The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-01-08
THEY MUSE eo IT ALONE.
CITY AUTHORITIES no ENFORCE
THE DISPENSARY LAW.

The Copstabalary Force TO be Large
~ Reduced u the Men to ,ia sent
Into the County-Towns Musi Come
to- Time Within Thirty Days or they
VIII Get Metropolitan Police.
Columbia Register
The news-hungry reporters we're
glad to find Governor Evans in his
office yesterday because they felt
reasonably sure of getting at least one
good item. They were not disap.
pointed.
Evans was asked regarding
The Dispensary law and his projects
for its enforcement. He said
You can state hat no applications
will hereafter be received for posi-
lions on the constabulary force. I'm
stead of increasing the force we are
going to cut down and give the cities
and towns a chance to enforce the Dis
peEsary law without the interference
OF State officers. They will be allowed
to enforce 1t in their own way, and il
they do 1t there will be no necessity
for a return to the present plan OIL any
other plan"
to cut the force ?"
I'VE expect to cut it down to about
thirty-fve," he answered, 'tabout one
from each county. We have already
cut four or five men off. We now
nave about eighty men employed"
Asked as to what disposition will be
made OF the small force to be employed,
Governor Evans answered that they
will be SCI to the country and away
from the cities and towns. A large
number ofthem, he said, will be placed
on the border of this State and North
Carolina, and bordering on this State,
are four prohibition counties. A great
deal OF wk'skey is made in these
counties and is run across into this
State and sold. The purpose of Cover
nor Evans will be to have these men
watched and arrested. They will not
be tried in South Carolina, but will be
sent back into their own State for trial
on the charge OF making whiskey.
TIE CHARGES of conviction will be
greater than in this State.
Governor Evans was asked as to
what the cities and towns are doing
about enforcing the law. He answer
ed that so far as he had heard they
are doing what they can to carry it out
to the letter. "The towns which
have passed ordinances i~nstructing
and giving their officers the power to
enforce the law will, as I have stated"
he continued, "be allowed to enforce
the law in their W way. The towns
which do not pass ordinances t o have
the law enforced within the next thirty
days will be aided and will have the
laws passed for them" While the
Governor did not say it in so ;many
words that he meant thato the metro
politan police law would be putin OPP
Grafton in the refractory towns.
Darlington is supposed to be one Of
these towns. That town passed an or
dinanco i~nstructiug the police to en-
force the law before the Darlington
riot. After the riot it is said that the
town council repealed the ordinance.
All the largo cities OF the State,
Charleston, Columbia and Greenville,
are enforcing the law. Greenville's
mayor, james II. Williams. visited
Governor Evans personally and
ried out. Sumter, Aiken and Florence
have passed ordinances. giving their
police power to enforce the law. Many
of the smaller towns have done like
wise.
Governor Evans says that the rail
roahs have promised that they will
hereafter aid in the enforcement Of
the law by refusing to haul contra.
band goods-that is, whcn they know
that the goods are c~ontrahand. So the
outlook is for a quiet enforcement Of
the famous law by municipal authori-
ties.
If Governor Evan finds that the
municipalities are not earnestly trying
to carry out the law he will take a
hand and metropolitan policemen will
decorate the streets Of u number OF
places. An earnest. honest effort on
tho part of the municipal authorities
everywhere is I'LL that the Governor
asks or expects.