The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-07-13
NOT EVEN FOR SNAKE BITES.

NOT EVEN FOR SNAKE BITES.
The recent charge Of Judge
Memminger in the court at Sum
ter to the petit jury in case
where a party vas convicted,
charged with having IN his
possession liquor, which we
print elsewhere. has created q
new interest in the law resulat
ing the liquor traffic: if the Judge
is correct in his Interpretation OF
the law. then the vast majority OF
people. Prohibitiouists, as we'll
as others, including preachers,
are violators of the law Of this
State. aud are subject to iudict.
ment, conviction, and an ignom-
lnious service on the chaingang.
II the law as construed by Judge
Memminger is impartlally enforc-
ed, the day for persecution has
arrived. and the fanatics can glory
in a reign of terror. Imagine an
officer searching the medicine
chest Of Il bed room for liquor,
going throus': :: pantry in 4 home
to find whiskey, breaking open 4
ladies' trunk TO see if she is trav.
cling with a little >timulen> to be
used in case of sickness. Accord
ing to Judge Memminger, any
mi- s,are or compound containing
alconol, which if drunk to excess
will produce intoxication. is con-
traLand, that is to Say, it IS con-
traband in a county which has no
lesalized form OF selling liquor.
It is not contraband in Charleston
but it is in Clarendon. In Charles
ton a person may have in his po.
session for personal use as much
LIQUOR as he wishes, but n Clar-
endor such is not the case; in
Clarendon the possession OF hq-
nor in the least quantity for med
icinal or any other purpose is un-
lawful, and can be confscated,
and, the party in whose posses
sion it is found is a violator Of the
lava vile criminal who, IL the
estimation of some, IS worse than
a thief. a man may swindle and
roo, If he is successful and comes
out with money ne is alright. but
let him have liquor in his posses
sion, if the law is enforced: and,
they are trying to enforce the
law, even going so far as to en-
ploy detectives who persuade, and
entice people TO violate the law,
that man is bad citizen and
should be crucihed.
The columns of The TINES long
ago gave it as its opinion that the
present Law is very drastic in its
effect, ard that It is against the
Law for even a camphor mixture
to be kept in ones possession; we
believe a strict construction Of
the law forbids the use and the
possession of the various essen.
ces and extracts Tor havorlng
cakes, ice cream, &c. Imagine
Sunday school picnic invaded by
detectives and constables seizlng
the goodies" and arresting the
good women who brought the
cake and cream to be given away:
Do not say that this is far fetch
ed, ior it is against the law toi
have in possession anything
which contains alcohol. The as
sences contain alcohol and are be-
ing used by some as a beverage.
There are many household rem
edies which contain alcohol that
are in the homes. have oeen from
the beginning Of man, but in this
day of modernism the law has put
its taboo upon them and those who
keep these things in anvquantity.
matters not how little are viola
tors Of the law Of South Carolina.
Judge Memminger will no
DOUBT be criticized severely by
some, out they should really com
mend him for his frankness andfor
giving from the bench the law as
he sees it, and which in our opin-
ion, is the correct construction to
be put upon the law as it stands
on our statute books and, that is
all the Judge has a right to do
give the jury TIE law as he
finds it on the books. Whether
such a monstrosity will stand the
test Of the supreme court is an
other matter, il does not look
reasonable to US nor do We believe
the trainers Of the law intended
to make the law as unreasonable
and as drastic as it is, but until
the law is modified or repealed, #
enforced, will make nearly every
body liable to a criminal prosecu.
ton.
It is up to the people them
selves to say whether the law of
the land should be inpartially en-
forced. Will it be right to enforce
the law against one class Of vio
lators and leave another class IN.
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