The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-06-25
bRRtNT COMMENT ON
} MATTERS OF INTEREST
AIRED VIEWS GATHERED FROM
THE STATE PRESS
Charleston Situation in the Lfmelight
Testing Right of Existence of
Tax Commission.
(By John Il. Aull.)

Especial to The Herald and News.
Columbia, June 24.-The press Of
the State generally is commenting on
y the failure Of the Charleston grand
jury to return true bills in the liquor
cases, and various solutions are being
offered and suggestions made.
The Newberry Observer asks if there
isn't way to move the cases TO an
other county. The Observer has over
looked the provisio which. was in
serted in the constitution of 1895, to
the effect "that no change of venue
shall be granted in criminal cases
until after a true bill has been found
by the grand jury" There was no
such provision in the constitution Of
4 1868, which was superseded by the
constitution of 1895. 1t has been felt
since the constitution was adopted
THAT this provision was secured to
prevent the very thing which the OBJ
q SERVER suggests-the indictment, of
Charleston blind tigers by the grand
jury of another county. SO it will
be seen that two years after the dis
pensary law went into effect there
was the determination in Charleston
that it should not be enforced there,
and the tall of the constitutional con-
3 vention itself was invaded in this be-
half.
The conservative YorkvilIe Enquir
il er recalls the action of the Newberry
u grand jury in the Fielder case, and hits
the nail squarely on the head when it
says:
Similar to NeWbery Cases.
<.After all, the action of the Charles
ton grand jury in the liquor cases is,
mot very different from Btat of the
Newberry grand jury in the Fielder
base. There should have been true:
bills in both instances"
In the course of another editorial
Dbn Liquor in Charleston" the En-
quirer says: "It is fact that not
withstanding all the efforts tnat have
B.been made to eurtail the illegal liquor
traffic in Charleston, tfat- traffic goes
on Just the same and virtually with
out interference. It is true, as Mayor
Grace reported to Governor Manning
not long ago, that the Charleston
Motel and two or three other places
cut out bars; but it is not at all GER
tain that the owners Of these bars
ceased business elsewhere. On ehe'
\ contrary there is no good reason for
believing otherwise tan that such
y places as were closed were closed as
kind of joking recognition Of the
governors orders. The Enquirer has
! ii from people who laaye been there
and who know of their ownRnowl-
n edge. that the liquor sellers of Char
Afeston, as a whole, have never even
made any show of quitting. -. AS
matters stand in Charleston now, a.
grand jury is more apt to present the
governor for interfering with the
LIQUOR sellers than it is to present
the liquor sellers for plying their vo-
4 Acation, and ttat is about all there is
Ito it. If there is any way to break
i up the liquor business in Charleston,
except by putting the city under mar
tial law, we do not know it, and as
bng as the issue remains one of try
g to prevent the people from con-
Quoting business which the State
claims the right to conduct, we nave
lot got a great deal of confidence in
be efficacy of martial law"
The Enquirer is prohibition paper,
nd vigorously espoused the cause of
MIR. Feat1erstone in the campaign in
1919.
THE Injunction Process.
The Abbeville Medium suggests the
Injunction process, Il necessary. While
the people Of the State will agree with
The Medium that it is important that
Ehe@ liquor law in Charleston should
be enforced if they will give the mat
Ter the thought which it deserves they
must conclude that the right Of trial