The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-01-20
SUMTER S. c., WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 20, 1897

In year 1896 no bills and discon.
tinued, la; not guilty. "a; mistrial,
0; guilty, l59; total, 627
For the past year, of the 627 cases
reported, 23l were from the city of
Charleston.
METROPOLITAN POLICE.
The greatest problem that have
had to meet since my connection with
the Dispensary law has been its
proper enforcement in the city of
Charleston. There are more friends
in this city to the law than an out
slider who has had no dealings with
them would imagine, but it has come
to be political and social question
in that community, and great mum.
ber of its friends have not the temerity
to publicly uphold it. realized that
to be polite in dealing with this ques-
tion meant to be false to the great
majority Of the people of South Caro-
lima and untrue to those who had
elected me, and determined upon
an aggressive policy towards this
city The question narrowed itself
down simply to this: whether the il
licit traffic and contempt of law and
order should prevail 10 Charleston and
be restrained in the rest of the State,
or whether l should support and en-
force the law with strong hand,
giving equality to all men
Seeing the increased amount of il
licit sales of whiskey in this city. and
the contempt with which the officers
of the law were treated, and having
warned the mayor and city council re-
peatedly of my intention, to no avail,
the State Commission, consisting of
the Governor, the Secretary of State,
and the Comptroller General was
called together aud thoroughly re-
viewed the situation. They unani-
pously agreed that the only course
left was to use every power for the
enforcement of this law placed 10 our
hands by the General Assembly. or TO
abandon the city to the barkeeper and
the rumseller We decided on the
former course I expected, and so
did the other members of the Board,
to receive the condemnation of this
city, and of the enemies of the Dis.
pensary law throughout the State, but
I am determined to do my duty. and,
failing IN that, to recommend to you
such Legislation as I deemed neces-
srry to meet the case The metro
politan police has proved a success
in every sense of the word, and I am
satisfied, if left to vote of the hon.
est, Christian, ]aw.abiding citizens of
Charleston, freed of political malice,
they would sustain it In the first
place, it is admitted by its enemies
that the chief of the force and the po-
lice are more efficient and have given
better service than any in the History
of the city The policeman as a po-
litical ward heeler has been de
stroyed, and even Mr. Barnwell,
chairman of the opposition, aud a
bitter opponent of the law and the
police, in an interview in city paper
after the last election stated that
Marshal Martin and his entire force
had acted with absolute impartiality,
and had performed their duty faith
fully "Praise from Sir Hubert is
praise indeed" The only objection
seems to be that the city has been
deprived of one feature of home rule,
| and this has been the slogan in the
absence of any meritorious objection.
What is home rule? Does it mean
tie absolute power of a municipality
to abrogate and nullify the statute
laws of sovereign State? Does it
mean the submission of the lives and
homes of honest citizens to a govern
ment of rumsellers and illicit dealers
in whiskey? Does it mean the free
parade through the avenues oflawless
Italians with whiskey barrels wrapped
in the flag of the Union? If SO, then
let this conception of Jefferson perish
in South Carolina Under the laws
of this State, police officers are State
officers Municipalities are formed
for the purpose of aiding the State
government in enforcing the laws of
the State. They are intended as
subordinate limbs of the gov,
eminent, and when they fail to per.
form their functions they should be
put under State control, or have their
charters repealed 1t has been con.
tended that the police have been
taken from the control of the citizens
This is untrue. They are in the
hands of a commission of native
born Charlestonians, whose interests
are linked with those of the city
They are under the control of chief