The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-02-18

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, invoice and consumers' prices and
) weekly statement OF their cash trans
actions, and q check covering tn
States share of all sales.
at the end OF each month they ar
required to send to the State Com
missioner q copy OF their merchandis
purchases and sales and remittance
and q copy of their cash transaction
for the month and also q copy OF thei
sales at invoice and consumers' price
for the month and an itemized state
ment for the month. They are re
qufred to take stock at the end of eacl
month In the presence and with tn,
assistance OF one member OF the count,
board OF control and to send to tn,
Commissioner an itemized inventor,
OF all merchandise on hand signed b.
the dispenser and the member of tht
board of control who assisted in tn;
stock taking. At the end of eacl
quarter they are also required to SEND
to the State board of control quar-
terly statement of their purchases
sales, expenses, gross and net profits
and stock on hand. A. duplicate state
ment is also sent to the board of con
troll. Under this system we have beer
enabled to dispense with the inspec
tors. The expense of the constabulars
hdc OOoh lhOEo Undh luSt Hy bhO VIC NdluS
OF the contraband whiskeyoaud wines
seized and the suppression of the ILL
cit traffic in such. The amount 70,
maintaining the force was $43, ,032 OIL
The value placed on contraband dump
ed was $lJ03l.70, leaving net cos
for maintenance of $4,000 81. Tho
value placed upon contraband seized
does not represent the true value OF
the articles captured as there Ia g
large amount still on hand of goods
unsuitable for the business of the dis
pensary, and consequently of no actual
value. l am satisfied no State officers
are entitled to more commentator
than these men who do not hesitate tc
risk their lives and in several instances
have lost them in defense and in exc
cutting the laws of this State. If it
were not for the espionage of these
officers the "blind tiger" would be
rampant and the dispensaries would
not be self-sustaiDing.. If the present
improvement In public sentiment in
the towns and cities continues / am
satisfied the constabulary can be safely
cut down to one-half the present force
at the end of another year.
THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW.
The Governor Is empowered to en-
ploy two chief State constables and as
many State constables as may be nee
essary to enforce the law. Upon my
induction into Office 1 determined to
reorganize the constabulary and IL pos
sible dispense with it altogether.
After trying q small force for month
| found that it was impracticable and
unless the force was increased the
execution of the law would be a failure.
When ever the constables were with
n
mediately petitions would be sent me
requesting their return.
For the year ending the first OF June,
1895, there were issued by the United
States Internal Revenue Collector SO5
licenses to retail liquor. This includes
as Dispensaries which leaves for illicit
dealers 730. For the year ending June
1st, 1893, there have been issued so
far 3S7 licenses, this includes 88 Dis
pensaries, leaving q total Of 300 for
Illicit dealers. OF this number 167
were taken out in the city of Charles
ton, ten Of which were for the Dispen-
saries, which being deducted leaves q
grand total of 157 Illicit dealers in this
city. 1t will oe seen from these figures
that over ffty-two per cent. of the
illicit traffic in whiskey is carried on
in the city of Charleston. II will be
further observed that the number of
United States licenses issued for the
State has decreased over forty-one per
cent for the past year.
The Illicit sale of liquor had almost
been starved out and dwindlel to
minimum when we were paralized by
a most unexpected decree by the
United States Circuit Court, through
Judge Simonton. This Judge it will
be remembered was the first to sus-
tain the constitutionality Of the law;
but he has now completely reversed
his former decision and under the
guise Of interstate commerce he nulli-
to prohibit the Illicit traffic. This law
seems to be the beto noir Of our dis
tinguished United States Judges,
Brawley. Simonton and Golf, but so
far we have reversed them and feel
satisfied we will continue to do SO.
The case before Judge Simonton was
brought by q citizen of Charleston
named Donald, who claimed that
whiskey had been ordered by him
from without our State for his per-
sonal use and had been seized by the
constablee and coniscated by the State
to his damage $4,000. After able
arguments the Judge declared that the
Dispensary law no where declares that
Uuo uso duu COnSuupUtOu vi dlCOuOilC
liquors in themselves are injurious to
the morals, good health, and safety Of
the State or OF her people. Alcoholic
liquor is declared to be contraband
and against the morals, good health
and safety of the State only when it is
not imported by the Dispenser or is
not in his hands. He winds up by
saying "If all alcoholic liquors were
excluded from the State or III all
persons were prohibited to import
alcoholic liquors or If the laws of
South Carolina had declared that all
alcoholic liquors were of such poison
Gus and detrimental character and
that their use and consumption as q
beverage were against the morals,
good health and safety of the State
other aud different questions would
arise"
Let an injunction issue as prayed for
In the bill.
The following injunction was is
! sued; "Ordered and decreed that q
| writ of Injunction, be awarded and dc
| issue out OF this court commanding and
| epjoining and restraining the defen.
dants M. t. Holly, Sr., as Chief Con.
stable Of the State Of South Carolina
and all other persons acting under him
his and theif, successors in Office, and
| also the defend ants j. M. Scott, II. M
| Gardner and E.SC. Beach and all other
State constables yof the State of South
Carolina and all county sheriffs ant
their deputiss anC municipal officers
IL Ia.