The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-01-18
In place OF the county boards would


sngpest that the county supervisor,
= county auditor and tho mayor OF
| tho county seat town, II q dispensary
be located there, il not tho mayor or
, intendant of some town In the county
in which there Is u dispensary, con-
stitute tho county board, aud that
they serve without extra compensation.
They, too, are elected by the people,
and would nave to give an account OF
their Stewardship to she people
would also suggest that tho county
dispensers be elected by the people as
other county officers are elected anu
for q term OF two years.
These changes are suggested not
only because in my judgment they
would improve the administration OK
the law, but on the ground OF ecoromy.
| regret that have not the hgures Tor
the last fiscal year. They could not be
obtained on account Of the assembling
| of the Legislature coming SO near to the
close OF the fiscal year. Ihe oEures'
however, will not be materially dtt ~
| ont from those OF the fiscal year lS"S'
sd far as tho county boards are con,
cerned, but the cost OF the State noaTu
will undoubtedly be very much IN,
l. creased. Ia this year the totaI COS. "'
the county boards was So, 70 FOR
the same year the cost oi the H'at,
| hoard of control WAS 81 @Ool, wnlSn
! mwkes u total Of $l4, l44 n rs the cost
of.thc State and county boards ., toh-
troll. and which by their aoN'N 'Nlon
would be turned into the prohts OF the
dispeDsary.
Iwnull also suggest that the law Ne so
,n,,nd,d us to bring vlOlatlonS wltnln
Tho jurisdiction Of the magistrates, 50
thnt all cases might be promptly anu
summarily ad judlcatcd. Much OF the
! eyuense OF the constabulary arises from
having to attend circuit courts as Wit.
posses and prosecutors against ollnd
tigers.
Soon attcr l came into office re-
duced the cOnstn buiary force nearly
one.hnlf and endeavored rs far Us |
knew and could secure Information to
select men OF character anu discretion
to perform the duties OF State con-
stables. as public sentiment grows IN
favor OF the law and magistrates and
their constables aud other officers real.
iZe that it is as much their duty 10 en-
force this as any o;her las. | am sati
fled that the force can be still further
reduced and iinaily entirely ABOLISHED
Daring the past year | issued Cir
GUAR letter to all the magistrates anu
/
and lntcndants Of the Incorporated
| cites and towns, calling their atten,
! ,iDn 10 the fact that the dispcnsary
/ law WAS AS mach q law OF the State rs
any other law and also directing their
! attcLtiOu to their duty to enforce 1t
lust as they would the statute against
| larceny or any other crime ana ASKING
their aid and corporation IN the wise
and humane execution Of al! laws. The
RESPONSES were numerous and unani.
! NOUS in expressions Of hearty co.Opera'
tion. Some Of them were frank enough
to say that they had been and were op
uOscd to the dispensary law, but many
enough To acknowledge it rs law o
The State and to pledge their support
and cu.Operation in its proper enforce
mcnt | am satisfied that this circular
/ mas resulted in good, aud that in many
I OF the cities aud towns the local au
thOritics are doing what they can t,
aDprchcud violatOrs and that there are
fewer violations Of the dlspcnsary la"
than Of many other laws now on the
! statute books.
MIR. w. W. Harris, who IS clerk AM
, is in charge OF this department undc
my dir ctiOn, in his report to me says
: "Thcrc is less complaint OF the llllc!
: tratli; in liquor coming TO TINS onlc
, from throughout the State than eve
before during the five years | hav
} been connected with this department
} and it is very evident that there Is les
violation Of the disransary law owe
, the entire State. with the possible cS
! ccptiOn Of the city OF Charleston AM
two or three OF the counties il tn
northwest portion Of the State, and i
is probable that even in those section
| hus m
=, NIT herewith a table showing the com
/ parative cost and the work done by the
I reduced number OF cOnstnbles for the
I last six months OF 1899 and the CORES
ponding SIX months OF 1898. 1t will be
/ seen that SO far a. the work done the
| nu IN Der OF secures Is about the same
/ while there has been 8 saving for the
six months Of 1899 over the same 81,
months Of 1898 Of $S 80 in this on.
item.
These figures include the cost 0
buggy hire, railroad fare for the con
stables, and the salary Of the clerk tt
GOvcrnlr.
am GLAD to be able to state tina
during my term OF OH 70 with but ont
exception there has been no conilic
between the cons,ables and citizens
and in this exception one constable
one citizen was killed. This unfortu
nate trouble cannot any more be charg
ed TO the dispensary law than could 8
similar difficulty in the enforcement o.
a.y other law be argued against it.
Tnc annual report Of the State board
~ control for the fiscal year ending
. Gem Der 81 1899, will be submitted
for your Information &. soOn as it can
r- made up. A. already stated, the
,.-ca year ending 80 near the Assem-
Ding OF the Legislature, it was impos-
..c!c TO obtain information showing
tne business and condition in time for
my message. am informed, however,
ma, the profits will be much larger
llan + 4 any previous year since the en-
acliueut Of the Di5pensary Law. Tn {
.Ou- not ncccs3ari!y mean that the con
-yupl!on OF whiSkcy has increased
"Jl rather j, argues that less whiskey
I'd. Jegl shipped in the State for per
-g.a. .-v ana the blind tigers have de
creased and much OF the prejudice
aga.r-l 10 D.spcnsary L2w no longer
eTI-t-