The Atlanta constitution., 1898-05-16
TILLMAN'S LAW
IS INDICATED
Meaning Of Decision Of United States
Supreme Court.
REALLY SUSTAINS THE LAW
While the Decision Is a Reverse, 1t
Settles a Principle.
POLICE POWER OF THE STATES
Comes to the Gist of the Contention,
stablishing the Constitutional
ity of Such Laws.

ity of Such Laws.
Washington, May 11.-(Special)-A great
deal of interest has been manifested by
senators and representatives generally in
the decision of the supreme court by which
the Vital features of the South Carolina
Gfspcnsary law are held to be valid and
effective.
The dispensary law is experiment
which has been watched with great inter-
est by the friends of temperance in all
parts of the United States. When it was
first put upon the statute books of South
Carolina II was regarded as a decided de
parture from all legislation which had
formerly been enacted and it was. Before
the dispenslry idea was advanced, the
only methods Of restriction of the traffic
which had been put into operation We're
the high license system and prohibition
Even the genuine friends of temperance,
whether they We're prohibitioniSts or not.
were Inclined to look askance at this new
departure, and at the outset it met oppo-
rents at All quarters
4 Hard Road To Travel
From the day of its passage the law has
had r rocky road to travel. Everything
which could possibly be done by its oppo-
ueuts to harrass the officers Of the state
has been done. And the law Itself has had
TO rum the gauntlet of almost continuous
legal opposition
\ nurter of cases involving different
features of the original law have been
before the state and United states courts,
and there have been several decisions hy
the United States supreme court, bat until
this week the vital principles upon which
line law is founded have never been passed
upon by the highest judicial tribunal
The decision which has just been rendered
sU@tuius the wing principles of the law,
though declaring unconstitutional what
might hc termed one Of the side issues.
Nu act of congress known as the Wilson
aF. passed in 1890 aud designed to offset
tho decisions of the supreme court which
permitted the sale of any article brought
."to state and retained IN its original
package. figures prominently in all of the
litigation over the diSpcnsary law. THIS
Wilson act WAS passed by the almost uuan-
5wuu@ vote of congress- as | recoll"ct il,
ana WIS designed to preserve tn the states
III. r-Ht Jc control the sale of liquor
within their bOrd rs. The prohihition law
of Iowa. 1t Was cuutcndod. WAS in conflict
with the Interstate commerce clause of
the constitution because it sought to pre-
Vent the sale of articles which came into
tno state in the legitimate channels of in
terz.atc commerce. The courts upheld this
contention i'm what were known as the
'ol-e..M package dCcieions.' These De
c.Hr3 that liquor in the original packages
na sold desI}te he prohibition law.
what the law Provided For.
TO offset these decisions, ana to give to
the state of Iowa and Other states the
it.''s TO control The liquor traffic. the
Wilson law WAS cuacted. II provided:
"GHat an tc'mcnted. distilled or other
i'"AcHting liquors or liquids transported
n.'o amy state or territory, or remaining
t..ratu for use consumption. sale or stor-
therein SHAH arrival such