The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-11
DUAL OFFICE HOLDING DEAD.
TWO SOUTH CAROLINA LAwMAK-
ERs UNsEATED.

The New Constitution of the State
Prohibits 1.-THE Conservatives
voted Against UnseatinE GOV.
Evans sends I'm His Special Annual
Message Relating to the Dispen-
sary system-His Action Toward
Charleston Explained.
Columbia. S. c.. Feb. 10-There were
pretty stirring times in the House Of Rep
resentatives toward the close Of this even
ing's session. when. after a debate con-
tinuing all day, the House. by a vote Of
80 to 36, unseated two Of its reform men,
bers-John 7. CASTOR Of Aiken and John
+. Duncan Of Newberry-because they
were disqualified under the new consti-
tuition from holding two offices of profit
and trust at one and the same time. Mr..
Duncan was chief clerk of the secretary
of state and Mr.. Castor was superintend-
ent of the state dispensary. The conserv-
alive members voted to sustain the posi-
ton of the dual office-holders. Mr.. Dun
can, just before the vote was taken. made
a somewhat impassion speech in which
ne intimated that a Statesman out Of
job in his county, who had always been
prosecuting him. was at the bottom of
the affair. If the same principle is applied
in the Senate. that body will lose several
of its members.
Tonight Gov. Evans presented to the
general assembly his special annual mes
sage relating to the dispensary system.
He declines in the message to ask for the
abolition of the drinking feature of the
law. He says the law is a success, as a
moral reform system. He thinks the Bit
ter opposition to the law is dying out
rapidly.
The total net accrued profits from the
business for the past eleven months are
43Sl6.57. He reports that the constabu
larry has cost for the past year $i3,0S2 OF,
and $l7.031.70 worth of contraband liquor
was seized. Without the constables, he
says, the blind tigers would be rampant
He has discovered that retail liquor Ii
censes were issued by the United States
government to l57 Illicit whisky dealers in
Charleston alone. He goes for Judge 81
monton's injunction, calling 1t a legal
curiosity. He say this judge has
sumed to legislate for our general as
sembly."
Speaking of the application of the metro
politan police law to Charleston, he says:
You are familiar with the state of af-
fairs that followed this injunction. Whis-
ky was imported into the state by
every quondam barkeeper for personal
use, and the bar rooms of Charleston were
so bold under the protection of their
judges as to violently resist the efforts of
the constables to close their hell holes.
found 1t impossible to do anything with
them on account of the sentiment of the
city being overwhelmingly in their favor
ordered the constables to confine their
efforts to seizures that they had reason to
believe were not for personal use, and they
accomplished a great deal, although the
results were quite unsatisfactory. 1 ap-
pealed TO the mayor, and he promised CO.
operation. SHORTLY afterwards CitX
council refused to pass an ordinance pre-
pared by the mayor, which provided for
the punishment of keepers of blind tigers
l called upon the mayor and he endeavored
to have the ordinance enacted, but in vain.
They were Joined to their idols. The chief
or police was a friend of the law but he
had neither the moral nor the legal sup
port of the council or the community, and
his appeals were only partially success
tul L gave the city notice that unless
the law was better enforced l would have
to resort to the metropolitan police law
This had a slight effect, but it soon wore
on. L again gave warning several months
afterwards, and the chief of police asked
me to give him a little more time and he
thought matters would be in a better
condition. He succeeded in making sew
eral cases against Illicit dealers but the
grand jury of the best citizens, so we
are Informed, refused to take the oaths
of men whom they placed in charge of
their homes and lives and unceremonious-
ly threw out ali bills against Illicit deal
ers IN whisky. This emboldened the IL
of the courts, and succeeded in obtain
ing changes OF venue in several cases. but
the question is still in the supreme court
as to our rights to such changes. My pa
uence became exhausted, and 1 appealed
to the state board of police commission
ers, and they did not hesitate to place
the police of the city of Charleston under
the control of commissioners. | regret
that this was necessary, but ii was sim
ply question of whether we should aban-
don the dispensary in Charleston or first
exhaust every means in our hands for
the enforcement of the law. l am salts
fled that the police can do more than all
the constables in the state toward en-
forcing the law in our cities, and IL the
city authorities will not allow them to
do so, it is the duty of the state to take
charge. If the next year does not afford
better results, then a new law must be
made for Charleston. l am satisfied
however, from present Indications that
we will have nothing to complain of
I'm order to comply with the interpetra-
ton of the Interstate commerce law by
this United States judge, | would respect
fully recommend that the law be amended
by declaring that all alcoholic liquors
except when analysed by the state chem
list and found to be chemically pure are
detrimental to the health, morals and
welfare of the citizens of the state are
contraband and liable to seizure wherever
found without warrant, and when seized
shall be forwarded to the state commits
sioner and by him destroyed. This would
cover the objection of Judge Simonton
and would relieve the law of a continual
warfare by the whisky ring"