The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-07-14
MANNING AND THE TIGERS.

In his speech at the Prses Associ-
alton, held at Chick Springs, last
week, Governor Manning was one of
of the principal speakers. In his
address, he gave to the editors of
the State an account of his steward
ship as the chief executive officer of
the state. Of particular interest
were his remarks on the subject of
law enforcement.
The Governor was elected to the
Office which he now holds largely by
the people who believed that he stood
for a strict enforcement of the crimi-
nal statutes of the state, especially
for an enforcement of those laws
f%orbidding the unlawful sale Of in
toxicating liquors.
He has not disappointed his sup
porters. He began his administra-
ton by closing the clubs in Column
bia an dthe other large cities. There
was no reason for the bankers, law
yers, and other professional men in
Columbia to have a club where Ii
quors were dispensed than there was
for a bar-room in Abbeville. A
great many people may not look at
the matter in this light, but it
amounts to the same thing in the
end.
The Governor next called on the
Sheriffs Of the various counties, to
enforce the dispensary law, as well
a sail other laws. His request has
had a ready response S0um the
greater number of officers in the
several counties. In the large cities
like Columbia and Charleston, the
Governor looked to the chief execu-
tive sdicers Of these cities for the
enforcement of this law law. But
in Charleston, he received no en-.
couragement. After a long CORES
pondenee with the Mayor of that
city, in which the latter was anything
but frank, and in which he showed a
plain intention to disregard the OBJ
legations of the oath of office which
he had taken, the Governor turned
the matter of the enforcement of the
~dispensary law over to Sheriff Mar
tin, Of that county.
And the result. has mot been dis
appointing. The Governor is be-.
ginning to demonstrate to the people
of the state that the dispensary law
may be enforced, even i'm Charles
ton, if the enforcement of the law is
determined on by the Governor. A
good number of constabies from
other parts of the state have been
sent to Charleston, and they have
been raiding the liquor shops Tin
reality the bar-rooms which operate
in that city in violation of law and
have been securing good results.
The report for June which has just
been filed, shows that in the PAST
month, these %constables seized aid
confiscated to the state about S35Oy
worth of c%ontraband liquors, while
the entire police force Of the city of
Charleston seized less than 5000.
But this is not all. In that month
the sales by the county dispensaries,
in that county, have increased to
such an extent that it must be evil
dent to any man who reads that the
people of Charleston, to a large ex-
tent, have stopped p~atronizing the
blind tiger, an dthar they are con-
forming to the law in the purchase
of Intoxicating liquors.
Another healthy sign for Charles
ton is that the two daily newspapers
of that city are ont for the enforce
ment of the ~.dispensary law. While
heretofore they haye made little, if
any, effort to encourage and compel
an obedience to the law of the state
IN this respect, they are now fighting
for what is right with a will.
And it all goes to show that the
:. right man at the helm of the Ship of
State will be able to steer her in the
way of law enforcement if he is
really a man, and if he stands for
the enforcement of the law every
where, even in Charleston, and Gov
ernor Manning is the right man.