The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-20

Paid into the State treasury in
1885,. lOO, 0Ol
Total. 5000, ,0O(
Paid to towns and counties,
1895. .....................SlO6: 13l q
Paid to towns and counties,
1896. LIZ, OOO OC
Total. al...................$228, 131 2e
Grand total net profits paid in from
all sources 1923. .131 %. For further
particulars of stock on hand, etc.,
would respectfully refer you to the re-
port of the State board of control here
with submitted. ...
1t will thus be seen that as finan'
cial business its success can not be de-
MED. To the above estimates the sum
of so, 900 per annpm, the average cost
of maintaining the dispensary consta-
bles, should be added.
The enforcement of the dispensary
law has been the bane of the whiskey
dealer, the terror OF the illicit distiller,
the pitiful excuse for the opposition OF
hypocrites and cranks, and the plat
form of disgrunted politicians cater
ing to local influences, good or bad.
1t is the duty under the law of all the
executive officers of the State, coun.
ties and towns to enforce this law, and
such officers are compelled to take an
oath prescribed by your honorable
body to faithfully enforce the law
when they assume their official duties.
The governor is..authorized to employ
constables and State detectives. whose
especial duty it is to enforce the law:
have employed on an average about
so constables during my term OF office
and one State detective, and they
have been Jealous and faithful in their
efforts to suppress the illicit traffic,
and I am satisfed-and lam sure the
people of the State are-at the results
obtained during the past year 55 regu'
lar commissioned constables, includ-
ing the two chief State constables,
have been regularly employed. The
State is divided into two divisions
known as the upper" and the CLOVER.
The upper division is In charge OF
Chief FAINT and the lower IN charge OF
Chief Holley. The salaries and ex.
penses, including one detective and
the clerk in my office, amounted to
$47, ,726 .01.
Thirty.o one constables are assigned
to the upper and "a to the lower divi-
sion. The upper division has been
much harder to handle by reason OF
the proximity OF North Carolina and
the mountain distilleries. The amount
of whiskey and brandy seized in the
upper division for the past year was
3,245 gallons, 80 gallons of beer, 8,976
gallons of cider and beer in bot
Ties, IL vehicles and Ii head of mules
and horses, and 10 illicit distilleries
were destroyed. In the lower divl;
sion there were seized and conhscated
5000 gallons of whiskey, wine and
brandy, 80 barrels of beer, 2,255 gal,
Ions of beer and cider in kegs, three
vehicles and four head of mules and
horses one illicit distillery was de-
stroyed. The resistance to the law
in the upper tier of the counties ad,
| Joining the North Carolina line and
In the county OF Charleston has been
most stubborn. In the remaining
counties of the State a healthy condi
ton exists and the citizens are almost
unanimous in support of the law. and
am glad to report that the law is
being better enforced throughout the
State st large, as is shown by the sales
of the dispensaries and the number OF
convictions of illict dealers in the
State and municipal courts. The
violations reported to my office show 9
large decrease and the daily reports ol
the constables show better state oil
feeling throughout the State at large,
In the counties Of Oconee, Greenville
and Chesterfield difficulties have been
had with traders coming from North
Carolina. These desperadoes invarla
BILE 20 armed to the teeth with a de-
termination to resist the officers to the
extent of loosing their lives if necessa
,ry. In Oconee a dastardly attemp
was made to assasinate the constables
almost at the doors of the court house
and they narrowly escaped with theil
lives. The good people of the county