The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-03-12
DRY AS A CHIP
FOR A FEW DAYS
Southern Express Company Stopped
Delivery of Intoxicating Whiskey
for Few Days Last Week, as Result

for Few Days Last Week, as Result
of Webb Law.
CONSERVATION reigned in the camp
of the vets and near-wets for a few
days last week while the Southern
Express Company was testing the new
Webb liquor law enacted during the
last few days of congress. Putting
the Interpretation upon the law that
any delivery Of whiskey within the
state Of South Carolina might lay
them liable for a violation of the state
law, the express company refused to
deliver any whiskey or beer from it's
agencies in this state. Saturday how
ever, restraining order was issued
by Judge Gary, at Apbeville, restrain
ing the express company from refus-
ing wiskey for personal use This
order places the shipment of whiskey
virtually upon the same basis it was
on before the Webb bill was passed.
1t remains for the supreme court to
pass upon it.
The full text Of the law is as fol-
lows:
"Be it enacted by the senate and
house of representatives of the Uni
ted States of America in congress as
Sembled That the shipment or trans
portation in any manner or by any
means whatsoever. of any spirituous,
vinous, matted. fermented or other
intoxicating liquor of any kind from
one State, territory or district of the
United States or place noncontiguous
to but subject to the jurisdiction
thereof into any other state. terri
tory or district of the United States
or place noncontiguous to but sub
ject to the jurisdiction thereof br
from any foreign country into any
State, territory or district of the
United States or place noncontiguous
to but subject to State jurisdiction
thereof, which said spirituous, vinous,
matted, fermented or other intoXicat-
ing liquor is intended by any person
interested therein, to be received.
possessed, sold or in any manner
used, either in original package or
otherwise, in violation of any law of
such State, territory or district of the
United States or place noncontiguous
to but subject to the jurisdiction
thereof, is hereby prohibited"
Some objection to the bill in con-
gress was based on the fact that it
provides no penalty for violation, but
t is likely that interstate railroads
and express companies will obey the
law, notwithstanding this fact. Some
liquor has already been confscated
under the new law in Oklahoma. a
dry State, by State officers
There is no amendment to the
Webb bill or any part of the bill which
forbids the shipment of liquor into
South Carolina or any other State
when that commodity is shipped in it
conformity to State laws" This was
the state made in Washington to The
States correspondent by Representa-
tive e. Y. Webb, Of North Carolina,
author of the Webb liquor bill, when
asked specifically whether or not the
enforcement of this law would forbid
the shipment of liquor nto South Car
olina.
"This law" Mr. Webb continued,
only makes more perfect the en-
forcement Of the present State laws
by throwing safeguards around them
in such way as to render them less
liable to be violated, but in State
like South Carolina there is nothing
that will prevent the shipment of IL
quor there so long as the State per-
mits 1t. There need be no fear that
the dispensaries will suffer or that
any private person will suffer so long
as the State law is not violated"
Senator Tillman said: "The Webb
law is in effect, but not in language,
the same measure that | introduced
in the Senate 16 years ago, but on
which | failed to get favorable com
mittee report. IL simply provides
that liquor shall not be shipped into
any State in violation of the laws of
that state. This will not affect the
shipment of liquor to the dispensaries
nor to private parties in South Caro-
dina, except for uses which are at