are
to be searched to ascertain wheth-
er more than five gallons of liquor
are kept for private use, when
there is not syllable to justify
such a conclusion. The provision
of the law under which the order
has been issued plainly reveals the
object which is to ascertain where
liquor is stored in large quantities:
and as a consequence to keep it
under surveillance hereafter. No
private rights are invaded, and the
State is perfectly justifable in
keeping all eye opon stored Ii
quors.
On certain day not long ago
two or three dispensary constables
visited Newberry, and it was
heralded over the country that
they were parading the streets with
Winchester rifles, when there was
not word of truth in the state
ment. Newspapers pitched into
the high-handed methods of the
constabulary, and compared them
to the minions of Scott and Moses
trying to overawe a free people.
Corrections were made, it is true,
but the false impression created
has not been overtaken.
The story is frequently repeated
that the constable in Charleston,
who was pardoned immediately
after conviction had slapped a
woman in tho face, when the proof
was that he had struck her upon
the shoulder, which he claimed
was entirely accidental. and that
he was not cognizant of the fact at
any time. But the story got star
ted thatit was a slap in the face,
and it is still doing duty for the
exhibition of choleric bluster in
regard to the protection of woman
in South Carolina.
The Richest of Plumbs.
ST. Louis Globe-Dcmocrat.
l. Ia fro y,