The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-08-11


when. under other laws. they had
voted upon such question, and would
enable said latter counties from time
to time indiscriminately thereafter,
and at no stated or fixed intervals. to
vote upon such question, while never
again would the former counties be
permitted to vote on the question
once II had been determined by the
election Of August II.
IN sther words. on August II. all
counties In which the dispensaries
new existed to August Q, must vote on
whether or not the dispensaries shall
be reopened. whichever way the
election goes. whether wet or dry. the
status Of this county is fixed forever.
There can never again be q vote upon
the question. Thus. II in one county
the dispensary 10 voted In. 1t remains
In forever: II It IL voted out It re-
mains out forever. In the other class
Of counties, those having already vot-
cd the dispensary out under previous
laws. they cannot vote at all on Au-
gust IL. They may never vote at all
upon the question. or they may. with
In four years from the time when
they last voted. or any time thereaf-
ter. and ~ often thereafter as under
the condition Of the Carey-C -Cothran
Act. they may see nt. vote liquor In or
out under the terms Of said Act.
1T 10 manifest that this 10 special
legislation. particularly as the coun-
ties which had voted under the Ca
rey-Cothran Act. and had voted liq-
uor In. at the time Of the passage of
this Act. are arbitrarily distinguished
from those ccunties which exercised
the same option and voted liquor out.
This IL special legislation and in con-
travention Of Article 8, Section "a,
Subdivision IL. which 10:
%" - Where q general law can
be not applicable. no special law shall
be enacted
Moreover. It II class legislatIon
under Article I. Section s. This article
of the Constitution il commonly
known - the Declaration Of Rights
and. II It may be said Of any part of
the Constitution more than another,
is the most sacred and inviolabie, be-
cause its great general purpose is to
put all the citisens Of South Carolina
and the United States upon an equal
ity. Section s Of this article 10:
/" The privileges and immunities of
citisens Of this State. and of the UNI
ted States. under this Constitution,
shall not be abridged. nor shall any
person be deprived of life. liberty or
property without due process of law.
nor shall any person be- denied the
equal protection Of the laws
"The last clause is the one ger
nane to our exception. Can it be
doubted that from whatever stand
point one may view the liquor ques-
tion. people In the various counties of
South Carolina are under this Act de-
MED the equal protection of the laws?
II may. or may not. be a prohibit
ZIONIST. II be ProhibitionIst living
In Charleston County. shall 1 be CON-
PEELED to submit to vote to intro.
duce the sale Of liquor in this coun-
ty. when my brother Prohibitionist in
Spartanburg Is immune from such in
vasion of his right? Or IL be a ne.
lever IN the sale OF liquor. living IN
Spnrtanburg County. now having pro-
hibition. can II be said that I am
equally protected by the law. when
my brother in Charleston County ma.
the right to .otc to sell liquor In that
County?
I'm the first section Of the bill we
find that all alcoholic liquors and
beverages (which II drunk to ex-
cess will produce intoxication. are
hereby declared to be detrimer tai,
and their use and consumption to bc
against the morals. good health and
safety of the State and contraband.
I'VE respectfully submit that Char
lesion County Is a part of the State,
and that her inhabitants are suscept-
ible to the same detrimental results
as the inhabitants of any other part
OF the State. and If it be true that the
use and consumption Of such liquors
be against the morals, good health and
safety of the State, their use in Char
lesion County. which is a part of the
state, has the same effect upon the
welfare OF the State. and certainly
has the same effect upon the welfare