Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-11-07

or Mr.. Hammett, Dut VIII say WHile
II my judgment there Is no more vio-
lation of the liquor laws in York coun-
ty right now than there has been for
years past, If Mr.. Hammett should
come here to inquire into the matter, he
would come in contact with people who
would represent that the tigers are
running things with a high hand and
selling all the liquor they want to sell.
The governor can easily find excuse
for the return Of the constables II he
so desires.
But we don't want these constables
to come to this county. What we want
is to put a stop to the illegal liquor
traffic, and we can do that with our
regularly constituted legal machinery.
My observation Is that the state con-
stabulary has not contributed great
deal to the enforcement Of the law
against the sale of liquor. Just as
when the chaingang was established,
road overseers everywhere began to
rely on the chaingang to work their
roads, when the constabulary was es-
tablished, magistrates and the people
generally left the enforcement OF the
liquor laws to the constabulary. And
the constabulary has never been able
to accomplish a great deal. Jurtes
have not been willing to convict on
their testimony. In cases where the
evidence seemed so plain as to leave
no possible room for escape from
conclusion of guilt, have heard ju-
rors give as an excuse that they would
believe the defendant as quickly as the
constables and they had therefore to
give the defendant the benefit Of the
doubt.
We are now paying about $4,000 a
year in this county for the enforce
ment of the criminal laws. Now is
there any good reason why we should
be called upon to pay $4,000 year ad-
ditional for an ostensible enforcement
of the laws against the sale Of liquor.
II this expenditure would amount to
anything practical, 1t would not be so
bad maybe; but to require US to pay
$4,000 for a mere show Of enforcing
the laws would be an unnecessary
hardship. It would not only be un-
necessary; but 1t would be unjust and
undemocratic.
Now there is no need to try to
deny that the illegal sale Of liquor is
going on in different parts Of the coun-
ty; but this Is heritage Of the dis
pensary law rather than develop
ment Of the abolition Of the Yorkville
dispeasary. I have been hearing for
years Of one negro who has been SELL
ing liquor at McConnellsville with i'm
punity, regardless Of the constables
and I have the names Of people who
are selling liquor in Kings Mountain
township. Liquor is being cold In 9TH
er paris Of the county just as 1t has
been all along, and what we want to
do is to put stop to it.
"One thing very important in this
matter Is to build up healthy public
sentiment Let the representative cit
liens in each section Of the county
give 1t to be understood that they Will
have no more Of 1t. And this senti-
ment can do a great deal to stiffen the
back bone of Jurors. don't want Ju-
rors to convict without the evidence;
but we do want them to convict when
they are satisfied of guilt. 1t has been
too common q thing for jurors to lis
ten to absolutely overwhelming testi-
mony and then turn the defendants
loose. We want witnesses, too, who
when they go into the court house,
will not have forgotten everything
they have ever known. With the wit
nesses telling the exact truth fearlessly
and comprehensively, and jurors re-
garding their oaths as becomes good
citizens, there need be no difficulty
about securing convictions.
"I have been told that liquor sellers
in Kings Mountain township have
given it out that they will kill whoever
dares report them. I do not believe
that any such ruffians can cow or in
timidate the honest, brave citizenship
Of that neighborhood in any such
manner These people should be made
to feel the iron hand Of the law.
There is no need to say that the law
against the liquor traffic cannot be en-
forced. 1t can be. Many people remem-
Der how years ago, before the estab-
lishment Of the dispensary, the Thorn
burgs undertook to conduct an illegal
liquor business on the outskirts Of
Yorkville. The late Sheriff Glenn took
the matter In hand and with the as
sistance Of citizens soon broke the
business up completely. Some ten
years ago Judge Townsend sent a
white boy to the chaingang for a year
for selling liquor and gave negro wo-
man the sentence for the same offense.
That came pretty near breaking up the
business in this section for the time
being, and feel pretty sure that IL our
people will get together and round up
all the liquor sellers and send them to
the chaingang. the business will cease
at least for a while"
Rev. ]. s. Grier asked Senator Brice
as to whether or not he had any plan
of action to propose to the meeting.
The senator said he had no plan; but
had merely called the meeting in order
that there might be free discussion
of the situation. He called upon Mr.
F. H. Barber.
Mr.. Barber remarked that Senator
Brice had already covered the ground
so well that there was nothing left for
him to say. But we can stop this
business" he declared. why Of
course, we can stop 1t, and we don't
need any constables either. I don't
think there is any use to tax the coun-
ty to bring constables here, when they
can't do anything. What we want to
do is to raise such money as we need