The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-07-24
eHlRLES7ON'S
DIsPENslRY TROUBLES.
Mayor and Chief Of Police Before
State Board of Control.
The Embargo on Charleston Profit
is Still 0n---The Board Not
Much Impressed.

The mayor of Charleston came and
was heard. He contends that the mu-
nicipal authorities in Charleston are
doing their best to enforcce the dis
pensary law. The board of directors
of the State dispensary were not very
fayorbably impressed with the show
ing of Mayor Smyth.
Indeed the three members of the
board severally put themselves up as
witnesses against the enforcement OF
the dispensary law inthe city of Char
lesion. AS the chairman said, Il was
not hunting for blind tigers, for good
ness knows one doesn't have to look
for them, nor was I running from
them as you say you were, but saw
Aagrant violations of the law. .
Whereupon Mayor Smyth declared
that he had not run from the Illicit
lionor dealers, but he had kept away
from such suspected neighborhoods in
order to protect the dignity OF his
Office.
MI. Williams smiingly amended by
saying that the mayor was avoiding"
rather than running from the blind
tigers
Ih6ro were OGQSI IHCiONGS O1 SiA01iGt
nature which showed that the board
has not. a high opinion of the eff
cheney of the Charleston police forces
efforts to enforce the law.
From this it is evident that the
board will maintain its position in
withholding from the city Of Charles
ton the profits to which that city
was entitled from the revenue Of its
local dispensaries.
There was nothing sensational yes
terday, and there may not be any
hing sensational IN the further consid
Grafton of the matter. For the board
has not taken action. The representa-
tives of the city of Charleston were
heard yesterday morning and IN the
afternoon the board considered other
matters.
The mayor Of Charleston is not a
lawyer, yet he conducted himself
gracefully under the direct fire Of in
numerable and very pointed questions
from the inqnisitive members Of the
board. The charge against the city
administration of Charleston was
not doing anything to enforce the dis
pensary law. Mayor Smyth endeavor-
ed to show by statistics that the po-
lice had tried to do something, but
the grand jury Of Charleston county
was the bugaboo which annihilated the
indictments. Mayor Smyth was not
exactly on the witness stand, yet he
was piled with searching questions.
When the board met, Mr.. L. j.
Williams, the chairman, laid down
the proposition upon which the board
had taken its action. withdrawing
from Charleston the profits from the
local dispensaries with the intention
OF employing additional constables to
push the inquisition. Mr.. Williams
said that the reports had come to the
board that whatever little enforce
ment of the law there had been in
Charleston had come from the constbu-
lary,'' that the city authorities were
not giving any assistance and that the
police are allowing the illicit dealers
to 90 unmolested. The mayor and
chief of police of Charleston have been
invited to make a. showing in behalf
of the city.
Mayor Smyth asked if the board
could furnish any proof to sustain its
Nj. Williams replied that it is hard
to prove a negative; b1t the board
has sufficient proof and can furnish it
if necessary. The general charge is
that the police department. has done
nothing to enforce the law. The
members of the State board, although
not acting as spies, had, personally,
seen Aagrant' violations of the law in
Charleston. The governor had sent a
detective to Charleston. The board
has the proof, but does not care to
furnish in in advance of the hearing.