The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1912-06-06

PlCkENS, y
until you give the final con
mand. Sheriff Martin told
man in Charleston that he 9TH
man in question: need have n
apprehensions. about the liquo
situation because he, Capt
Martin, would be able to protec
him through his intimate re
lations with Ben Stothart, wh'
was about to be appointed chic
constable, I am also reliably in
formed that Ben Stothart is
himself, stating that he ha:
been practically appointed ant
is simply waiting for orders.
All these, and many others
which are too numerous t.
mention, are absolutely incon
sistent with what you have an
nounced publicly ut the Shuet:
zenplatz in Charleston, and
what you have told me and Mr..
RoessIer face to face, to the ef'
feet that you would not ap,
point any constables in Char
lesion. You will recall also
that YOU made the same state
ment in the St. Johns hotel
when Mr.. Heap applied for the
position.
I realize of course. that many
very much interested parties in
Charleston are simply clamoring
for the appointment of const-
able and that the situation is
being presented to you from
every angle, so that unless you
were absolutely familiar with
our local politics you would not
discern the hand of the real au-
thor, But to make a long story
short, the whole matter is poll
tics, pure and simple. The city
and county authorities are
charged under the law with its
enforcement. It is probable
that for POLITICAL reasons at this
time they would like to use the
law as they have done in the
past, for all that it is worth.
But that anybody has any
honest idea or true purpose to
enforce the law against the sale
of liquor in Charleston would
not he believed even by a child
here. Think for minute.
The dispensary law has been on
the statute books for eighteen
years. 1t has been the football
of politics in Charleston during
that time. There are more re-
tail licenses here now than
when it commenced. The man
who is sheriff now was chief of
police when it was inaugurated,
and although he was at that
time, and has ever since been,
vested, not only with authority
but charged with the duty to
enforce it, he has skillfully used
shat authority and abused that
duty entirely for political ends,
Now that is the man who, with
the taste of his old successes in
the manipulation Of this law
still fresh in his mouth, simply
vearns ana languishes for a
chance to have that authority
again placed Indirectly in his
hands. He was your enemy
during your last campaign. In
the first primary he was out
and out for Mcleod and atte. d.
ed Mcleod conferences. When
the fight came down to you and
Featherstone, he left town
while others bore the heat and
burden of the day, and (until
we changed sentiment in youl
favor while those others also
have the odium of supporting
YOU. That same man now re-
alizes that after a struggle OF
eighteen years he is about to be
beaten in politics, he and his
whole rotten crowd; and by re-
membering that you have a few
friends here that are vassals Of
his, he is ringing in again the
old dispensary cry and looking
to you, through mutual friends
for another reign of the per
version of that law to his poll
teal ends.
Just one word more. Con
stables, with but one exception
in my experience, have been in
separable from graft. Whel
you were elected, people wh'
realized that you would b