St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-02-04
GAYSHATTUCK LAW In
ST. LANDRY PARISH
Controversy Between Attorney General Gulsn
and District Attorney GarIand
WATCHED With INTEREST
New srIsans STATES Comments EdltoriaIIy On
the Question, and other Papers Copy
the Clarion Article.

The question as to whether OF
not a negro can buy whiskey BY
the flask or bottle in a white sa,
loon, and drink it in the yard, Of
any place about the premises or
which the saloon is located, has
aroused interest throughout the
State.
The Attorney-Ge General says he
can, and District Attorney Gar.
land Of St. Landry says he can't.
The latter will make a test of it.
An interview with Mr.. Garland
appeared in last weeks Clarion,
and the article has been published
in many papers throughout the
State with comment.
The New Orleans Daily States
comments on it editoriaIIy as
follows:
LAW IN ST.
LANDRY.
On the eve Of the new year
st. Landry, after two years ex-
perience with prohibition voted
the saloons back into existence.
Many Of them have re-opened and
st. Landry is now beginning to
Wrestle with the fine points of
the Gay-Shattuck law.
Already a conflict has arisen
between the Attorney General
and the local authorities as to
one phase of the statutes. It is
as to what segregation of the
races means.
We learn from the Clarion
that General Guion has held that
a negro can call for a half bottle
or pint of liquor in a saloon desig-
mated for whites only, and go in
to a back yard or bullpen on the
premises and drink it; or vice
versa.
As a result of that opinion
several Of the saloons in Opel
ousas and other towns have put
up fences adjoining their places.
Sambo is allowed to buy liquor by
the bottle or flask and go into
what is called the bulIpen and
drink its contents.
District Attorney Garland
maintains this is obviously
against the spirit of the law. He
has delved into all the authorities
and finds that segregation means
to separate and avoid contact
between one class and another,
while premises means the land
and buildings belonging to and
part of an estate.
Ergo, he holds that a negro
cannot enter a white saloon and
buy liquor nor can he drink it in
the adjoining bullpen, which is a
part of the premises.
IF he can do either Of these
things Mr.. Garland frankly de-
the Gay-Shattuck law is
even more vicious than the old
statutes, for under them, while
the same roof might shelter both
races, different apartments were
provided for them.
Mr.. Garland is coming to New
Orleans to talk the matter over
with the Attorney General; but
is is clear, from the opinion he
has expressed, that he doesn't
expect to see the licensed saloon
enjoy a very long lease of life in
st. Landry, if the present condi-
tons are tolerated.
The outcome will be watched
with interest. In New Orleans
We have had many Gay-Shattuck
problems to solve, but we are
making steady progress along
that line and the saloonmen are
for the most part faithfully OBJ
serving the law, including the
segregation provision. In the
end the liquor interests will prob
ably find that, severe as the law
at first seemed, submission to it
reduce to a minimum the
of the greater evil prohi-
bition.'
Ns@NggNSggSglgSglgN !;
@%4 ~ r.