Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-06-30
Spasms of Economy.

come on officials every now and then,
and what a display they make of them.
Any one who has half an eye or no
eye at all can see through the whole
scheme, and know that there is no
spasm at ALL but only show for ef-
feet, and with we'll defined object in
view.
Just now our governor has a big
spasm, and he is groaning very loud
ly while it Is on. He promised the
people an economical administration,
and for this reason he is dismissing
the whisky constables in the dry coun-
ties by the wholesale. No one knows
better than the governor that this Is
sure to result in more fragrant viola
tion of the law, but that may be just
the thing he would like to see, and this
is the real motive that prompts him,
and he seems to conceal 1t under an
effort to make display Of his econ
omical proclivities.
But the governor Is not alone. There
are others. They scatter public funds,
In certain directions, with lavish
hand, but on very small matters q
great show Is made and the facts that
they make while the pretended spasm
is on would lead the unsuspecting to
imagine that they were in the throes
of financial death and that henceforth
there would be such a saving Of public
funds as to make the taxpayers Of the
country rejoice evermore.
But 1t Is only a spasm and will last
only long enough to serve its purpose.
What many people would like to see
are not spasms OF economy, but the
real thing, through and through, and
again from head to foot. They would
like to see extravaganza and wanton
waste paralyzed, but not niggardly ex-
penditures and narrowness Of admin
stration.-Greenwood Journal.
Although we desire to make a few
not do so until we have stated that
what we will say Is not intended to
be in any sense controversial, for Of
all the papers in the state that OPP
pose the violation of the liquor laws,
there Is not one that Is more constant
or consistent than the Greenwood
Journal.
AS to what may be the governors
motive in removing the constables from
the dry counties, whether to lessen the
burdens of those counties, or to re-
move restrictions from the sale Of IL
quor, every individual will probably
hold to his own opinion; but there are
in these matters other things to be
considered.
Those who are familiar with the his
tory of the Brice law, the law that re-
suited in the final overthrow of the old
state dispensary, will no doubt remem-
ber that it was the enemies Of Mr..
Brice's efforts who grated on that law
an amendment which provided that
when a county voted out dispensaries
it became incumbent upon the govern
or to appoint one or more constables
at the county's expense to look after
liquor selling, etc.
It was the common opinion at the
time of the incorporation of this
amendment that it's object was not 80
much to secure the enforcement Of the
law as to distress with expense those
counties that voted out dispensaries,
so as to make them doubtful as to
whether after all prohibition was a
good investment. The generally ac-
cepted argument at the time was, where
the prohibition sentiment Of a county
was strong enough to vote out the dis
pensaries, it was also strong enough to
compel magistrates and intendants to
enforce the law, and the saddling on to
such counties therefore, constables op-
pointed by hostile governor, was not
calculated to help the situation in the
least.
1t is a fact that some of the first
constables appointed in some Of the
anti -dispensary counties were under
the control of authorities that were
more interested in the development Of
county dispensary sentiment than in
the enforcement Of the liquor laws.
In those old days there were consta-
bles who positively would not turn a
peg to prosecute violators Of the dis
pensary laws who were annoying real
ly honest opponents of the dispensary.
Whatever may now be the purpose
of the governor in discharging consta-
DleS III lIlG SouhtiSo, -
the sentiment of those counties be what
it should be, we cannot see that the
result of the governors action should
be other than to relieve the counties Of
unnecessary expense. 1t is the duty Of
magistrates and the constables to en-
force the anti-liquor laws. Where
there are special officers constituted
and paid for this special work, it Is
not in reason to expect magistrates
and their constables to be as vigilant
as otherwise. Where the entire res
possibility of enforcing the laws Is
pinned down to magistrates and their
constables, and the sentiment is right,
it stands to reason that from eight to a
dozen magistrates will render more
thorough and effective service than
two or three constables.