The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-16
LIQUOR ORDINANCE PASSED.
CharIeston's Council Provides Tor
Suppression of Illegal Traffic.

suppression of Illegal Traffic.
Charleston, S. c., Aug. 15.-The action
of the City Council of Charleston in
passing to it's third reading bill
which practically renders all traffic in
liquor in this city, save that conducted
under the auspices of the state dispen-
sary authorities, a misdemeanor,
should put at rest once and for all
the criticisms of this place and its at
titude in regard to blind tigers. The
new ordinance received the unanimous
Endorsement of the members of City
Council. which is a practical demon
stration of the unanimity of the feel
ing which exists here in favor of the
city using all legitimate means to as
sist in the enforcement of the dispen-
sary law. The action of the State Board
of Directors which directly led up to
this matter is easily recalled by all
newspaper readers in this section. The
charge was that the blind tiger keep
ers were in possession of the field here,
and that the Charleston authorities
were making no adequate efforts to
suppress the illicit traffic in liquor.
They even went to the extent of with
holding from the city of Charleston its
Legitimate share of the profits accru-
ing from the states liquor business
as means of punishment This sum
is a mere bagatelle in the annual reve-
nues of a city of the size of Charles
ton, amounting last yeas to scarcely
more than $4,000, but the people here
did not care to be in the attitude, in
the eyes of the rest of the state, of
opposing any law which is on the
statute books of South Carolina, and
consequently they have adopted the
new liquor ordinance as a proof of
their good faith and willingness to as
sist the state authorities in any way
within their power. Under the new
ordinance traffic in liquor in any shape
is made crime, which can be
reached and punished by the
police and the city Recorder, and
Mayor Smyth took occasion to state
at the time that the new law was pro-
posed that he would Immediately take
steps to see that it was enforced in
its spirit and letter. Under this ordi-
nance the police were given the power
to haul before the Recorder at any and
all times the blind tiger keepers of the
city, in order that fines ranging from
$25 to 800 may be imposed upon them,
and that this work will begin in a
most aggressive way goes without say
ing as soon as the law has actually
been ratified. This cannot be accom-
plished until the next regular meeting
of Council, which takes place on Sept.
10.
1t might be added here that the new
ordinance contemplates a strict en-
forcement of the dispensary law it.
self, as we'll as the suppression of IL
licit traffic in liquor. 1t is a matter of
common repute that many of the dis
pensers in South Carolina are in the
habit of violating the minor details
of the dispensary law. The act pro-
vides, for instance, that liquor shall
not be sold except to persons signing
certificates for their purchases, that
1t Shall not be sold to minors, and that
no drunken man or known inebriate
shall be allowed to become a purchaser
at one of the states liquor establish
ments. 1t is the exception to find any
one of the state dispensers who abide
by one and all of these regulations.
Provision is made in the new ordi-
nance, which has just been passed by
the City Council here, for the police to
keep an eye upon the state dispensers
in order to see that they abide by the
letter of the dispensary law, and it will
not be strange if some of the first per-
sons to be hauled before the Recorder
for violations of the law governing the
traffic in liquor are representatives. of
the State Dispensary.
generally. especially the people outside
of Charleston who are. more or less.
inclined to misinterpret the action OF
the authorities here where the dispen-
sary law is concerned, that this will
be done in no spirit of animosity or
with no desire of making useless
trouble. The State Board of Directors
has demanded that Charleston should
enforce all of the statutes of the state
most rigidly in regard to the traffic
in liquor. and Mayor Smyth and the
other city authorities have fully made
up their minds to meet its wishes In
this regard. If it becomes necessary
some time early next month to have
one or more of the Charleston dispen-
sers up before Recorder Jervey to be
fined for violations of the dispensary
law it will not be surprising to anyone
here, and ii should not be a matter for
comment or criticism by the friends OF
the disDensary law elsewhere. 1t is
impossible. of course, that the dispen-
sers of Charleston knowing that such
action is possible. may take warning III
time and confine themselves to obeying
strictly the rules and regulations which
are laid down for their guidance. but
unless they do so 1t is entirely possible
that they may find themselves en-
broiled with the city authorities at
very early date