The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-05-21
NO MORE C0NSTABLES.


decided there is no Statute in
the State to prohibit liquor from
being delivered for personal use.
The Governor claims this decis-
ion has made it useless to con-
tinue the employment of a con-
staoulary, and has issued an
order dismissing those now in
the service to take effect June
1st. 1t is hard to say whether or
not the conclusion of the COVER
nor that, the courts decision
renders it useless to have these
officers, is wise or not. The
LIQUOR constables in Charleston
and Columbia have done very
little towards the enforcement
of the law or to- putting out of
business the blind tiger. ele.
ment, the little which has
been done other places was &C
complished by the local author
tiles through employing detec-
tives mainly. Nevertheless, we
are not sure the governors &C
ton in dismissing the constables
is wise, without officers Of this
kind we have no assurance that
the law outside of incorporated
towns and cities will have atten
tion given to it. If the magls-
trates and their constables out.
side of the towns would be active
in putting down the illicit sale
of liquor in their respective
communities, we believe it would
have a beneficial effect, and
possibly do more good than the
State constables, but with the
local officers inactive, and no
State officers to look after this
growing defiance of law, we fear
there Will be more iawlessness
than before, especially, since
our highest State court has re.
fused to say the shipment for
personal use must not be deliver.
ed, until the general assembly en-
acts a law that will made such
shipments unlawful. AS we
understand Governor Blease's
position, 1t was his purpose
to put into operation force
which would have seized all
,llquor coming into the State
whether for personal use or
otherwise had not the court
tied his hands, but his efforts,
from his viewpoint, would be
futile after the court has decreed
as it has.
It will now be up to the gen.
eral assembly to say whether OF
not 1t will have a law which will
give to the State the right to
seize liquors whether for per.
/, sonal use or not, if it does, South
Carolina will be as dry as pow,
der horn, and we will have an
ideal condition so far as the con
sumption of liquor is concerned
in the counties where the peo-
pie by their votes have declared
against the legal sale, and in
those counties where it is legally
sold the dispensaries will reap
a harvest. because, the beverage
can only be secured from the
dispensaries, and the transpor-
tation companies can only de.
liver TO the authorized places OF
legal sale. There are but few
counties in this State where
liquor can be legally sold, but
in several other counties there
is an effort being made to restore
the sale; should these counties
return to the wet column and
add themselves to those already
wet, there will be a question for
the courts to decide, whether or
not South Carolina is a Prohibi-
tion State, as contemplated un-
der and by the federal Webb
Act, which has just been con-
strued by our court as permit
ting personal use liquor to be
delivered, in the absense of a
State statute to the contrary.
The question is hard to down,
about the time people become
accustomed to condition, some,
thing new arises to keep the mis-
erable controversy stirring.
WILL GET NOTHING.
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