The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-04-24
THE DIspENsARY Law.

Judge Gof, of the United States Court,
has, upon the motion of Messrs. J. f. j..
Caldwell and Sampson Pope, attorneys
of Newberry, Issued a temporary injunc-
tion or restraining order, epjoining the
officers and agents Of the State of South
Carolina from interfering with the trans
portation of liquors into this State, or of
their delivery to the consignees, or of
molesting liquors received by consignees
from other States. This injunction is to
be good until the End day of May next,
when the parties epjoined are required to
show cause why it should not be contin-
ued Of force or made permanent. Within
that time the officers Of the State, Sherifts,
Constables, &C., cannot seize liquors
shipped into the State without subjecting
themselves to liability to punishment for
contempt of the Court for violating its
orders. If after argument on the End OF
May the injunction is continued of force,
it will then, no doubt, find its way by
appeal to the q. s. Supreme Court; or
rather it will doubtless be appealed from,
let it be decided as it may by Judge Gof.
And il the ultimate decision should be
against this feature Of the Dispensary
Law, as we believe 1t will be, then good
bye to the dispensary system in South
Carolina. In a short interview given ont
by Gov. Evans and published by the
dailies, he speaks very derisively of the
lawyers who obtained the injunction.
and ysry defantly Of his purpose to dis
regard 1t. He refers to the moving At
torneys as the little "Snaps who are
attacking the Dispensary Law after the
Quirks e Gammons have tried their
hands on it." The Greonville Ne,os, by
the way, makes a capitol point against
the State and the Nevs and Courier for
their apparent ignorance of the allusion
to the very disreputable firm Of law
lyers, "Quirk, Cannon & Snap" that
figures in .sTen Thousand a Years" and
Bretorts upon the Governor by hkening
him to Tittlebat Titmouse, the silly hero
Of that famous novel. To those who have
read the book we might well leave the
task Of passing upon the resemblances,
;whioh,is fancied and which is real; but
cannot refrain from the remark that some
sof the most respectable and prominent
lawyers Of the State have condemned this
BDispensary Act as bad law. But what
we particularly wished to say is, that
when Gov. Evans threatens to ignore
Judge Gof's injunction he is playing to
the galleries or trying to fool the people.
He knows that 1t Is, law until 1t Is set
aside or dissolved, and that the officers
cannot violate it by seizures Of liquors
without being in contempt Of Court
He ought to know, too, that he cannot
play upon the passions and prejudices Of
the people Of his own party by alittle
empty thunder as he once could. There
are members Of his own party who have
never believed In the policy or justice Of
the Dhpensary Law, and who have
always regarded this denial of the right
to get their own liquor where they pleas
ed, as high handed tyranny. II the Gov
ernor is relying upon the sympathy and
support Of his own party he had better GO
little slow in butting up against the
United States Court. 1t is simply a ques-
tion Of the supremacy Of the Law; and
especially Of the United States Constitu.
tion oyer State law.