The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-03-16
ENFORCE THE LAW.

The section of the liquor law o.
1901 making IL unlawful to receiv,
or store liquor has been treated as
dead letter, practically all lawyers
being OF the opinion that il was un
constitutional in that Ii was in con
flict with Interstate commerce and
an invasion OF personal right gua-uIi-
teed to every individual. This disre-
gard of the most vital section of the
law intended to prevent the traffic In
liquor has resulted in the reign Of the
blind tiger throughout the State. The
only way to absolutely suppress the
Illicit sale of liquor Is to cut off the
supply Of the tigers and this cannot
be done so long as IL is conceded tina :
they may lawfully receive and keep
on hand that which IL Is unlawful for
them to sell. The foundation of the
blind tigers business Is the wide
spread belief that to convict a blind
tiger OF violating the law II Is neces-
sary 10 catch him in the act of selling
liquor and TO go into court with the
strongest sort Of corroborative evi-
dence. But all this will be altered
II the verdict of the jury and the de-
cision OF Judge Klugh in the case of
the State VS.. DuRant recently tried
at Bishopville is sustained In this
case James r. DuRant was tried
convicted and sentenced to pay fine
OF 5000 for receiving liquor and the
dead-letter section of the law was
made effective. If the Bishopville
precedent Is followed in Sumter and
elsewhere throughout the State the
blind tigers will be driven out of bus
iness i'm short order.
We want to see II the law can be
enforced here without resorting to
extraordinary measures and extraor-
dinary expense to catch the tigers. If
the police of the city, the Sheriff and
his deputies and Special Constable
Grady will cooperate in the collec-
ton of evidence between this time
and the next session of court they
ought to be able to have large num-
Der of cases TO present to the grand
jury. IL Is easy to ascertain who re-
ceives liquor and the law should be
put to a test at the April5 term of
court. 1t would be an excellent plan
TO have the books Of the railroad and
express offices in this city, Mayesville,
Wedgefeld. Claremont, Hagood,
Rembert, Dalzell. Oswego and Tin
dals' inspected and the records Of de-
livery Of liquor copied for the in
formation of the Solicitor and grand
jury.
of course, great many people
will get excited over such a PROPOSE
tion as sending a man to the chain
gang or forcing him to pay a heavy
fine for receiving liquor. and will cry
aloud 10 high heaven against the at
temp. 90 enforce so drastic law.
Many who voted the prohibition tick
- if's' s'clA oAt bAAltlly uuldSOilSllC
TO tSc employment of detectives to
spy" upon Our own home people,"
and We fcel confident that still other
prohibitiC 1i1ti VIII feel oCt-c-ej 'c
the law they voted Cor is cnforcoG 20
the letter. iUt we want IL enforced
and the ,t~,-tcr tNC enforcement the
better Nc would bc pleased. although
We hrrc ne,cr been a prohlbitionist
and have been accused OF opposing
the moral uplift of the people and
aiding and abetting liquor sellers and
evil-doers because We could not see
In statutory prohibition the salvation
o. all the people and the abolition. of
all crime. Let the law against re-
ccivius and storing liquor be cnforc-
ed and lots make this county as dry
as "a bone. The writer is not q politi-
o-prohihitionist. but would not care
II DO never saw or tasted another
dr"u &C liquor for the balance Of his
life. VIII all OF our prohihi,ionist
fric0ds come i'm on this proposition
AMI 'ujorse the enforcement Of the
heretofore disrcgardcd section Of
their law: