The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-06-21

~ cH2p1e or iasure them by withhold

iHS HIoTS. Ihan. is necessary. sfer their
proper and cdequate. maiptepaace. -,
In my message'I recommended a
small appropriation 70 make search for
tle Black report, which was necessary
t. establish ihe daim of ;to State
against the general government. This.
report. rs q result OF this tecommenda-
ton and the. appropriation which was
made .aaS been tot:nd and Forwarded d
to Senatcr Tfilmah. and it is hoped
thatrit will supply the: missil; Ink
NECESSARY - establish the claim Of
the ST. te. a.nGtais enable .ho St-tc IL
.r,y &c cam or the general n;
rcnt ag2ihst..,,ie tsa.s and also have
J, cons!tsrablG balance to our credit.
"AS 10 the diEpenSary. my position
IN this question S:Well KNOWN In
:ircul2r which | issued in August Of
&st year to the magistrates /. stated
hat (. believed that the disSen sary
system. if properly and wisely enforced
'Tfts The best solution OF the liquor
|. question. yet devised. | took the same
}cSfiion in my message to the .legisla-
:Hne and have had no occasion to
lhange my views or this subject Much
DE thv OPPOSITION that formerly exist
I'd to the d:spensary system%has now
oeen Changed into its hearty support,
and. evep many Of those who. still 0p-
pose it are willing to give it further
trial and have ceased their active op-
position.
Il also issued last year a circular
tatte- to the mayors and intendants Of
The towns and cities Of the State ask
ing their Cooperation in the enforce
ment OF the law. They with one ac-
cord promised their hearty co-opera-
ion, and / believe the records will
bear me out in. the statement that the
law has been. better enforced during
he past year than ever before since it
was put on the statute books.
II redtced the constabulary force
and in the. selection Of oonscables have
.ndeavored to secure men Of character
md standing, and l am glad to say
that in the enforcement Of the law
here has been no conflict between. the
,orstables and citizens. The constab-
llary force is now considerably small
.r than it was when came into the
office, and | believe l can truthfully
iay without making invidiouS compar-
lsons. much more efficient.
In the city of Charleston, by wise
,ad discreet management, We were en-
ibled to show that the United States
officers were using the custom house
rs a storage for blind tiger whiskies
and without conflict between the State
and national authorities, and as re-
sui: Of the investigation in this case
the most notorious Republican in the
State was removed from Office and an
other, and l hope better man, put in
his place.
''Of course there are still violations
Of the law, but whenevcr it has come
to my knowledge that the law. was be-
ing violated and the Illicit sale.of whis-
key was being engaged in, in any COM
murity. have promptly sent officers
there with Instructions to stop the IL
liciS sales.
Il know there are good and true men
and Democrats who are honestly and
sincerely advocating prohibition, but |
am fully convinced that prohibitory
laws will not promote temperance. the
object sought by these people; but on
the contrary, if a prohibitory law was
enacted, blind tigers and taa Illicit sale
or wthiskey would increase and there
would be no machinery and no revenue
with which to put a stop to it. For this
reason many Of those who are in favor
OF the open bar room and the sale OF
whiskey are advocating prohibition.
and even those who are in favor OF the
license system advocate: prohibition
because they are convinced in taclr
own minds that prohibition will Sa 4
failure. and if they can by'these means
repeal the dispensary law they feel
that they will then be in a pOsitio to
secure what they want-tbe sale OF
wniskey U21c- tho license system. /.
do not believe that would be wise or
good Judgment at this time to have the
State torn up by change OF system
for the ltfndling of the liquor quest on,
and fer that reason, if for no other, II
would be@better to let the dlspEIsaly J
system stand. If the honest ana in-
cere advocates Of temperance woUd
stop and consider am sure they woGld
reach the conclusion that the dlsren-
gary system. properly managed and er
forced, is a better temperance measure
than prohibition would be.
In addition to this 1t IS not the pro-
vince OF the governor to enact laws,
but simply to see that those placed on
the statute books by the legislative de-
partment are enforced, and the election
of a prohibition governor would not
mean necessarily the enactment OF
prohibitcry law.
"I will attend all of the campaign