The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-10-09
MOCKING AT THE LAW.

|
sent term of the court of session.
tWenty-four indictments for violation
| OF the law against the sale of liouor
| 1T has mulled over these present
ments pretty thoroughly, according
to reports. On Saturday it returned
the whole lot of them to the court,
each and every one endorsed "No
DILL and that is the end of these
indictments. Which is the sort of
thing that has happened before with
grand juries here, and, we suppose,
elsewhere
But this particular grand jury, in
its general presentment at the con-
clusion Of the last term of court set
forth its belief that the law against
the sale Of liquor in Charleston was
but poorly enforced and called upon
the Mayor and the other executive
forces of the city to make more Wig
orous proceeding against the viola
tors. 1t was to be supposed, there
fore, that all the grand jury needed
for the initiation of vigorous pros
ecution in the courts was opportunity
to indict somebody for offense against
The laws. This opportunity was given
to the grand jury by the handing out
OF twenty-four indictments of alleged
illegal sellers Of liquor The evidence
was prepared IN practically all the
cases by the police authorities of the
city and fortified BY the solicitor
with citation Of the law. And the
grand jury refuses to bring one of
the accused parties to trial.
But that is not the end of the
grand jury's fate. At the same time
that it put on record it's rejection Of
| these indictments against the alleged
| sellers of liquor, the body declared,
through its foreman, in letter to
| the solicitor: "It is the unanimous
wish of the grand jury that you make
| out indictments against the attached
list Of holders of United States special
tax as liquor dealers for the current
| fiscal year, commencing August IS,
1908" The list, it is said, includes
something like one hundred and fifty
| names, among which are some, prob
| ably all, Of the twenty-four parties in
dicted at the term of court and ex-
onerated by the grand jury Why the
| Grand jury should wish the solicitor
to make out indictments against the
| nolders of United States liquor tax
receipts it does not say. and this is a
| serious omission for 1t can not be
l readily imagined by anybody else
| Certainly 1t can not be because Of a
| desire or a determination to bring in
| true bills against those so presented,
for the grand jury has already dis
charged all the indictments given to
it and, according to the persuasion of
the court, for 'some other reason
than the lack OF evidence" 1t is
certain enough that the evidence
against the twenty-four who have
been saved harmless was much
stronger tnan that against the one
hundred and fifty or so, indictment
OF whom is invited, can possibly be.
There is not only the prima facie evil
dence against these that there would
be against the others in the holding
OF revenue tax receipt but there is
personal evidence, as WE'LL obtained
hy the police force. Perhaps tho
grand jury's purpose in suggestins
such indictments as it has proposed
to the solicitor may find explanation
in the expression of the court that
"the possession of a revenue license
is sufficient for true bill, but with
that alone the solicitor could not ex-
4 pect jury to convict" as something
more Is necessary 1t may be that
the grand jury, wishes to give the
holders of these license an immunity
bath. relieving them of the liability
to prosecution for the remainder of
the term Of their licenses. Certainly
it must have some benevolent OBJ
ject in view toward the parties
whose Indictment it desires.
What are We going to do about it
in Charleston, anyway? There has
been a good deal said of late about
the awakening of public sentiment
to the necessity Of enforcing this law
against the illegal sale of liquor A
good many people have professed to
| believe that If cases were presented
to the juries convictions would he
recorded, though heretofore the petit
| juries have, almost with exception.
| acquitted the accused illegal sellers of
| liquor. But here we are against the