The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-02-15


the conrties enjoy in settled peace aud
quiet, the COOL effects brought about by
this modern solution of Il rexsd question.
Il may be said tho people throughout the
State should Le forced to support this law
as they do any other law. In my judg-
MELT, based upon past experience. this
caon"t be dorie. No law can be suc:ess.
fully enforced Il .inSt the will OF tn, pee.
pie, aud whe;e the oppo o,Itinn To the law Is
in city, with its municipal an,i conaty
authorities in sympathy wish the opposi
ton, It j utterly i.apossibe ~ eniurce it
This is the rrn-on the tli-pcnsary law has
u.v been successfully enforcsd IN Char.
lesion. Chief Boyle may he as anI:ous to
do his tu! duty Il, the Governor Of the
State. Whpt cau lie do when the juries re-
fuse to convic.! The same reasons apply
to other cities, bat I mention Charleston n
brcu uso i. has been said that gr"ad jules
have thrown ont lispeaSury cases upon the
xrouu.t that it Was the law, not the vic.
lators Of it, t.iey wero trying. AMI Case
after cave wrn, (, the wall.
Failure has hreu the fate OF the III pcn.
sary law III Churlrstnu With large cnu-
stabuary force they failed. With metro
politau police forcs they fuiled With nu-
, .nerors beer privileges and even whole
sale privileges they failed. Hence 1t does
seem to me from this 1periencs 1t must be
admitted the disp-nsary law has not and
cannot be enforced in some counties. AS
I said the other day the evil Of this failure
to enforce the law will spread and permo-
ate other localities as we'll az hinder the en-.
forcement Of other laws. II juror can
disregard his duty and his oath in dis
pensary case, will no not likely do 30 in
other cases. and justify his conduct with
the reflection that be does not think the
law wise one?
What, then, are We to do? Shall vs rid
the dlspenssry law OF these counties where
the enforcement is impossible, and thus
have a settled condition for the government
OF those counties whose people give it their
moral support, and which will insure its
complete success? Or shall We bliudly
hold on to them until they drag the inssi-
! tuition into disrepute?
1t may be argued that We must have o
general law applicable to the entire State.
One of the most beneficial laws ever en-
acted in this State is the fence law, and yet
we see portions Of the State exempted from
it's operations, Why? Because the stock
| law is not suited to certain sections. Look
through the statutes and you will find cer-
tain counties exempted flo.u many general
laws, merely upon the request OF their Rep.
| resentatives. But is this dispensary lGw
general law, with no exceptions? By no
means. If the Law is general in terms the
administration of it is FAR from general. In
my own to~n capnot buy liquors or beer
outside OF the dispensa:y, bnt here in Co.
lumbia, under the shadow OF the State
House. private individuals import beer.
bottle it AMI haul it through the streets for
sale under special privilege. Is that .
general laVe This is not equal rights 10
all and special privileges to none. bnt it is
special privileges to some and equal rights
to none.
These special privileges. in my opinion.
are not warranted by Law, and I believe
they are wrong; then again, when you 90
to Charleston, not only do you find these
special privileges. but you can get liquor at
your hotel-a special privilege not enjoyed
by your country inns. nor by the vast ma
jority of hotels in the State.
I believe that every one Of those privi-
leges are illegal. not only so, but they are
blight to the dispensary law. Without i'm.
pugning the motives OF those who have
claimed the legal right to grant these privi.
leges, and put it on the ground THAT pecu.
liar conditions demanded the exercise o!
their right" let me say that this proves tha:
our general dispeusary law is in many re-
spects not suited for certain places. Let
the people OF those counties say II they
need change, and il 20 what system. au'
thorized by the Fundamental! Law. best sultt
their conditions.
But Can 90 further ead say the admin
istration of the law in some counties IS d
reprosch to the plan.
This wholesale privilege to sell liquors a
wholesale in one community was never
contemplated by ths advocates of the dis
pensary law, and yet my information i:
that such privilege has been obtained b,
concern in Charleston. Why was il
granted? Was it politics or what Was ii?
Free the law and its advocates of all priv
ileges and of ali counties where the con
ditions CT the people are averse to the up
holding OF this law, and it will soon be re-
moved from politics. It will be blessing 6
to the people and become respected and
| fixed rs any law upon the statute books
Let US do this, and by doing 30 we stand
upon the bed rock Of Democracy. by per
lnitting the people to rule themselves. Girs
then: home rule and local self.govern ment
let them. if they SO desire. say at the ballo
box If they are dissatisfied with tho dispen
sary law, and if SO. what constitutional
| ovvtan - hevt erifaS n thap
This bill may be improved in some o.
its details, but believe the general scope
will prove satisfactory.
I am opposed to the amendment pro.
posed hy the distinguished Senator from
m V0T7 TlTTX