The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-06-10
PRESS. GANG INTERVIEWED.
Simonton's Decision Practically
Kills the Dispensary.
REJOICING NEAR DARLINGTON.
No Special Session of the Leg
islature--C -Constabulary Should Be
Modified to Some Extent

The following interview between Z
representative of the Atlanta Constitu-
tion and Col. McSweensy, Of the
Hampton Guardian, along with others
taken place in Atlanta last Thursday,
while the members of the State Press
Association were stopping over in that
city on their return from the Nashvilie
Exposition and other places en- route:
"The decision of Judge Simonton
practically kills the dispensary system
as it now exists" said Colonel Nc
Sweeney. 81 have always been in favor
of the dispensary, and believe it to be
the best solution of the liquor question,
but would have the constabulary of
South Carolina modified to some extent
There is phase of this which is OBJ
jectionsble.
There will be no special session Of
the Legislature, I here. It viii be
next March before the Legislature
meets again, and it seems to me that
the question will be settled before thxt
time.
Zone thing is sure, the saloon system
will never be introduced in South Car
oliua again. It is practically dead, and
all elements of the State are against t. !
"It seems to me that the only thing
that remains right now is for the State
to 20 into the business of selling whisky,
and underbid all competitors.
"'The high tax question will come up
also, and I believe that this will be ths
means by which the State can control
the traffic.
s'The peculiar feature of the decision
of Jude Simonton has struck me, and
that is that there can be nothing hkq
local option in South Carolina. He d.
clares that the present system is IN d.
rect violation Of Interstate commerce
laws, and says that whisky can be sold
in any part of the State in original
packages. Suppose q county should
declare against the sale of whisky, the
law could not be enforced, for the d.
cision of Judge Simonton makes ths
sale Of original packages legal any
where. ~ tsS
'TAere is no other solution but that
Of high tax"
WILL GIVE THEM HI q M
Correct, correct You are, said hig
hUnor, Col H. 81. Evans, the mayor of
Newberry, who was in the crowd ahout
Col. McSweeney. " "
'frhis decision will giyethose constar
bles hell. !,
'I want your to put that in, 2 he SAID,
turning to the representative of thu
Constitution. 8 s
eyes, sir; it will give these scalaWsgs
hell, and am d-n glad Of il. =: ,s, y
."That's good South Carolina tall, ~
he continued 1--WE don't do anything
or say anything in q milk-and -watsr
way over there. q
II believe the present system is dead
and it might as well be admitted 1 Wa
opposed to the dispensary at first and;
was q strong conservative, but / viii
never, and the people OF South Carolina
will never consent to the saloons COM
ing in again. It is q vicious syaten
these saloons. 8
'Iooks like to me the only way to do
is to raise the tax just as Col. Mcjween-
ey says. !"
REJOICING NEAR DARLINGTOE, ~
"There will be great Joy IN my neck
of woods" said T. j. Drew, Of Harta
Vile. "I live near Darlington. tn
scene of the great riot, snd I'll venture
to say that the people there are rejoic-
ing over the fall Of the dispensary sys-
tenn. st s, ~,
"They have no love for the lcon
stables, you know, and this decision aof
Simonton will almost trsak up ths
methods of these officers. ,"
Colonel Ebert A. Aull, editor Of tha
Newberfy Herald, and president Of the
State Press Association, thought h4t
the high license was the emily method
open to the present administrators.
Thus the editors talked OF the dis I
pensary question, and their decision
will soon be put into effect through The
fa.ao Of khoir r,anara -.