The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-06-12
TIE Attempt to Execute the Dlspensary
Law In Toto.

COLUMBIA, 8. c., June 6.-The two
most Objectionable features in the dispen-
sary law have been generally regarded to
be the right to search and the denial of
the right of individuals to bring liquor
into the State for their own consumption.
Other of the Objectionable features, in the
eyos of the opponents Of the law, have
not been as vigorously pushed as the
right of search and confiscation of liquor
brought into the State tor ones own use.
Had the Administration allowed people
to bring liquor into the State tor their
own use considerable element Of the
removed. But the State insisted on this
right, and 80 when Judge Simonton issued
an order allowing individuals. to bring
LIQUOR into the State for their own use it
was thought that one OF the thorns had
been removed. For awhile it looked as
if this provocation Of opposition would
die out by the acquiescence of the Ad-
ministration in the order of the Court.
Things went along smoothly for while
and considerable liquor was brought into
the State by parties for their own use.
Some did 80 because they wanted the
pleasure Of doing as they pleased; others
because 1t was cheaper and others because
they did not wish to buy liquor from tie
State dispensary. It is the opinion of
great many, which opinion is borne out
BY the record, that the element of compe-
tition that would have been brought
about by allowing persons to bring liquor
into the State for their own use would
not have materially affected the business
of the dispensary system 1t would have
enough to cripple the system of itself.
S. hn A 6Yni ~ iofr rof n
thought it better to act aggressively and
seize all liquor and make it develop upon
the party claiming the liquor to show
that t was not for personal use. 1t is not
q policy that is calculated to make friends
for the system, and had the State admit
ted the right Of parties to bring liquor In
the State for their own use and avoided
the pending friction the system of the
dispensary would no doubt have gotten
along better. But the Administration
seems to think differently and Is no doubt
trying to keep the dispensary plan as
free from the suggestion Of original error
as possible.
It appears that the State has the idea
that the pending contempt cases will not
amount to much, and this is based on
some sort of interview. between Chief
Constable Holley and Judge Simonton, in
which he said that it was not his inten-
tion to in any way encourage "blind
tigers" If, however, the ten or twelve
cases which have already been set go
against the State it will be rather ex-
pensive experiment.
To-day the State again showed that 1t
would return liquor to persons who were
known to have ordered 1t for their own
use. It has been shown by law and
4l {ha faa of nf a
officials that liquor intended for personal
use will ba returned, but 1t does seem
somewhat strange that the liquor Of these
persons should be seized in the first in
stance, only to be returned upon the
representation of the owners; though it
is true that the State may come out ahead
Of the 'sgame" by gaining the liquor
which might not be claimed for one rea
son or another.
There has been some talk about the
cases that were heard yesterday before
Commissioner Reid. DR.. Pope accom-
plished the desired result, and Is no
doubt satisfied. AS to the cases it is
hardly thought that they will amount to
anything much, and the Administration
is satisfied that the issue will never be
made in the Circuit Court. 1t was a
rather strange proceeding for the COM
missioner to take up the cause of Judge
Simonton in the way he did, but both
sides in this particular fight seem to be
doing pretty much as they please, 30 turn
about may be pretty good idea.
Commissioner Bauak ett to-day received
a letter from Judge Simonton in which
he acknowledges the receipt OF the four
afadavits that were made by Colum bians
whose liquor was seized. Judge Simon
ton says that the papers will be filed in
Charleston, and that m otion will have
to be made in his Court before anything
can be done. The Court can not take
action in the matter of its own motion.
On this line it appears that some of the
corporations sending liquor into the State
are employing lawyers to protect the
liquor whenit gets into the State. and in
cases where 1t is seized to have 1t gotten
out of the hands of the dispensary au-
thorities.
Deputy Internal Revenue Collector
Richardson, in talking yesterday about
the package that was returned to the dis
pensary, says that it was returned to the
dispensary simply because it did not
have five gallons. The internal revenue
Office, he says, has absolutely nothing to
do with packages of less than five gallons,
and 80 far as the internal revenue depart
rnent is concerned they cam come con-
cealed or any other way. It makes no
difference what is done with liquor Of
less than five-gallon packages, and Mr..
Richardson indicated that the internal
revenue department had no right, nor did
1t expect to cooperate in any way with
the State for the seizure of any liquor that
might be In less than five-gallon lots, for
it had nothing whatever to do with it,
Nea0S and Courier.