Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-16
coNSTABLEs OUT JUNE !
Governor BIease Says Court Decision
Ties His Hands.

CHdTlOlI0 ODSGTNeE.
Columbia, S. c., May 15.--As a re-
suit of the decision of the supreme
court on the Webb law, announced
yesterday afternoon, Governor Blease
said today there was no use for him
to continue to keep state constables
in operation and he addressed a let
ter to his constables telling them that
he would have no use for their SER
vices after the 1st Of June.
When asked about the decision OF
the supreme court in the Webb case,
and its effect upon his policy, the
governor said:
well, of course, I am not surprised
at the decision. However, / regret as
much as it is possible for man to re-
gret that the court saw fit to render
this decision. If that was the court'a
idea Of the law, wish 1t had done as
1t has done in thousands of other
cases, held up the decision and de-
layed. / have had more trouble and
worry in the last two or three months
with complaints as to blind tigers
than one poor fellow can stand. have
had my constabulary force full, my
detectives at work, and recently
counties have been calling on me to
send them special men, and I have
been Tightening the screws. had pre-
sumed that the attorney generals
views would be sustained, or II not,
that the members Of the court, who /
presume are prohibitionists-cer
politically If not otherwise-the ma
jority of them-would help me out in
this fight, by holding the decision,
even as 1t was rendered, until I could
get the situation somewhat in hand.
But, 10 and behold, they shoot the de-
cision back with lightning-like rapidi-
ty, and say to the blind tigers, On
with the dance, boys, the music will
be furnished
Now it is up to the people to curse
and abuse me for non enforcement Of
the law, when everybody knows / am
helpless and no power on earth can
enforce the dispensary law in this
state and keep down the blind tigers
so long as white men furnish the IL
quor and have free negroes to sell 1t
for them and then go around to law
yers' offices and hire lawyers to de-
fend these negroes and at the same
time whisper to the lawyer, Don't let
me be known in connection with the
. II see nothing for me to do now
but to withdraw my constabularly
from Charleston and Columbia and all
over the state. There is no use for
people to pay taxes to pay constables
and detectives under any such condi-
tions as we are living under right
now, and it certainly is disheartening
to q man who has done all he could to
try to enforce the law. hope the
people will understand that when the
blind tigers are roaming over their
that 1t is not the fault Of
the governor of South Carolina If
parties will write me, I will take the
matter up and do the best I can, and
If they will go to a magistrate and
make affidavits as to the Illicit sale Of
liquor, l will see that the magistrates
do their full duty; but under the law
Of personal use / do not see how we
can seize any shipments.
Now, for instance, I know two
men that drink a quart Of liquor ev-
cry day. Now, when they get a case
every ten or fifteen days, who can say
1t is not for personal use? 1t is for
their personal use. / know other men
who drink a moderate amount of Ii
quor, but they have friends to drink
with them, and they will go and call
in a friend, and they will consume a
great deal Of whisky and will say 1t is
for personal use. Now, where am l
vi Hly VI uSlCSlifSo ~ ia q"
the line when 1t comes to the matter
Of personal use?
"As 1 said just now, 1t is disheart-
ening. Blind tigers are taking the
state now. There Is no use for me to
the facts. l know 1t and the
people know it. There are more blind
tigers in the state than there ever
have been and this supreme court de-
cision is going to make more. And 1t
does seem to me, when the court holds
little frivolous decisions for six or
eight months and longer, that in a
case of this kind the decision could
have been held little longer, at least
so that could have been given an OPP
portunity to take hold of the situa-
tion.
Il do not propose to criticise the
judges, but I want to put the people
on notice that l am not the man to be
condemned. I hope the magistrates
and their constables will take the sit
uation in hand and do everything in
their power to enforce the law, and l
certainly regret that men who have
been doing good, true work and faith
full service for me at this season OF the
year must lay down their jobs and
hunt something else to do, but / do
not propose to have them bluffed and
bantered and kicked around because l
cannot get the supreme court of the
state to back me up in the enforce
ment of the law"