The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-01-28
TI||man and |rby on the DiSpensaTy Case.
TIE DOCTORS WILL DIYAGfsiGIG.

| fhH DotlOkS WILL DI33 GREE.
Tillman Thinks tho Decision Docs
Not Hurt tho Lnw--IrDy Believes
the Law is Dead.
Special to News and Courier.
Senator Tillman's hobby, (thc South
Carolina dispcr,ary liquor Iaw) has
Decn dltohed 10y the Supreme Cuurt of
the United States. Tho Court decided
that the law is constitutional SO far
as 1T seeks 70 prohibit citizcns Of the
State FROM Importing into the com.
monwcatth liquo" for personal use.
The question whether the State has
the r!Hht to cngaG" in the l;uu0r t,uf-
tic was not raised during the trial,
hence the cons.itutionality OF tn, on
tlrc olspcnsAry'aw was not passed upon
by the Court.
The general opinion OF South Caro-
llnlhns and lawyers who have 10 l1vrl
Chls Interesting CaSO is that tho drci
sion practically destroys the famoas
liquor ia", which Cuabici Senator
llliman 10 ris" from tho Governors
chair to tho United States Senate.
| Ever since the Chicago convention
! Tlllman's influence in South Carolina
! ha' been on the down n-gradc. and his
g.. lea enemies claim that the dcci-
son oi the Supp cmc Court to-day will
expedite his journey into political OBJ
security. Onc Of tie interesting Incl
dents OF the day was the wide differ
cnce OF opinion between tho two South
| Carolina Senators on this subjrcl Irby
claims to have made Tillman, but re-
ccntIy they quarrcilcd and Tillmau
undertook TO displacc lrby in the :, II.
ate with Ex-GovcrLor John Gary
swans lrby joined forces with the
: Anti -Tlllman faction in the State and
helped to defeat Evans with judge
Earle.
To-day Tillman and Irby mot in the
Sc2aic chamber for the first time this
scs: On. Tillman advanced towards
his colleague ard extended his hand.
Ihc handshakc that followed was
about as cordial as Corhctt and Fitz.
simmons will put up if they over meet
III the ring side. y fcw pcrfunctory
words were exchanged and the hated
rivals parted. A few minutes later
the news reached The Senate that the
South Carolina liquor case had been
decided against tho State. Here is
how the South Carolina Senators OK.
pressed themselves on the subject
Senator Tillman said he was the
daddy of the dispcnsary child. and
therefore he WAS anxious to ascertain
to what extent the Supreme Court had
mutilatcd his oi1spring." There was
considerable confusion over tho dcci-
sion 0i the Court owing TO the fact that
Chicf Justice Fuller announced the
decree OF tho Court for Mr.. Justice
Shlras, who was absent from the bench
today. Tho decision was quite long,
aud the Chief Justice made but BRIEF
statement Of the findings Of the Court.
Ills condensation was such that it was
IN fl.,f.< L.
Court had passed upon the entire dis
pensary act, or simply that part OF it
Which enables parties to bring liquor
into the State for their personal use.
Alter spending several hours in trying
TO get at The real scope OF the decision
Senator Illlman was informed by Mr.
Justice Brown, who dissentel from the
opinion OF the Court, that the decision
aflrms the decree Of the lower coart.
which decided that it was unconstitu-
tlonal for the State authorities to av-
rest persons for bringing liquor into
the State for personal use. With that
m.nnldt,crs'anding of the decision Senator
| Illiman exclaimed THAT decision
does not kill my dispcnsary law by a
Jug full. AS ] understand it tho de.
cision simply ailirms the decision OF
Judge Simonton, who more than q
year ago issued an Injunction which
prevented the State officers from ar
resting and sciZing liquor brought into
the State for the personal use Of tho
parties interested. 1t docs not 90 into
the general question of the constitu
tlonal right OF the State to traffic in
liquor. We have been operating under
the Injunction OF Judge Simonton for
more than year, and the decision
rendered to-day does not materially
affect tho existence Of tho law. We
will go right ahead and enforce the
law SO as not to conflict with the Su-
prcmc Court, hut il we find that tho
law is not broad enough | viii under
take to get q special Act OF Congress
passed to give us all the power we de-
sire to enforce tho law. The fight is
not over by n jug full, and we will con.
.;nuc to defend the dispcnsary law be-
cause wo believe it is for the good of
the people of tho State"
"Will not the decision rendered to.
day enable or encourage people to
cvadc tho law and make combinations
to get liquor into tho State under the
prctcxt that it is for their personal
use ?"
I" If they do we will capture their
stun just as we are doing to-day. If
any further legislation is necessary,
our Legislature is in session. and we
Will amend the law to meet any en-
Urgency that may arise. There is q
mistaken idea prevailing in the minds
of certain people that the dispcnsary
law was enacted to give the State rev.
cnuc. That was not tho intention of
the trainers OF the law. We want to
break up the bar-roOm system and cur.
tail the consum. ton Of liquors in the
State. We don't care anything about
the revenue we get from it if we can
prevent drunkenness and check the
influence Of the rum sellers in State
politics. great deal has been said
about the dispcnsa"y law being used
to promote the political ambition OF
certain men in the State. These
charges are without foundation, and it
will not do for the enemies of the law
to keep up that old cry"
Senator Irby said that he was unable
to sec the text Of the decision, but the
impression given him by those who
listened to its reading by Chief Justice
| Huller WAS that tho C0nrt 1ooido, tho