The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-03-25

people to the poorer knowledge of
what is real and true.
At this point the vice president ask
ed Senator Vest to suspend his speech
until a message could be received
from the President of the United
States. Mr.. Vest stopped and the mes.
sage was delivered.
CHANGE IN CHARLESTON.
Dispensary Convictions ut Last Being Sc
| cured There In the Courts.
CHARLESTON, March 18.-Will won
ders never ease? For the second
time a Charleston petit jury bas re.
turned a verdict of "guilty" against
an illicit liquor seller for violations of
the dispensary law in maintaining
places where intoxicating liquors are
sold. Heretofore mistrials or verdicts
of acquittal have been so invariably
the rules that one of these results was
considered a foregone conclusion
whenever these cases were brought
up, and consequently very little inter
est was taken in or importance attach
ed to them. The change is so remark
able that it calls for comment and we
shall comment on it without prejudice
and, we trust, without offence, as our
motive has reference solely TO the
truth of current local history.
A revolution in our judicial system,
beginning at the source of fun 9amen-
tai basis of 1.-THE jury box--has gone
on quietly, and unnoticed by the gen.
eral public although the legal profes
sion and those who are otherwise init
mately associated with the admins
ton of justice and the supervision of
her machinery were quite cognizant
of the significant and far reaching
character of the event. Formerly and
for long course of years our arcan.
um of justice has been under the su-
pervision entirely of officials of a
sameness of political complexion
gentlemen all and honorable men
but still of the same mind and mold
and disposition of character. With
out intention Of reflection we, never
theless, state it as fact that there
grew to be much of a sameness in the
result that followed the putting in and
taking out of the names from the jury
box. Like everything else which
runs for long in an uninterrupted
course, things fell into an accustomed
rut-what is known as the profession
al juror became quite a familiar fig
ure with US. 1t seemed strange that
out of the Lottery of our entire eligible
citizenship these particular faces
should so often repeat themselve 10
the jury box.
Among the innovations, some good
and some bad, which recent political
changes have brought about, it is but
truth to say that the uninterrupted
even flow of the jury box has been
disturbed. The elements presiding
over its destinies are not SO harmoni-
Gus in character and there is a lack OF
the sameness of result which was for.
merly had. Whether the change is
for the better or worse we shall not
undertake to decide There is change
however, and our purpose is simply to
account for the fact. Certain inner
circles of Charleston have been sur
prised by the extraordinary character
of recent grand and petit juries. 1t
cannot be denied that these juries
have been and are representative of
every class of the rank and file of our
citizenship.
But in nothing have they given so
much cause for surprise as in the re-
cent dispensary verdicts. Our public
sentiment is undoubtedly unfavorable
to the dispensary law as law. We
have been taught to assume that our
people went so far in their hostility.
even as to antagonize its enforcement,
Wise or unwise as this policy may
have been, our juries have in the past
seemingly concurred in this extreme
view by the uniform character of their
verdicts. The verdicts just had, how
ever, are indicative of a radical varia-
ton somewhere. Can it be that pub.
lie sentiment in reference to the ad-
visibility of enforcing the law has
changed2 Or have we been misled as
to the real character of our pubic SEN
timent on that particular point7
1t cannot be charged that the poll
tical character of the juries has been
changed. If a glance at the personnel
were not satisfactory as to this, the
simple fact that every juror who has
sat on these cases, without a single ex-
ception, has been examined on his
voir dire. accepted and empanneled
after making, in each and every in
stance, the explicit and unmistakable
avowal that he did not approve of the
law. The conclusion is unavoidable.
The free, untrampled and uninspired
judgment of this community, as rep
resented by our juries, is that while
the law itself is unpopular, the def
ance of it cannot and will not longer
be countenanced or condoned. Mark
the distinction and mark the decree.
There is no further room for mistake.
Charleston puts herself on record as
law abiding community to the last
gasp of the unfortunate and ill-omen-
ed sumptuary law Sun.
This Should Not Be.
COLUMBIA, March 1S.-The follow
ing has been sent to The State by
James L. Strain of Eetta Jane, Union
county.
Pontotoc Miss. Feb. 81. 1896.