The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-04-24
MAYOR GRACE MAKES REPORT
SAYS THAT GREAT STRIDES
HAVE BEEN MADE IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
Charleston Executive Wires Answer
to Governors Letter, Asking InfOr-
nation on Action i'm City-Many
Places Have Closed.

Places Have Closed.
Charleston. April Elm response
to a letter from Gov Manning mailed
yesterday at Columbia in which May
or Grace, of Charleston. was asked for
q detailed statement within as hours
showing the progress of law enforce
ment here, the mayor today filed the
following telegram:
Hon. Richard I. Manning, Governor,
Columbia, S. c.:
l am reliably advised by the chief of
police that great strides have been
made in the direction of complete law
enforcement. First, all forms of gam
bling. including slot machines, lot
have been banished, so far as is pos
sible to Danish them from the city of
Charleston, and whenever we near in
any case of any disposition by anyone
to peep. out in violation of the law
against gambling W. Immediately take
steps to stop it. The liquor situation,
however, is different. You ask me for
a statement of what places have been
closed. OF course o know. hat thu
city of Charleston has no power to
close a place up except by a refusal
to issue a license to do business Of
any kind. Where a business, such as
the liquor business, is run in violation
of law, the city has no power by any
process that l know of to close a place
up, nor has any law enforcing power
in the State any such power. Not
withstanding this, the temper of the
methods that we have adopted have
compelled many places of prominence
voluntarily to close rather than risk
the odium and tumult attached to the
constant raiding by the police. 1 men,
ton particularly both hotels. Many
other places that had been %fagrantly,
by bold fronts and otherwise, violating
the law, have been driven at least to
cover INT until, on the whole, the sale
of liquor in Charleston, if carried on
at all now, is moi being carried on
with any open defiance Of law. 1 can
not tell you conscientiously that in
the city of Charleston no liquor is be-
ing sold against the law. If O
have been advised that anywhere out
side of the city of Charleston any bet
ter efforts have been made. all things
considered, than we have made in the
city of Charleston, or that there is a
place where, liquor is not being sold,
l have nothing to say but to express
my profound doubts. BY COMPARE
son, l feel justified in saying thai with
in the city of Charleston we have
made greater relative strides to car
ry out your wishes than anywhere
that / know of. When you consider
that we were ordered by you sud-
denly to uproot something that was
inwoven into h web of the life Of a
community, l can honestly say that
we have accomplished a great deal.
(Signed) John p. Grace,
Mayor.
The governors letter to Mayor
Grace. which was received here this
morning, was as follows:
State of South Carolina,
Executive Chamber,
Columbia, April 20, 1915.
Hon. John p. Grace, Mayor, Charles
My Dear Mr.. Mayor:
ton, S. c..
Following our recent telephone con-
versation in which you called me up
and promised to give me a statement
of what you had accomplished in
Charleston, ! beg to say that am
very smuch disappointed at not hav-
ing heard from you.
l will be glad if you will let me
have within As hours a detailed state
ment of what places have been clos
ed. with q statement also if they are
still closed or if they have resumed
business. BY SO doing you will greatly
oblige.
Very truly yours,
(~SCigncd) Richard 1. Manning,
Governor.