Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-06-13

of South Carolina should grant TO an
individual the privilege Of selling IL
quor, it would undertake to protect
that individual in the enjoyment of
that privilege, and would prevent the
interference even of municipalities.
The Federal government says to indi-
yiduals, you must not sell liquor
without first paying a specified tax;
but even after you pay that tax, 1t is
UP to you to make your own arrange
ments with state or other authorities
that may seek to interfere"
The Federal governments interest
in the whisky business Is based solely
upon the question Of revenue, and af-
ter a would-be retailer pays the re-
ouired tax to do business in a certain
place, the government does not con-
Germ himself about him any further.
It concerns itself only about those
people who undertake to engage in
retailing without paying the tax.
UP to the time Of the establishment
of the South Carolina dispensary,
about 80 per cent Of the business Of
the sittings Of the United States dis!
trict court at Greenville. was taken up
with the disposition Of retail liquor
cases, the trial, conviction and pun
ishment of individuals who undertook
to sell liquor without paying the IL
cense tax. The U. 8. deputies made
their living. working up such cases on
a fee basis, and from these cases the
U. s. commissioners. paid also by fees,
received the bulk Of their incomes,
which In those. days were pretty good.
One Immediate result Of the estab-
lishment of the dispensary system was
to greatly Increase the number Of re-
tail liquor taxes paid to the Federal
government, and likewise the number
of Illicit dealers who sought to con-
tinue business without paying this tax
was also increased, with the result
that the opportunities of the deputies
and commissioners were very much
enlarged. a.,,t.. ..... ......
The business Of the district court at
Greenville, already large. was very
much augmented, and continued to
grow until the late Judge Brawley. fl
nally put a stop to it. He first threw
out hints to the district attorney, later
to the u. s. commissioners and depu-
ties, and finally got down to rebukes
and threats, as the result Of which
Federal activity against the tigers al
most ceased. ..... ....'
Just what Judge Brawley meant by
his action was never exactly clear;
but 1t was generally supposed that his
purpose was to take away such assis-
tance as the Federal government was
giving in the enforcement of the state
dispensary law. Anyhow 1t had tina,
effect, and bore down with consider.
able weight upon the communities that
had not permitted the establishment
of dispensaries. The state government
had not been trying to enforce the
law in such communities and wher
Judge Brawley withdrew Federal pro-
lection, these communities were left
wide open. ""
It is a fact that even now the In.
ternal revenue department is paying
very little attention to the enforcement
of the retail tax requirements Of the
law in South Carolina. Liquor is be-
ing sold right and left all over the
state, with not more than one retailer
out of dozen paying the Federal tax
AS a matter Of right, we do moi
think that the Federal government
should vend its liquor selling exemp.
tions in a state that seeks to make
liquor selling unlawful; but If 1t doe'
persist in the sale Of such exemptions
we think 1t Should cover the grount
thoroughly and punish to the limit
every individual who undertakes t.
sell liquor without first having bough
such an exemption from Federal pros
ecution.
OF course. If the Federal govern
ment should discontinue the sale o.
exemptions from prosecution in al
the counties that have no dispensarie:
then It could at the same time alst
discontinue even such effort as 1t nov
makes against people who sell with
out paying the tax, and the whole bur.
den of enforcing the whisky law!
would fall on the state authorities.
AS to what President Wilson Is 60
ing to say about the whole matter, WI
do not know; but we hardly think 1
probable that he will refuse to tak'
exemption money from those who pre-
fer to continue to pay 1t.